by J. L. Wilder
“I don’t know why you’re worried,” Jim said. “It’s the same every year. They start out not knowing their place, and then they find it.”
“But there are always some who drop out,” Grant said. “There are always some who can’t make the adjustment from the life they knew into proper shifter life. Every time that happens, I feel like I’ve failed them. I’m not just a teacher. I’m a guide. It’s my job to help these girls find their way in the shifter world. It’s my job to help them find happiness.”
Jim nodded. “You do a good job of it,” he said. “You need to stop beating yourself up.”
“I just look at the incoming class and wonder which of them won’t make it,” Grant admitted. “They’ll never know how rich and fulfilling their lives could have been. It hurts each time I fail them.”
“You know that it’s possible that they’re still happy, right?” Jim asked. “I mean, I know they’re not living the omega life if they leave our school. But that’s not the only good life that exists in the world.”
Grant shook his head. “You’re a beta, Jim, so you can’t really understand this,” he said. “I know how it’s different for you. You weren’t born with a specific role to fulfill within a pack. Betas really are the closest things in the shifter world to humans.”
“Rude.” Jim flicked his bottle cap across the table into Grant’s arm.
“It’s just the truth,” Grant said. “I like you. You know I do. And I respect that you chose to come and work at Omega U when you could have gotten a job at Shifter U. We need more people to do that. Shifter U pays more, I know, and that’s a mistake. Someone needs to provide these girls with the education they deserve.”
“Sometimes, I think it would be for the best if we just put them all in the same school,” Jim said.
Grant shook his head. “That would be a mistake,” he said. “Omegas need structure and control. They need to be guided. They crave it. There’s a part of them that will never be comfortable unless they’re in the hands of a strong leader.”
“That can’t be true of all of them,” Jim said.
Grant turned his beer bottle in his hands and didn’t answer. This was something Jim would never understand. Jim was a beta. Betas were different.
But Grant knew.
Grant was an alpha, and he understood how it was never possible to fully relax unless he was able to exert dominance over a group of people. He understood how the need to be in charge of a situation could only be satisfied by flexing his alpha power.
And the same was true of omegas. They needed to be led. They needed to know that someone was in charge, that someone was taking responsibility for them and seeing to their needs.
That was how things had been with Marisa.
But he wasn’t going to allow himself to dwell on Marisa. That was in the past. The present was this job at Omega University and the responsibility he had to the girls in his class.
Today had been the first day of classes. Grant had plenty of students back from years past, and he was happy to see them and to hear about the ways they had put his lessons to use within their packs. Some of them were mated now and had come back to finish their education while their mates finished attending school at Shifter U across the road. Others were mated and had pulled out of Omega U entirely to focus on their responsibilities. Some of these had sent him letters, thanking him for his guidance.
Grant saved every letter. They all meant the world to him. Every girl he could help was a little victory.
Maybe this year, he thought. Maybe this class will be the one where I help one hundred percent of my students.
But the other painful thing about the start of the year was seeing who hadn’t come back. Not the ones who had found mates—that always made Grant happy. But those who had abandoned their omega roots.
Five girls in the sophomore class were missing and unaccounted for.
Of course, he knew what had happened. It was always the same thing. They had decided to try getting a job—that life would never make an omega happy—or they had met a man.
A human man.
A man who would never understand the omega nature.
And they had chosen him over themselves.
It pained Grant to see omegas choose human men. They would never know the pleasure of submitting to an alpha. And, of course, there was the matter of the shifter bloodline. A bloodline ended with every omega who chose to mate with a human.
That was another reason Shifter U and Omega U were so important.
There were fewer shifters now than there had ever been before. Their race was dying out.
Grant wouldn’t allow that to happen. His job title might be professor but he understood that his real job was to safeguard the future of the shifter race. That was why it was so important to have alphas teaching at Omega University. Someone had to keep the omegas in line.
If the pay here was what it is over at Shifter U, more alphas would be willing to take these jobs.
But the Shifter Council had never regarded Omega U as highly as it had Shifter U. The Omegas’ school was an afterthought, a place to send omegas to isolate them from real learning.
That infuriated Grant. Omegas had a different role to play, certainly, but that didn’t mean they were less important. They couldn’t be brushed aside. If anything, omegas were the most important members of the pack.
The omegas were the ones who could provide for the pack’s future.
So many alphas thought it was their job to exert their authority, to corral the rest of the pack and compel them to serve. But good alphas understood that their job was to use their power for the common good, to help the pack thrive and be successful.
That was why Grant had chosen to take the job at Omega U when it was offered to him, even though he could have earned more money across the street. He knew that by working there, he was doing the most good. He was providing the girls with a guiding force that was sorely needed in their lives.
“They start classes across the street tomorrow,” Jim said. “I saw the kids over there running around and doing their orientation thing today.”
Grant nodded. “They give them so much freedom over there,” he said. “I’m not sure it’s good for the freshmen.”
“They’re not omegas,” Jim pointed out. “Part of their education is learning to be accountable for themselves. The alphas especially.”
“But on the very first day?” Grant asked. “I’m not saying everything needs to be structured, but these schools are about learning to thrive in a pack. Shouldn’t they be in group activities?”
“Group activities,” Jim scoffed. “It’s a whole group of alphas over there, Grant. Dozens of them. They can’t simulate the pack dynamic. It’s amazing they manage not to murder each other in their sleep.”
“Don’t be dramatic.” Grant took a sip of his beer.
“You don’t really think you and I would be friends if we were both alphas, do you?” Jim asked. “We wouldn’t be able to agree on anything. We wouldn’t get along at all.”
Grant shook his head. “It’s a strange idea of alphas you have,” he said. “We don’t live to give orders, you know. Yes, we like to be in control, but we don’t have to control everyone we come into contact with. You’re not my packmate. You’re my colleague. I wouldn’t try to dominate you.”
“Do you have other alpha friends, then?” Jim asked.
“Don’t start,” Grant said.
“You don’t.”
“You know I don’t,” Grant said. “And you know why, too. There are no other alphas teaching at Omega University.”
“But you could go across the street,” Jim said. “There are tons of alphas teaching there.”
“It’s not a good example to set for my girls,” Grant said. “They can’t just go across the street whenever they want. They have to live the life that’s been provided for them and find a way to be happy.”
“But you’re not one of them,” Jim said. “And that’s an exa
mple you have to set too, isn’t it? You have to show them that the same rules don’t apply to you. You’re the alpha, and they are the omegas. You’re allowed to live the way you want to, and they have to follow orders.”
“It’s not that simple,” Grant said. “Being an alpha doesn’t mean I can do whatever I want all the time. Often, it just means I have to make the most sensible choices for myself, rather than depending on somebody else to do it for me. That can be challenging, you know.”
“What do you mean?” Jim asked.
“I mean that it’s actually safer for an omega to have a rebellious nature,” Grant said. “She knows that she has an alpha whose job is to bring her to heel. She knows there’s a safety net to stop her fall if she makes too big a mistake. For an alpha, that kind of personality is much more dangerous. If I do something that risks my wellbeing or the wellbeing of those around me, there’s nothing to stop the situation from ending in a catastrophe.”
“Now who’s being dramatic?” Jim asked, arching an eyebrow.
“You’re right,” Grant admitted. “I just think of the girls who didn’t come back this year. The rebels. They’re the ones I feel like I failed. It was my job to corral them, to keep them on the right track. And I didn’t do it. Now they’re out in the world among people who have no idea how to manage an omega.”
“You worry too much.” Jim drained his drink. “Let’s get back to campus. I want to go to the alpha vs. beta basketball game at Shifter U.”
“You know the alphas always win that,” Grant pointed out. “Why do you bother?”
“This might be the betas’ year,” Jim said. “You never know.”
Grant nodded, even though he did know. There was no point in even having alpha vs. beta sports. The dynamics were too askew.
If I were in charge over there, I would integrate the teams. I would make an alpha captain of each and have him choose a squad of betas to lead. That was the way to prepare students for pack life.
Everything should serve the structure of the pack.
If it didn’t help students prepare for pack life, what was the point? Why were they playing basketball at all? The idea of betas approaching alphas as rivals to be defeated was counter to nature. No wonder they never won.
“Are you coming to the game?” Jim asked.
“No,” Grant said. The last thing he wanted to do was spend his evening watching a group of young alphas defeat betas. That was just as unnatural as betas trying to overthrow alphas. The role of the alpha wasn’t to suppress or defeat the beta, but to help the beta succeed.
He had discussed the matter with the Shifter Council, and he knew they all thought he was taking things too seriously. It’s just basketball, they had said. The students learn about pack dynamics all day. After they graduate, they’ll spend their lives in a pack. Let them blow off some steam.
But he disagreed. That mindset was the whole problem. It was the whole reason the shifter race was failing. It had started with packs telling themselves it was okay to do a few human things—to get the internet in their homes, to buy smartphones, to make human friends.
Then they had begun to fall in love with humans.
They had begun to abandon pack structure.
Omegas had gotten the idea that the omega lifestyle was a choice to be made, that they could decide whether they wanted to play the omega role within the pack or run off and live a human life.
They didn’t understand. They didn’t understand how fulfilled they would feel once they embraced their roles as omegas. It wasn’t the kind of thing you could understand intellectually. You had to experience it. You had to feel it.
Grant knew that. He knew because it was the same for him as an alpha. He could have walked away. He had even considered it once when he was younger.
But now that he had experienced the power of his role, now that he knew what he could bring to a pack, he understood that there was nothing in the world that could ever give him as much joy.
He just had to help the girls in his charge come to the same realization.
Chapter Three
CAIT
Cait woke promptly as the sun came through her dorm room window.
Remembering where she was, she smiled. My first day of classes at Shifter University, she thought. If Dad could see me right now, he’d absolutely lose his shit.
She rolled out of bed and went to her suitcase. She hadn’t unpacked last night. She and her roommate, Liz, had spent the evening exploring campus together. It still felt like a small miracle that there was no required time at which Cait had to be back in her dorm. She could stay out as late as she wanted to, and nobody would care.
Liz sat up in bed, yawned, and rubbed her eyes. “I guess you’re an early riser,” she said.
“I’m excited for classes to start,” Cait admitted.
“Brown-noser,” Liz said mildly. “What do you think it’ll be like? Not too hard, I hope.”
“I just hope we learn a lot,” Cait said. “I really want to do well.”
“Well, slow your roll,” Liz laughed. “It’s only the first day. I doubt there are going to be any tests or anything. We’ll probably just meet the professors and get a lecture on what studying here is going to be like.”
“That’ll be fun too.” Cait examined her suitcase. “What should I wear, do you think?
Liz came over to join her. “Your wardrobe is a little, um...”
“Conservative?”
“Yeah. Not that there’s anything wrong with that if it’s what you’re into, of course, but if what you’re going for is blending in...”
“Can you help me?” Cait asked. “My father was really strict, but now that I don’t live at home anymore, I’d definitely be into mixing it up.”
“Yeah, of course,” Liz said. “We’re about the same size, right?” She went to her own bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a tank top that laced up the sides. “Try these on.”
Cait bit her lip. It was definitely more immodest than any outfit she’d ever been allowed to wear at home. But if she wanted to blend in with the betas, she needed to act like one. She changed into the jeans and top, marveling at the way the fabric clung to the curves of her body.
“Perfect,” Liz said, stepping into a black skirt and zipping up the side. “You look great. All the alphas will be howling.”
“Oh, I’m not here for that,” Cait said. She knew that if she got close to any alphas, there would be no way to conceal her true nature. They would sniff her out in a minute. “I’m just here to study and graduate.”
“But there are so many hot guys around!” Liz protested. “And so many of them are alphas, and there are no omegas. They’re all across the road, and the alphas can’t go there except on special occasions. They have to date us if they want to get any action at all.”
“You sound really excited about no omegas being here,” Cait observed.
“Oh, definitely,” Liz said. “I’m surprised you’re not. But then, I guess if you’re not here for dating, it wouldn’t matter to you so much.”
“What difference does it make if there are omegas?” Cait asked.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Liz asked.
Cait shrugged. “I never thought about it.”
“Every girl wants an alpha,” Liz explained. “They’re the most powerful. The manliest. They’re the toughest, and the strongest, and the sexiest. But every alpha wants an omega. When the omegas are around, the beta girls don’t stand a chance. No alpha would even look at you or me.”
“What about the beta guys?” Cait asked.
“Yeah, it sucks to be them,” Liz said. “Any girl on this campus who dates a beta guy will be settling, and he’ll know it. I mean, they’re not going to have any trouble finding girlfriends. There are way more betas than alphas, obviously. But they’ll know that they weren’t the first choice.”
“And they’re not allowed to date the omegas at all,” Cait remembered.
“Right,” Liz said. “S
o basically, you and I are in the best dating pool we’ll ever be in in our lives. We’re on campus with a bunch of young alphas who have no access to omegas, plus a bunch of betas to fall back on. It’s open season.”
Cait nodded. But she knew that while all that might have been true for Liz, it definitely wasn’t for her. Omega status came with high fertility, and if she were to get pregnant, this would all be over before it had begun. She would have to keep herself distracted from the plethora of attractive young men on campus.
After consulting their schedules, Cait and Liz saw that they had the same first class—shifter history. They walked over together, reveling in the warm weather of late fall. Cait tried her best not to look over at Omega University and indulge her curiosity about what her fellow omegas were doing today.
I’m not one of them. Not anymore. I’m going to learn and travel and have the life I always wanted. It all begins for me today.
The classroom was almost full when they entered, and they found two seats in the back. Liz leaned over to talk to a girl in the row in front of them, and Cait looked around the room at her fellow students.
And froze.
No. Oh, fuck. It can’t be him.
But as he turned toward her and she saw the claw tattoo on his temple, she knew that it was.
Bart.
He was sitting in a group of raucous guys, all of them laughing and punching each other, and she would have known even if it weren’t for his presence that these were the alphas.
She slipped lower in her seat, hoping to God that he wouldn’t notice her. Please don’t let him see me. Please, please don’t let him—
“Caitlin?”
Her heart sank.
He was on his feet, crossing the room, staring at her. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked loudly, silencing the conversations of everyone he passed. “You don’t belong here.”
“Excuse me, young man.” The professor had entered the room, briefcase in hand. “May I ask what you’re doing?”
Bart turned. “Professor, this girl is from my pack back home. She’s an omega.”
Liz gasped.
