by J. L. Wilder
Cait couldn’t believe this was happening. It was only the second day! “Professor—”
But no one was listening to her. No one was even looking at her. Now that she was a known omega, her input was no longer required. “Of course,” Liz said. “It makes sense. I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out. She dresses like a schoolmarm. I had to dress her in my clothes. I thought her family was just really strict!”
“We need to take this up with the administration,” the professor said. “Class is dismissed for the day. Young man, you’d better come along too.”
“Bart,” said Bart importantly.
The professor took Cait by the arm and hauled her out of her seat.
“I can walk,” she said, jerking her arm away. “You don’t get to manhandle me just because I’m an omega.”
“She’s always like this,” Bart said. “That’s why our alpha decided to send her to Omega U. She needed to be taught her place. I don’t know how she got over here. I can’t say I’m really surprised, though. It’s just like her to go sneaking around like this.”
“Omega U has a great rehabilitation program for girls who are having trouble accepting their role within their pack,” the professor said.
“I hope so,” Bart said. “I’m supposed to be mated to her someday, but if she keeps acting like this, I don’t know if I want her. I told her father that if she got some education in her, maybe we could work it out.”
“That’s not what happened,” Cait sputtered. “I told Dad that I wasn’t ready to settle down, and he agreed I could come to school. I was the one who wanted it! You’re only here killing time waiting for me to get out, I’ll bet! You weren’t even planning to go!”
“See what I mean?” Bart asked.
They had reached the administrative building, and they walked inside single file. The professor pointed to a couple of chairs. “You two sit here,” he said. “I’m going to confer with the dean about this.”
“Yes, sir,” Bart said, adopting a smarmy tone that Cait had never heard come out of his mouth in her life. Bart was a textbook alpha, bossy and controlling and sure he was always right. He had never been obsequious.
Faker.
The moment the professor was gone, Bart dropped the act. “What the fuck are you doing?” he snarled at her. “What are you doing at Shifter U?”
He wasn’t her alpha. She didn’t have to answer him. She stared resolutely at the floor and said nothing.
“I know you just came to school to get away from me,” Bart said. “You don’t care about getting an education. You just think everyone back home will forget that you were promised to me. Well, you can think again. You’re going to be my mate. I don’t care how long I have to wait for you. Eventually, you’ll get out of that slut school across the road, and you’ll have to come home, and then we’ll see what’s what.”
Cait ignored him.
“You better learn how to act right,” Bart said. “If you get home and you’re still pulling this shit, I’m going to have to teach you how to submit to an alpha the old-fashioned way, and it’ll be a hell of a lot worse for you than whatever they’re doing across the road. Know that.”
He sat back triumphantly in his seat as if he had won something.
I’m not yours, though, Cait thought firmly. I don’t have to submit to you because you’re not my alpha. No matter what Father decided, you don’t own me. Not yet. And I’m not out of options. I’ll find a way out of this somehow.
The professor returned. An older man was walking alongside him. The dean, Cait supposed.
“This is the omega?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” the professor said. “Fortunately, young Bart here was able to identify her. No harm was done.”
“Okay,” the Dean said. “Since it’s the first day, we’ll send her across the road and say no more about this.” He looked at Cait for the first time. “But, young lady, your headmistress and instructors across the road will be informed of this. If you misbehave again, you’ll be dealt with very harshly. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.” Cait ignored Bart smirking in the background.
“Very well,” the dean said. “Headmistress Cleo is on her way over to collect you. Stay right here until she arrives.”
Bart and the professor took their leave. The dean retreated into his office.
Cait stared at the wall. She couldn’t believe it had all gone so wrong so fast.
Fifteen minutes later, a woman in her mid-fifties bustled in. She wore a long skirt and a long-sleeved button-down shirt, and her hair was tied in a no-nonsense bun at the back of her neck. She looked down her nose at Cait and frowned.
“So, you’re Caitlin Sterling,” she said.
Somewhat intimidated, Cait nodded.
“I don’t mind telling you you’ve caused everyone a lot of trouble, miss,” the woman said. “Come with me.”
It couldn’t have been more different from her pleasant welcome to Shifter U. Cait already felt like this woman hated her. She followed her out of the office and across the road, every step feeling like swallowing rocks.
“I’m Headmistress Cleo,” the woman said. “I don’t know what things are like where you come from, Caitlin, but I can promise you that here at Omega University, we have very little patience for rebelliousness. The girls at this school are here because they want to learn how to become better omegas. They want to thrive as members of a pack. If that’s not what you want, then I suggest you leave now.”
What could Cait say? Of course, that wasn’t what she wanted. She dreaded the very idea of living as an omega. But the alternative was worse. If she left Omega U right now, she would have to go home. And if she was expelled on her first day, her father would hear no further arguments about her not being ready for a mate. He would take it as all the evidence he needed that she had to be mated as soon as possible.
“It won’t happen again, Headmistress Cleo,” she promised.
“I suppose you were over there to meet boys?” the headmistress guessed.
Cait was so surprised that she stopped in her tracks. “No,” she said. “That’s not it at all. I wanted...” How much did she dare admit? “I wanted to learn about shifter history and politics,” she said. “I’ve always been really curious about those things. And I knew those classes weren’t offered here. Honestly, I’m not thinking about relationships at all.”
The headmistress studied her face. Perhaps she saw honesty there because her own expression relaxed ever so slightly.
“That’s good,” she said. “That’s a good start, at least. The girls who come here boy-crazy are the ones who don’t do well. Always remember that as an omega, it’s your job to be chosen, not to do the choosing.”
Oh, fuck that, Cait thought, but she said nothing.
“You’ll join your students in classes tomorrow,” Headmistress Cleo said. “They’ll be finished for the day in a few hours. For now, go to your room and settle in.” She pointed to a round tower. “You’re in room 933, all the way at the top.”
Of course, I am. “What about my things?” she asked. “I left my luggage over at Shifter U.”
“Your things will be sent over,” Headmistress Cleo said. “They’ll be here by dinner.”
“Okay,” Cait said. Then, remembering herself, she added, “Thank you.”
“One more thing, Caitlin,” the headmistress called.
Caitlin turned back. “Yeah?”
“You’re confined to your room when you’re not in classes or at meals until further notice,” the headmistress said. “Infractions will be punished severely.”
Oh, come on!
But she didn’t dare argue. She knew she had been dealt with leniently. As awful as all this was, it could have been a lot worse.
At least I’m still here. And that means four good years away from Bart. I can figure something out in that time. I can think of a way to get out of ever having to be his—or anyone’s—mate.
She climbed the stairs to her room. She was
gasping by the time she reached the fifth floor. This was going to get old in a hurry.
The window of her dorm room stood high above the trees, allowing her to look over at Shifter University and see what she’d almost had.
Another hit for the omega, she thought and dropped onto her bed in despair.
Chapter Four
GRANT
Grant stood at the head of his classroom, surveying the young women assembled there.
It was only the second day of class, but already he felt like he knew so much about them. You could tell a lot about omegas by the subtleties in their behavior, and for someone like Grant, who had worked up close with them for so long, it really was like reading a book.
The girls in the front row were the ones whose motivations couldn’t be trusted. To the casual observer, they might look like eager students who were just there to learn how to be the best omegas they could be. But Grant knew omegas well enough to know that they could be deceptive and manipulative, especially when in the presence of an unmated alpha like himself. There were plenty who would make an attempt to seduce him.
Not that he could blame them. As an alpha, he was highly credentialed. He had been at the top of his class ten years ago when he had graduated from Shifter University. He wasn’t a proud man, but he did know what he looked like, and he knew the effect that his looks had on women.
But he also knew what would happen if he were to become involved with any of the girls. It would mean the loss of his job. The entire purpose of Omega University’s separation from Shifter U was to create a place where omegas could learn without being preyed upon by alphas. There would be no tolerance for an alpha professor who engaged in a relationship with a student.
So Grant was always cautious with the girls who chose to sit in the front row.
The girls who were genuinely eager to learn and to adopt the omega lifestyle tended to sit in the middle of the classroom. They were timid, not bold enough to claim seats right up front, but they still wanted a place where they would be noticed by their professor. They wanted to be a part of things.
And then there were the girls in the back.
Grant knew they thought they weren’t showing their cards by sitting in the back of the room, but he could see right through them. Those girls were the ones who didn’t want to be there. Most often, they had men in their lives forcing them to go through the education that Omega U offered, men who understood what was best for their omegas. But the girls were bitter and resentful, and they chose seats that communicated clearly that they would rather be anywhere else.
Yesterday, he had taken a headcount of how many girls had chosen those seats. There had been three.
Today, there were four girls in the back.
Had somebody moved?
He did a quick headcount of his entire class. No. There was an extra person. How had that happened?
“I believe we have a new student with us today,” he said to the class at large. It was important to approach omegas, not by asking questions, but by issuing directives. “I’d like our newcomer to stand up, please.”
Nobody stood.
So she was going to be that kind of student. Grant knew what she was thinking. He’d had enough omegas talk back to him in his time as a professor that he could have written the script. You’re not my alpha.
“Maybe I was unclear,” he said, knowing that he’d gotten himself into a power struggle with this newcomer without even meaning to. In a classroom full of omegas, it was vital that he demonstrated where the true power lay. “If you were not here in class yesterday, stand up now.”
Nobody stood.
It didn’t matter. He had been using the time to study the room, comparing the students to the ones he had seen yesterday, and he had spotted the newcomer. She sat slumped in the back, dressed in a long skirt and a sweater, staring out the window. She wasn’t even paying attention to him.
Grant walked to the back of the room and stood beside her seat.
She didn’t look up.
“You’ve come to Omega University to learn your role within a shifter pack,” he said. “You’ve come here to learn how your kind can best serve the interests of the group. There’s nothing more destructive to a shifter community than an omega who won’t heed an order. I know you think you’re being tough right now, but this act is accomplishing nothing. The only thing you’re doing is demonstrating that your own selfishness and pride are worth more to you than the health of your community.”
No response.
“I am going to give you one last chance,” he said. “Get to your feet right now. If you fail to do so, there will be consequences for everyone in this room, because an omega who doesn’t obey causes harm to everyone around her.”
A low murmur went up around the room. Nobody liked the idea of consequences for everyone. Suddenly, this disobedient omega had enemies.
And she could see it. No one wanted to see her win this fight. Not anymore. There was no way for her to win because even if she refused what he was asking, the repercussions would make her the one who suffered.
Slowly, she got to her feet. He could see the tension in her body as she moved. He could see how angry she was. But that didn’t matter today. What matters today is that she’s being obedient. We’ll work on the attitude later.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
For a moment, he thought she was going to make a fight out of that too. But after a short hesitation, she spoke. “Cait.”
“Welcome to class, Cait,” he said, and he turned and walked away. There was no need to drag this out. He had shown his dominance. Now the best way to demonstrate strength was to show that he had the ability to walk away.
Back at the front of the room, he turned to face the group as a whole. “As omegas, one thing you must always be mindful of is the power and authority of any alpha you encounter,” he said. “You may be tempted to think that an alpha to whom you haven’t submitted directly has no power over you, but that’s a mistake. Alphas are authority figures, always, and omegas are always subject to that authority.”
One of the girls in the front of the room raised her hand.
“Yes?” he asked, knowing that as much as he would have liked to avoid engaging with the front row, it would only harm those girls in the long run to be neglected by their teacher. “What’s your name?”
“Georgette,” she said.
“What’s your question, Georgette?”
“If alphas are authority figures, does that mean they can have whatever they want?” She pressed her arms together beneath her breasts, pushing them up.
He kept his eyes on hers. “The responsibility of an alpha is to not abuse his power,” he said evenly. “An alpha who takes whatever he wants all the time is just as destructive a force within his pack as an omega who refuses to follow orders. Here at Omega University, you’ll learn all about how every member of a pack has a responsibility to contribute to the pack’s success.
A girl at the back raised her hand.
“Yes?” he asked.
“What if we don’t want to contribute to the success of a pack?” she asked. “What if we’re happier living alone?”
Grant shook his head. “No omega is ever happier on her own,” he said. “Although you may not realize it yet, the best way to achieve happiness as an omega is to fulfill the role that’s expected of you in life.”
A soft noise of disbelief came from the back row.
It wasn’t the girl who had asked the question. It took only a moment for Grant to identify the source of the sound. “Cait?” he said. “Do you have a problem?”
She shook her head.
“If you have a problem, say so,” he said. “I think you see by now that I can compel you to behave. I know you think you’re not subject to my authority in this classroom, and my authority as alpha. If you’d prefer it, I can continue to demonstrate how that isn’t the case. Or you can just cooperate and answer the question I asked you.”
“Fine,” she snapped. “I have a problem.”
“And what might that be?”
“The only way I can be happy in life is if I live the way you want me to?” she asked. “That’s big talk coming from someone who doesn’t even know me. You couldn’t tell me three facts about myself, and yet you presume to know what’s best for me in life. It’s a bunch of bullshit.”
The rest of the class seemed to inhale collectively.
Privately, Grant was astounded. He had never had such an unruly student before. Some omegas were more difficult than others, but he had never had any doubt in the past that he could bring them to heel as long as they stuck around long enough to be taught.
This girl is prime dropout material.
And yet, there was a part of him that embraced the challenge he saw in her. He didn’t want her to drop out. He wanted to keep trying to teach her. If he could convince a student like this to accept her omega nature and to embrace the omega lifestyle, there was no one he couldn’t win over.
“Come to the front of the room, Cait,” he told her.
For a moment, he thought there would be another power struggle. But then she shrugged expansively, got to her feet, and swaggered down to the front of the room. She threw herself into an open seat right in front of his desk.
Once again, he decided to let the attitude go, for now, at least. To the rest of the class, he said, “One of the things that happens in every pack is that a hierarchy is established. Cait has provided us with our first object lesson, so we should all be thanking her.”
“What do you mean?” one of the girls in the middle of the room asked.
“This class is Pack Dynamics and Alpha Appreciation. Who knows what that means?”
Georgette raised her hand halfway. “It’s about knowing that alphas are in charge and knowing how best to please them,” she said. “The omega’s job is to please the alpha.”
“The omega’s job is to obey the alpha,” Grant corrected her. “It’s not about being a source of pleasure. In fact, if the pack dynamics are in balance, alpha and omega will be equal sources of pleasure to each other. But this only works if the alpha both earns and is given the proper respect by every other member of the pack, and that’s where leadership and hierarchy come in. Which member is at the top of the pack structure?”
