Seven – Vail
I woke early, relieved to untangle myself from my dreams. Maybe it was the drug Sin had given me, or just the constant shocks, but they’d twisted and shifted inside my head like snakes. As the dawn light crept inside the unfamiliar room, one thing was clear. I needed to get the hell off campus before Jasper realized I was back. And this time, there’d be no waiting around for someone to rescue me. I’d had it with being dragged back and forth like a clueless bitch.
My snow coat was torn and muddied, but it was the pretty pink blouse that went straight into the trash. I grimaced as I thought of Trey, waking from whatever Sin had done to him, and then finding the alpha shifters in what was no doubt a very bad mood. My brief return home had raised more questions than answers, but I pushed them out of my mind as I quickly remade the bed. Pissing off the Devil of the Horn was just another complication I couldn’t deal with right now.
Hopefully he’d finally got the message and would leave me alone.
I shivered at the thought. The Horn had always been my home. What would I do if I couldn’t go back?
Gritting my teeth against the wash of emotions, I looked around the room. It was pretty, in a frilly feminine kind of way, with white rattan furniture and pale pink accents. There was a dresser, mirror and nightstand, softened by all the pillows and the thick carpet underfoot. It was the furthest thing from the Dud Dorm I’d been in a month ago, including the stack of folded clothes waiting for me on the dresser.
Silky underwear, jeans and a warm sweater. They were clearly brand new, but I didn’t recognize them from the closet of clothes I’d left behind in the rose cottage. Squashing that thought before it could prod the snakes back to life, I quickly dressed and went looking for the guard who’d been on duty last night. If there was one guy who was as unimpressed as I was by my return to campus, it was him.
But when I stepped out into the large lobby, there was a different guard lurking near the entrance. He was facing away, his gaze on the textbook in his hands as he propped himself against the back of a sofa. I glanced through the glass doors at the pale morning and wondered if I could just leave. If I walked past him without a word, would he stop me? Had he been told to keep an extra close eye on the new addition, or was I just another omega wolf he had to watch between classes? I supposed it depended on the current rumor about why I was back…
I grimaced, hating the way my heart clenched at the memory of the black Hummer reversing out of the gates at high speed. I’d been horrified to find myself back at Hunter Moon Academy, but Gabriel Michaels had practically broken the land speed record to leave me here. My cheeks heated as I remembered the way I’d begged him to take me anywhere else. All while Reed Marshall had looked on without expression.
He’d no doubt been woken in the middle of the night to meet me, but no one would have known. Clean shaven, not a hair in his buzzcut out of place, Reed had watched me with his cool, brown eyes as I struggled to hold back my tears. There was something unnatural about the way the alphason hid his emotions. Other than that moment in the guys’ bathroom when he’d shoved me up against the sink and shown me his wolf, he’d always been hard to read, and last night hadn’t been any different. As his chatty lieutenant lugged me across campus, I’d sensed a little curiosity, maybe some weariness, but mostly just annoyance.
I pulled a face and wrapped my arms around the soft wool of my borrowed sweater. On one of the few occasions he’d spoken to me, Reed had called me a loose end. Told me he’d mangle my mouth when he slapped that dud wolf print on my hand. Claimed I needed a good wolf to keep me in line, but then pushed me into a closet with that asshole Potter. Beneath his notice, but every encounter had been edged with menace. He must have breathed a sigh of relief when I was hauled off campus on Hunter Moon.
But now I was a Marshall shifter. Or so we were meant to believe.
I’d watched him read that birth certificate last night, his only reaction a slight downward twitch of his mouth. It was clearly my ticket back into the academy and he’d accepted it at face value. But knowing how Gabriel Michaels operated, it was probably as bogus as every other clue about my past.
“I can’t stay here.”
The words were more for myself than the guard, but he turned and propped his textbook on the arm of the sofa. My stomach sank as I recognized him as the guy who’d carried me in last night. “Hey, you okay? We didn’t get a proper introduction, but I’m Carter Barren.”
I struggled for a moment to connect the dots. “Barren? Oh! Are you related to Marnie?”
“I’m her older brother.” He gave me another of his assessing looks. “She flipped out when she heard you’re back. She’s been asking to come round, but security’s a bit on edge at the moment.”
I felt one of the tight knots in my chest loosen a little. “I can’t wait to see her.”
“I’ll let her know.” He tilted his head and I realized he was a good-looking guy. He had Marnie’s dark eyes, but his hair was a dirty blond and the contrast was striking. He seemed friendly and sincere, but I had to remind myself he was a close friend of Reed’s and had been part of the welcoming party last night. He’d no doubt seen and heard more than I was comfortable with. “Um, is there a chance I can talk to Reed? I wasn’t expecting to be here, and I’ve got a few questions.”
He gave me an easy nod. “Sure. He said he’d be by soon. Nadia said to tell you she’s in the breakfast room if you want to catch up with her.”
I nodded, relieved. I definitely wanted to see Nadia. I’d had a brief moment with her and Jasmine last night, but I’d been so loopy from the drug Sin gave me, I had no idea what I’d actually said to them.
Ugh. After avoiding the Barakat drug empire for years, I was now the poster child for the dangers of chemical substances. “Thanks. That would be great.”
I followed his directions to a large, airy room at the back of the house. Not that I could have got lost, with the tantalizing aroma of pancakes and coffee beckoning me forward. It was a much nicer version of the Dud Dorm’s breakroom and I felt a pinch of shame that Marnie would be waking up to another breakfast of stale pop tarts. Not that I planned on staying here for long. But goddamn, the sparkling buffet of fluffy eggs, crispy bacon and fresh fruit was about the most welcoming thing I’d ever seen on campus.
Other than the girls beaming at me from a table by the window. “Vail!” Jasmine was on her feet faster than Nadia, but the Head Omega wasn’t about to be left behind and they smothered me in a messy group hug. “Oh, thank God you’re okay. We were so worried!”
I pulled back, breathless and embarrassed. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been feeling so bad about everything.” They were both clutching a hand, but I sniffed and pulled away. Shame rode me hard and I could barely meet their eyes. “I fucked up big time. And after you’d all been so nice to me.”
Jasmine planted her hands on her hips. “You don’t think we believe that Wolf Fire bullshit, do you?”
I couldn’t hide my shock. Both girls were the perfect omegas – kind, loyal and gorgeous inside and out – but Jasmine also had the fragile beauty of a wildflower. I knew she was tougher than she looked, but it was kind of weird seeing her bristling with rage. “Anyone who listens to those rumors is an idiot. We both know you better than that, Vail.”
Jasmine had been Felix’s date to the dance, so I was relieved she didn’t think I’d baited him on purpose. But her loyalty still made me feel uneasy. After all, I didn’t have much of an explanation for what had happened. Gabriel Michaels hadn’t been able to clear up the mystery of the scent shield and my wolf was still a no show. I could blame it on the full moon, but I could just imagine how a school of shifters would laugh their asses off at that excuse. “I wish I had your confidence. I feel like I can’t even trust myself anymore.” I closed my eyes for a long moment, then blew out a breath, steeling myself. “How bad are the rumors?”
Nadia crimped her lips, her gaze sympathetic. “It’s just a lot of ugly gossip. As far as anyone knows, you went home for a break. There are a few theories – you got drunk and had a fight with Jasper – but mostly that’s just Pearl being a bitch.”
Jasmine grabbed my hand. “And everybody knows Pearl has it in for you.”
I wasn’t surprised the blonde she-devil was dragging my name through the manure. I wasn’t sure I could even blame her. She was an alpha, and believed she had a prior claim to Jasper. A part of me could accept she was just being protective. Looking out for her alpha and making sure a screwed-up dud didn’t slime her way into his affections. The other part wanted to kick her ass for all the shit she’d put me through. “What about Jasper? What’s he saying?”
The girls exchanged a look. “He’s been off-campus since the dance. I guess with his new duties…”
I gave a jerky little nod. It was stupid to think he was obsessing over what had happened, when he had much bigger issues to deal with now. “Is that why you’re staying here instead of the rose cottage?”
Nadia moved uneasily, while Jasmine’s eyes narrowed. It was the younger omega who said, “Pearl kicked us out. And with Jasper not around, we didn’t have much choice. Not that we wanted to live under the same roof as her anyway…”
Her voice trailed off, but I still felt my stomach give a sick little flip. “She’s moved into the cottage?”
Nadia reached over to pat my hand. “Wait until the alpha’s back. I’m sure we can sort everything out once he has a chance to listen.”
I gave them a weak smile, but kept my thoughts to myself. I loved Nadia for her optimism but I didn’t think it was going to be that easy. Besides, I wasn’t packless anymore. As far as Jasper was concerned, I was no longer his problem.
There was a soft rap of knuckles on the open door and I turned to find Carter Barren grinning at me. “You have a visitor. Need to keep it on the down-low, but I either let her in, or she’s going to distribute some of my more disturbing baby photos…”
Marnie gave her brother a friendly shove and burst into the room. She’d been my first friend at the Academy – in fact, my first real friend in a long time – and I instantly felt better when I saw her smiling face. We’d all bonded in the days before the Hunter Moon fiasco, and the other girls called out happy greetings. But when Marnie reached our table and pulled me in for a tight hug, her eyes were dark with shadows. She shook her head slowly. “I heard you were attacked by the Black Den Pack. Are you okay?”
Both of the omegas gasped, but I waved off their concern. “They came to the Horn. Something about taking me to the Marrow Alpha, but I got away.” I didn’t mention Sin, since I wasn’t sure what game she and Gabriel Michaels were playing. It was unnerving to think news of the attack had already made it to the academy, though. “How did you hear about it?”
She looked pointedly back at her brother, who ducked out of the room with a wave. “The guards have been put on high alert. Seems there are going to be some tighter security protocols for a while. And the new principal has called an emergency assembly.”
Nadia raised a sleek brow. “You mean today? But what about our regular classes?”
Marnie shrugged, but her shadowed eyes didn’t leave my face. “Seems the new Arras Alpha wants to address the whole school.”