Alpha Betrayed: A Dark Shifter Romance

FORDProperty of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

By the time I finish a five-mile, head-clearing run, grab a shower in the now mostly empty dorm, and head to the far edge of the lawn, the luau is already in full swing.

There, dozens of tables covered in white cloth and decorated with exotic flowers sit in a circle of flickering tiki torches. On a portable stage at the front, a band in aloha print shirts plays slack guitar and a woman with a beautiful round voice sings in a language that colonizers did their best to wipe out. The Hawaiian language was forbidden in schools for nearly a hundred years and on the verge of extinction at one point, but they refused to let their culture die.

We can do the same thing here at Lost Moon. We can fight to keep this an inclusive place, where Variants are welcome and protected, and dicks like Beck and Ferris are held accountable.

Or, at least, Alexander believes that's still possible.

This afternoon, he told me that as early as five years ago, when his older brother graduated, people like Beck were very much the exception, not the rule. But he also said the shift in the culture seemed to coincide with the new president taking over a year later. Before that, Coralie was the dean of the science department, and allegedly a fairly boring figure. After she became president, she was the one who started allowing legacy students to apply. For the first time in Lost Moon history, a student didn't have to be a pack reject or in some kind of desperate trouble to gain admission. They could simply be the child or grandchild of someone who'd attended in the past.

Alexander thinks that's the single biggest contributing factor to the rapid change in culture, and that if acceptance practices went back to the way they were before, so would Lost Moon.

I'm not so sure I agree-the shifter world outside Lost Moon's walls is changing, too, growing more violent and divided than it's been in decades. I felt that even before I learned about the Parallel and the criminal shifter elements taking over cities in an alternate dimension.

For whatever reason, we're at an inflection point in our history, a place where things are going to change rapidly. They could get better, or they could get much worse. It all depends on what people are willing to tolerate, and what they're willing to fight for. I know what I'll be fighting for...

My gaze lands on Juliet instantly, locking on her in the crowd of hundreds even though she's wearing a simple blue sundress and flats. She barely reaches the shoulders of most of the students milling around under the tiki torches, sipping drinks out of hollowed- out pineapples, and making get-to-know-you chitchat. She might not stand out in a crowd to anyone else, but to me she shines.

And Beck almost raped her today.

He and Ferris both.

Every time I think about it, I taste blood and the urge to rip those shit stains apart becomes almost unmanageable. That's why I went for the run. But as I see the two of them laughing near one side of the stage, like this afternoon never happened, I wish I'd run twice as far and three times as fast.

Pretending to be buddy-buddy with those pieces of human garbage was going to be hard enough before they put hands on Juliet. Now, it might very well be impossible. But I'm going to try my f*****g best. For her.

They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I'm going to keep her enemies so close, I'll be the first to know if they dare make a move on her again. "Penny for your thoughts?" a voice whispers from over my right shoulder.

I flinch and turn, only relaxing slightly when I see Catherine in a fancier-looking version of the black dress she was wearing earlier. It's satin, I think, with tiny straps that emphasize her slim shoulders.

"It's okay," she whispers, coming to stand beside me, staring out over the party. "I know you're going undercover and shouldn't be talking to Variant scum, but I'm a counselor." She lifts the red badge she wears on a lanyard around her neck. "You can always say I was reading you the riot act about being late for a mandatory school function."

"I needed to clear my head," I say.

"Oh, I don't care about your tardiness," she says, her gaze still fixed on the crowd. "I just wanted to assure you that I'll take excellent care of Juliet tonight. I was in charge of bullet removal for my father's unit before he insisted Alexander and I come get an education. He's a resistance fighter in a war-torn part of the shifter world I promised I wouldn't speak of once I got to school. But it's bad. There were lots of bullets that needed to be fished out of tricky places and not many nurses left close to the front lines. I'll probably do a better job than the on-campus medical staff would have done anyway."

"I'm not too worried about that," I say, honestly. "Shifters can take a lot of damage. I'm more worried about...after."

She hums low in her throat. "As you should be. But she's a cool customer, our Juliet. I think she'll handle herself well. She's not the kind to fly off the handle or give in to a panic-induced adrenaline rush."

I hesitate for a beat, loyalty to Juliet warring with my concern for her safety.

In just a few seconds, concern wins out. "She has night terrors sometimes. She'll wake up screaming and go catatonic for a while after. What if she starts shifting during something like that and it goes too far? She's a phoenix. The consequences could be ugly." Catherine nods. "Juliet expressed her concern about that when we spoke before the party. I've already had Layla move her bed to the far corner of the room for fire safety purposes, and I'm going to put the anti-shifting device in a locket Juliet can wear while she's sleeping for as long as she needs it. We won't let her go full burn." She's quiet for a moment before she adds, "But even if she did, I'm sure she'd remember you. Eventually. No matter what happens, the ones who matter most are always in our heart of hearts, Ford. I believe that."

"I'd prefer not to take any chances. And I'm guessing Juliet feels the same way. So, thank you. For the locket. That's a good idea."

She glances up at me with a smile. "You're welcome. See? Alexander and I are good allies to have. Remember that if the Alpha Wolf Club power trip starts to go to your head."

I snort. "Don't worry. It won't."

She twirls her lanyard at the end of its string. "Beck's father is surprising all the wolves in the woods tonight with champagne, filet mignon prepared by a chef from France, and diamond-crusted rings for every member of the New Lupine Brotherhood. He had to clear the plan with the president's office, first, so I know all the privileged details."

My lip curls. "Gross."

"Indeed," she agrees. "But keep the ring. You can hock it later and buy Juliet something pretty for her birthday. Even traumatized girls with rage boiling in their veins like sparkly things. Trust me on that." "I'll take that under advisement," I say, deciding I like Catherine. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. And look up at the Variant roof tonight as you come back from the woods. If the surgery's been a success, I'll leave one lantern burning on the ledge, so you'll know everything's okay." "And if it's not okay?"

"No light," she says, lifting a hand to someone in crowd. She turns back to me with a stern look and a wag of her finger. "But that won't happen. Stay positive. And don't be late again, mister. Mandatory events are mandatory for a reason. We're building community here. And if you don't hurry, you won't get a pineapple fizzy drink and you'll be sad."

I actually will be sad. After my run, a pineapple fizzy drink sounds good.

Pulling Juliet aside to talk to her, holding her, and telling her I'll bail on the wolf run and sneak up to the Variant roof to be with her during the procedure sounds even better. But she deliberately avoids looking at me as I make my way into the thick of the party, even when I set my fizzy drink on a café table right in her line of sight.

It feels like she's pulling away from me, even as the connection I feel for her gets stronger with every passing minute.

Not strong enough to let you know she was in danger until it was almost too late...

But I did know. I sensed it, and I knew exactly where to find her.

I like to think I would have gotten there in time, but I can't know for sure. Thankfully, Alexander's been patrolling the less-traveled parts of campus. He knew Beck and Ferris were on the hunt. He overheard some of the New Lupine Brotherhood boys talking about using their free time during orientation to show Variant girls the "only thing they're good for."

I honestly can't believe they're so open about their toxic prejudice. Even back home, people didn't hate Juliet or think she was subhuman. They didn't want to hurt her; they just didn't want her to be Alpha of our pack when she didn't know what it was like to be a wolf.

Or maybe I was simply too naïve back then to read between the lines and see what they really meant.

I don't know anymore.

All I know is that I wish we were back on the road. Even with the constant fear for my life. I'd rather be with Juliet than on the outside of her life, looking in.

"Where you been, New Guy?"

Before I can turn, a hand slaps down on my shoulder, squeezing so tight that I flinch.

The owner of the hand laughs and a beat later Beck leans his forearms on the table beside my fizzy drink. "We missed you this afternoon. Some shit went down. Could have used another pair of hands. Especially ones that know how to fight."

I frown, playing dumb. "Yeah? What kind of shit?"

"I'm sure you know," he says, his voice a bullet sliding into the chamber of a gun.

"What?" I ask, willing my pulse to remain steady. If he saw me in the woods and wants to punish me for being a Variant sympathizer, he's not going to do it here. I'll have time to make a plan to defend myself, and I don't want to blow my cover unless I'm sure he has something on me.

"She told you what happened," he sneers. "Her version of things, anyway. I know she did."

I pluck my pineapple from the table and take a drink before saying, "I honestly don't know what you're talking about. Was your drink spiked or something? And if so, where can I find something to put in mine?" I pull a face, even though the drink is fine without alcohol. "I enjoy something a little stronger than punch at a party."

"Don't lie to me, Alaska," Beck hisses. "I've been doing some asking around. I know you came here with that girl, the scrawny Variant with the blond hair. I know she's your friend."

I glance Juliet's way, but glance away just as quickly. She's still ignoring me, a fact I'm grateful for as I say, "Juliet? Yeah, I know her. I used to be a counselor at this shifter summer camp in high school. She was one of my campers. We're friendly, but I wouldn't say we're friends." Reading the suspicion still twisting his expression, I add, "We all get along as best we can up in Alaska, man. There aren't enough shifters up there to get picky about who you hang out with."

"Bullshit," he snaps.

I shrug and lift my free hand beside my head, secretly relieved that I won't have to pretend to be on this monster's side, even for a couple of weeks. "Fine. Don't believe me. I don't care. I have more important things to worry about than whatever crawled up your a*s."

"Like what?" he asks, but he sounds slightly less irate.

"From everything I've heard, the trials aren't going to be easy."

He snorts. "We're the biggest, strongest wolves on campus. We'll be fine."

"It's about more than brute strength," I say. "The woman I was travelling with, Natalie, said they intentionally design the trials to test a wide variety of skill sets. There may be some challenges where being smaller or something other than a wolf will actually be an advantage."

His lips curl in a smug way I don't care for. "Yeah, well, maybe in the past. But things are going to be different this year."

My brow furrows. "How so?"

"Wouldn't you like to know..."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah. I do. Or I wouldn't have asked."

He studies me for a moment. I sigh and look bored. The fact that a part of me actually wants him to get pissed and walk away is apparently enough to ease some of his concerns.

His voice has a hint of the old chummy air as he leans in and whispers, "Run with the brotherhood tonight, and you'll find out along with everyone else. Once you take the oath, all our secrets will be revealed."

My stomach sinks. I'm not going to like his secrets. Of that, I'm already sure. But if his "brotherhood" is trying to rig the trials, I need to know about it.

I nod, and say, "Cool. I could use another run. Being trapped behind these walls is making me restless."

"Exactly," Beck agrees, his tone warming another degree or two. "And if it were just wolves here, we wouldn't need twenty-foot stone walls topped with barbed wire. Wolves can defend themselves without hiding like f*****g cowards."

I grunt, thinking how happy I'd be for these walls if Hammer showed up with his men, but Beck clearly hasn't had the kind of experiences with other wolves that I've had. Alexander's right about that part-Alphas who've never been threatened or betrayed have no idea how quickly their safety can be stripped away.

Or maybe it's just Beck. Empathy doesn't seem to be his strong suit.

"I'm looking forward to the run," I lie. "Sounds like you guys have a lot of interesting ideas."

He claps me on the shoulder again, much more friendly this time. "You have no idea, dude. And this'll give you a chance to meet some of the upperclassmen aside from the kiss a*s counselors. A few of them are sneaking on campus to join us. It's not just newbies. This is a movement that's been growing for years, and we're the class that's going to see real change made around here." He grins. "It's going to be sweet. And everyone who gets on our bad side between now and then is going to be very fuckin' sorry." He glares over my shoulder.

I don't have to follow his gaze to know he's staring at Juliet.

My lips curve in a bloodthirsty grin. But I'm not thinking about punishing Variants for refusing my s****l advances. I'm thinking of Beck, bloodied and broken at my feet, whimpering with his tail between his legs, once this is all over and I can show him exactly how I feel about him putting his hands on Juliet. "Brilliant," I murmur.

"It really is," he says with an ugly laugh. "You'll see just how brilliant in a few hours. See you on the trail."

"See you then." I lift my drink, draining the last of the now watery punch from the bottom as he walks away. When he's gone, I turn, hoping to lock eyes with Juliet for just a moment, but she's gone.

She's faded into the crowd, leaving me alone with my dread and longing.

Setting my drink on a tray of empty pineapples, I make my way to the buffet line, figuring I might as well have some Hawaiian barbeque churning around with the dread.

At least it'll give me energy for whatever fresh hell I'll be running into tonight