Page 22 of Clawless

I looked around. By daylight, the hotel was still magnificent, but there was a coldness to it that was reflected in the staff’s averted faces. No one met my eyes, so I studied the ice sculptures for a moment. The rainbow lights were gone, but the wolves were still perfectly formed as they dangled above the fountain. I had to wonder if the ordinary folk who worked here realized there was something more than ice under their gleaming skins. Did they think Hunter Moon was just a regular school? And the alpha nothing more than a local thug with deep pockets?

My fingers brushed the choker before I could stop them, and it was the goon’s turn to avoid my eyes. Fantastic. I didn’t want him looking at me, anyway. And now I wouldn’t have to suffer through his small talk all the way back to the academy.

Which wasn’t really an issue, since he put me in the back of the car, with a glass partition separating me from the front. But we’d barely left the parking lot before I found the button to lower the privacy wall. “Is this the same car you used when you drove Jasper’s dad around?” I asked him, knowing I sounded snarky as hell and not really caring. “You know, when you abducted Jasper off school grounds and I kicked you in the balls.”

“There are a lot of service cars,” he said after a beat. “But I think this is the same one I used to pick you up from the pack lab.”

I flinched before I could stop myself. I didn’t remember much about that drive back to the academy, except for the bottle of water he’d given me and the blanket that didn’t smell like my dad. “Thanks for that,” I said grudgingly. “But I take it you’re now his chauffeur? Isn’t that kind of a lowly job for a Clan Enforcer?”

“I go where he needs me,” he said mildly. “Something you might think about trying, Ms. Marrow.”

I curled my lip at his less-than-subtle rebuke. “Need doesn’t come into it. Jasper just does whatever the hell he wants. Which he spent the whole night making perfectly clear to me.” I blushed as my angry words settled into the silence, and I realized how they sounded. “Not like that,” I muttered. “He was too busy punishing me to actually make use of the gorgeous hotel room.”

I caught a flash of dark eyes from the front seat. “Well, I doubt he’s got it out of his system. So, you might want to cut him some slack.”

I gaped at him, my anger coming back with a rush. “Cut him some slack? You have to be kidding.” I popped the top button on my shirt. “The asshole collared me. And if I cut him any more slack, he’ll probably microchip my ass!” I was watching his face in the rearview mirror, but as soon as the choker was visible, his eyes slid away. “You can’t even look at the thing! It’s so the others know he’s punishing me, right?”

“Not exactly,” he muttered, and fixed his attention on the road ahead. “You should talk to the Clan Alpha about that.”

Before I could stop him, he’d hit the button to lift the privacy screen and I had to stew in silence for the next half hour.

I was so tense, when he finally pulled into the school and I saw Nadia waiting there, I burst into tears. She helped me from the car, shooting Jasper’s goon a scolding look as he came around to join us. “Oh, Vail! Are you alright?” I knew the exact moment she saw the collar, because she bit her lip and threw her arms around me. “Come on. I’ll take you back to my room and make you a cup of tea.”

But I pulled out of Nadia’s arms and put my hand over the collar. “What is this thing, Nadia? Jasper said it’s just a piece of jewelry, but it doesn’t have a clasp.”

She gave the goon a helpless look, then pulling the car door open, gently nudged me inside. When I saw her following, I relaxed and sank into the seat. As soon as the door shut behind her, she took my hands. A deep divot marred her smooth brow. “This is extreme, Vail. That’s not just a pretty piece of jewelry.”

I nodded, both anxious to hear what she had to say and relieved someone was finally talking to me straight. “Is it a tracker?”

“No. It’s a very rare kind of protection ward. I don’t really know how it works, so we might as well just think of it as magical. And it’s purpose is to make it hard for another male to be around you.”

I waited for more, but when it didn’t come, screwed up my nose. “You mean because they know Jasper will kick their ass?”

“Not exactly. It’s a physical thing. It emits a charge, like a constant pulse of alpha power. It… forces their attention away from you.”

“You mean like a magical bug zapper?” I gaped at her. “Nadia, has Jasper turned me into a walking wolf repellent?”

She wrung her hands, looking miserable. “I’ve only ever read about omega cuffs in history books. During the clan wars, when an omega wolf from another pack was captured, the collar would be used to stop dominant males from hurting her, or trying to force a claim. Or if an omega was traveling alone, or if she was in an unshielded heat, it was used to discourage unwanted attention. It is designed to protect you, Vail.”

“By making me an enemy wolf it hurts to be around.”

She nodded slowly. “The history books called the omegas who wore them the Untouchables.”

“Of course. Because who wants to hang out with the girl whose fashion accessory zaps you in the balls?”

She cringed. “It really doesn’t sound good when you put it like that.”

“Who the hell does he think he is?” When she just stared at me, I shook my head at her, so frustrated I kicked the chair in front of me. “Come on, Nadia! Jasper might be the new Master of the Universe, but I’m still an Academy student. I have rights. There has to be a way for me to get rid of this thing.”

She swallowed hard, pulling at a loose thread on her skirt. “You’re a Marshall wolf, but I can’t see Reed’s dad standing up to Jasper.” She flushed, as if ashamed of even thinking such a thing. “Maybe you could petition the school council? I mean, you’re a Marrow too, so they need to recognize you’re also in the care of their Alpha.”

I chewed the inside of my lip. “I already sent him a letter.” Her eyes bugged, but now I knew what the collar meant, I was doubly glad I’d reached out. “Jasper left me a note on the hotel stationery. I knew I’d be on lockdown when I got back to campus, so I wrote two letters. One to Driftwood – just a hi, how are you, kind of thing – and another letter I left on the kitchen bench, along with a request to mail it and a big fat tip. The second letter was to my grandfather, Jonathan Marrow, care of the Marrow Estate. Just a brief note introducing myself, explaining I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be at Hunter Moon right now, and wondering if he might like to visit me at school.” I raised my brows at her. “I didn’t have the exact address, so maybe it’ll never get there, but at least I tried. And while Jasper might think he’s got me where he wants me, that doesn’t mean I have to roll over and play dead.”

Nadia was still pale, but a glint of admiration sparkled in her eyes. “Oh, wow, Vail. Just wow. I mean, Jasper’s going to flip, but maybe he needs to take a moment. I know he still really cares about you…”

I shrugged, refusing to soften. Yesterday, hearing that Jasper cared about me would have made my heart skip a beat. But now, the proof of our broken bond was fastened so tight around my throat, I could feel my pulse beating against the metal. “Jasper can call it protection, but I know it’s punishment for Hunter Moon.”

She gave a heartfelt sigh. “I just wish you both could go back to the way things were. Or at least put it behind you and start fresh.”

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