Page 26 of Clawless

She nodded happily, and there was a devilish glint in her eye as she said, “Wait until I introduce you to the Strangle Hold Alpha. There’s nothing like a little neck submission to teach you who’s boss.”

Twenty – Vail

My first self-defense class was both inspiring and unnerving. I was proud of how I’d held my own against Reed, who was one tough mothershifter. He hadn’t gone too easy on me, working through a program of kicks and strikes until my limbs felt like wet noodles. But he’d given me a respectful nod at the end of each set, and it was the first time since arriving at the academy I’d felt like I was made for shifter life. Because fighting, I could do. Which meant I was twice as determined to learn how to hold my own in my wolf form.

It was a good goal. And one I could cling to while the rest of me felt like it had been tugged out at the roots and tossed off a cliff.

Because Reed Marshall, alphadouche and special friend of Pearl LaRue, had nearly kissed me.

And I hadn’t made a move to stop him.

Which was why I felt so unnerved as I wrapped my scarf more tightly around my neck and hurried to the Dud Dorm. Jasmine had managed to get in touch with Marnie and set up a lunch date in our old haunt. Despite being part of the same pack, I’d barely had a chance to see her since I’d been thrust into all things omega. And as much as the dud breakroom was still the least appetizing place on campus to eat, seeing her sitting there in one of the dingy booths made my chest swell with happiness.

She looked up from her soggy sandwich as I put the picnic basket on the table, and flipped the lid. “When the girls heard about our lunch date, they packed us some things.”

Marnie peered over the edge, her eyes bulging at the assortment of treats. “Oh, wow. The perks of living with the best caregivers on campus.”

“I walk around on a permanent sugar high,” I told her as I slipped into the booth, “but I miss you. And… being invisible.”

She gave me an amused look as she pulled the fried chicken and egg salad out of the basket. “Only someone who’s never been truly invisible would say that. From day one you were turning heads and wagging tongues.”

I dropped my head onto my folded arms. “At least then I could be written off as the clueless dud. Now I’m the girl who betrayed the Clan Alpha and got collared as punishment.”

She winced around her fried chicken. “How are the other girls treating you?”

“The omegas feel sorry for me. The others… Well, let’s just say the self-defense lessons are going to come in handy.”

“Ugh. They’re just jealous.”

“Jealous?” I stared at her in disbelief. “How could anyone think being collared like a naughty dog is a good thing?”

“It’s the same thing as not being invisible.” She lifted a shoulder. “If Jasper didn’t care, he would have just passed your punishment off to some other wolf and moved on. If he ignored you, you would’ve eventually faded into the background. But instead, he’s made a statement. He might not be able to claim you right now, but he’s made damned sure no one else can either. That’s a kind of caring, in a roundabout way.”

I was already shaking my head. “That’s alphadouche control run rampant.”

“To a shifter, there’s nothing worse than being a lone wolf. Everyone wants to feel like they belong.” She leaned forward, staring at my neck. “Does it hurt?”

“Other than my pride?” I pulled off the scarf and smirked as her chicken leg hit her plate.

“Gold blazer. Gold neckpiece. That’s really intense.” She leaned forward to stare, then flipped the little pendant over, smirking when I raised my brows. “Just making sure it doesn’t have Property of Jasper Arras engraved on the back.”

I swatted her arm. “Don’t give him any ideas.”

“I think the Clan Alpha can come up with kinky ideas all on his own,” she told me with a snicker. “But does it really keep other guys away? It looks so harmless.”

I blew out a breath and dug in the basket for the lemon squares I’d seen Jasmine pack. “I don’t know. I’ve kept the scarf on, but in Biology today, the freshman boys were all daring each other to approach me like I was radioactive. And Reed…”

“Reed?” she prompted.

I shook my head. “He said it wasn’t so bad.” When she lifted her brows at me, I added, “He’s giving me those self-defense lessons. Every omega has been assigned a beta guard to train them, but thanks to Jasper’s alpha voodoo, none of the guys can come near me. So, Reed is doing it.”

“Poor you.”

“Poor me? Poor Reed. Only, I’m not sure either of us hated it that much.” I blushed at her curious look. “I got him in a bulldog choke. He taught me the axe kick and the hammer fist. And then he gave me my omega ring and we… almost might have kissed.”

“What?” she screeched, dropping her fork. “What the hell’s a bulldog choke?”

“Wrestling move. I totally had him pinned. Which he thought was pretty cool, by the way.”

---