Page 72 of Alpha Varsity

“You should take a scholarship if you can get one. Get out of this town.”

“Yeah. Okay.” I sure as fuck hope she means with her.

I roll out of bed. “I have something for you.” I pick up my backpack and pull out the canvas I used to make my “self-portrait.” They’re due today in class, but I wanted to give it to her personally.

I hand her the little canvas, and she takes it with shaky fingers. It’s a multi-media collage. I covered the canvas with cut out pictures of things that remind me of us. I study her face as she takes in the piece.

She sucks in a sharp breath when she sees the gold moon pendant glued across the center. It hits me like a slap to the face.

The blood drains from her face. “H-how did you get that?” Her voice shakes. “Did your dad give that to you?” she’s panting, like she can’t catch her breath. “Or…your mom?”

“What are you talking about?”

Her gaze is unfocused, like she’s searching for a memory. Then she drops the canvas on the floor and scrambles to her feet like we’re about to have a fight. “Did you…did youknow?”

Something is terribly wrong. Lotta’s upset, and my wolf would do anything to fix it.

I spread my hands to show her wolf I’m no threat. “Know what?”

Her eyes are wild. There’s fear and trauma in her scent.What the fuck is going on?

“Have you known this whole time?” She looks at me in horror.

I take a step closer, but she backs away. “Lotta, what are you talking about?”

She searches my face. Blinks. Then exhales. “Oh.” She shakes her head, looking to the floor. She stoops to pick up the canvas, but I have a feeling it’s just to hide her face from me. I know I’m right when she comes up completely composed.

“I was just confused for a minute. Did I–Where did you, um, find my necklace?”

I stare at the necklace trying to decode what just happened. She freaked out when she saw it.

Asked if my dad gave it to me.

Why would my dad–

I snatch the canvas from her hand and rip the necklace off, pulling up most of the collage with it. I hold it up. “What happened?What happened with my dad?”

I try to remember the last time I saw her before my dad was banished. It was the night I’d told her about him stealing. She hadn’t shown up the next afternoon for our session. And by the night after, he was banished.

“Nothing. It just reminded me of–of tutoring you. Before he left, that’s all.”

I stare at her, then look down at the necklace lying across my palm. There’s something here I don’t understand.

Lotta’s beautiful cornflower blue eyes fill with tears. What’s in her expression? Regret? Yes, but something else. Something that looks like a wound. Like she’s been hurt.

I suddenly feel like I’ve been knocked to my knees. Or perhaps I do drop to my knees–I’m not sure. The room is spinning. I’m hot. My canines have dropped.

“Did he…” It’s hard to speak. My larynx is being dragged along a rusty blade. “Did he hurt you?” I can barely rasp the words out.

She holds her hands up, as if to wave away my anger. “Your mom stopped him,” she says quickly. “Nothing happened. He tried, that’s all.”

Tried.

My vision turns red. Rage explodes all around me. My dad laid hands on my mate. Assaulted her! I’m going to kill the bastard.

And I had it backwards all this time. I thought she’d done him wrong. Oh fate.

I let out a howl of rage.

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