Page 77 of Alpha Varsity

There’s blood dripping from my hands. I must’ve grasped the jagged window frame when I was trying to get out.

“Asher—go,” Lotta hisses. “Get out of here. You will only make things worse. I’m going to fix this.”

I hold no faith in her ability to fix this. But yeah. I’m resignedto this fate.

I was never going to get the happy ending. I was never going to have a mate who wanted me to claim her. Her parents were never going to accept our mating. This town was never going to support me after what my father did, and now I don’t blame them.

“Yeah. Okay. I’m gone.”

The weight of two tanks fill my limbs as I turn and jerkily walk away.

Chapter Twenty-One

Lotta

“Oh my God! You must be made of rubber!” I make my voice sound cheery, as if I’m congratulating Andy on getting defenestrated.

He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. And it doesn’t look like he’s actually hurt. So I just might be able to smooth this over.

I have to–for Asher.

“What the fuck?” Andy staggers to his feet.

“Seriously, did you see that?” I stand in the broken window and make my eyes wide with wonder. “You just flew through a plate glass window without a scratch. That’s amazing. If I had that on video, it would go viral.”

Andy shakes the glass out of his hair.

In my peripheral vision, I see Coach Jamison intercept Asher and escort him in the direction of the parking lot.

Oh fate. He’s probably going to take him straight to the sheriff’s. Or to Alpha Green. I want to run after him and stop him, but containing the Andy situation is the mostimportant thing. If I can’t lock this up tight, Asher’s fate will be sealed, and the pack will be at risk.

But I can still fix this. If there’s one thing I learned in the last four years, it’s how to play in the world of humans. That’s something most people in this town don’t understand.

Andy’s spoiled. His parents are rich. If he takes offense over this, there will be hell to pay. But he’s also an egotistical idiot. So if I can make him feel special instead of affronted, I just might be able to avert the criminal and legal nightmare this could become.

Then we can deal with the pack punishment Asher will face.

I have far less leverage there.

“I don’t know if I would saywithout a scratch.” Andy dabs a spot of blood on his cheek. He’s clearly still stunned and disoriented from the attack.

“No, really. You are the luckiest person alive. A stuntman couldn’t have done a more beautiful job. You did a full twist in the air and then tucked and rolled. Hang on–I’m coming out there.”

Principal Olsen and three other teachers are already jogging out the doors toward him.

I have to beat them there. I grab a paint rag and spread it over the busted glass in the windowsill, then vault out like I, too, am a stunt double.

It occurs to me that a wolf shifter could make a decent living as a stunt double if they wanted.

“Wow, did you guys see that?” I call out, my face bright with excitement. “My friend, Andy, just went through that window without a scratch. It was epic!”

The principal and teachers are all wolf shifters. They understand the necessity of keeping human-wolf relationsat peace. They’re quick to follow my lead. I watch as their expressions of urgency and concern blink away. They slow their approach.

“What happened?” Principal Olsen asks, shoving his hands in his pockets for a more casual look.

I join Andy in brushing glass off his clothing. It’s everywhere–tiny pieces in every wrinkle of fabric. “Well, one of my students walked in on Andy not taking no for an answer, and he picked him up and somehow–I have no idea how–sent Andy through the window. But it’s okay. Andy’s fine, thank God.”

“Thank God,” Mrs. Miller, the Chemistry teacher, echoes.

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