Page 1 of Alpha’s Hated Mate (Shifters of Clarion)

T hat sound . . . that horrible sound.

It slices through the air and vibrates through my chest, threatening to destroy me. It’s a howl, but not like any howl I’ve ever heard. It’s like the sound of a million wolves. I can’t stand it.

I’m running barefoot and frantic through a dark wood, pine needles digging into my feet, the scent of fear reeking in my soul. Something foul and evil claws at my back. It’s coming for me. It wants everything that I am.

And all I can do is run. I can’t seem to call on my wolf. It’s as frightened as I am, cowering deep within my psyche. At least I still have my senses. As much as I try to stick to the shadows, that doesn’t seem to work. It’s still coming for me. It’s crashing through the trees.

I duck down into the thick underbrush to catch my breath. It’s not far. Its growling breath is only a few yards away. I don’t know how much longer I can keep running, but I don’t stand a chance if I try to fight it, especially without my wolf.

I look up at the night sky. The moon hangs fat and heavy above me, glowing amid a million stars. Wherever I am, I’m far from Moonhelm Academy. There are no city lights to block out the sky.

I’m so fucked. No defenses. No help. And I’m nowhere. I need to find a way to escape . . .

What was that? A flash moves through the trees above me, and it takes me a second to realize what it is. Is that a bird?

I follow the shape, keeping one eye on it and the other on my surroundings. It’s leading me somewhere . . .

A roar shakes the air around me, and hot, foul-smelling air encircles me. The force of the sound knocks me to the ground, and when I look up, I see it. Large and looming, the shadow of a wolf so massive it blocks out the sky. Its eyes glow red as it snarls, its sharp, drooling fangs bearing down on me.

I only have time to scream . . .

I sit up with half of a scream still stuck in my throat. Cold morning air fills my lungs, and I breathe out clouds of mist as I slowly take in my surroundings. Damp grass on my ass and the backs of my legs, my bare skin exposed to the elements, and the painted lines of the game field all around me. The sky beyond the empty bleachers is shifting into the orange and blue of dawn . . .

I sigh and climb to my feet. Okay, so I just woke up naked in the middle of the gaming field on a random morning after what I’m pretty sure was a vision. I get those sometimes, sure, but I’m usually clothed when it happens. And I always wake up in the same place I went down. I don’t mind the visions. I’ve been having them since puberty. But this sleepwalking thing is new, and it’s for the fucking birds.

I change into my wolf and start back to the dorm. At least my fur will keep me warm on the way.

“I’m sorry?” Yarra coughs up her tea. “ Where did you wake up?”

We’re sitting in the middle of the cafeteria, having breakfast. I hate it that we’re here during rush hour. Usually, if I have breakfast in the main hall, it’s either very early or very late or at least well past the time anyone else is here. This morning, however, Yarra wanted to have breakfast here in the public-as-hell cafeteria. I can feel the eyes on us already.

“Don’t make me repeat it,” I say as I pick at my bagel. “I’m just glad it didn’t happen during a game in front of the whole school.”

Yarra laughs. “This sleepwalking thing is getting out of hand. Maybe you should talk to somebody.”

I push a strand of my blood-red hair out of my face and tuck it behind my ear. I really need a haircut. I never have time to do anything fancy with it, so I normally pull it back into a ponytail for the most part. “Yeah, sure,” I scoff. “I’ll just talk to one of the healers. Maybe I’ll get a Band-Aid and a lollipop for my trouble. Or maybe they’ll let me go back home to find my old ratty blankie from when I was a baby and let me curl up with that at night instead.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I. You know as well as I do that Scarlet Wolves are medical anomalies, Yarra. I’m supposed to have visions, sneak around in the dark, assassinate other wolves, and any number of other things no one has ever bothered to study. Maybe sleepwalking is part of the bargain.”

Yarra goes quiet and looks down at her tea, and I suddenly feel bad. This is only our second year at Moonhelm and her first real year getting acquainted with her own wolf. I keep forgetting that she was raised in the human world. There are a lot of things that she’s still getting the hang of, I guess.

She shrugs. Her messy braid of electric-purple hair rests on her left shoulder, the light picking up her lavender highlights. I’ve often joked with her that her wolf form should have purple fur instead of silver, but then, she is a hybrid of, like, three different beings: wolf, witch, and human. It’s a wonder her wolf didn’t come out with polka dots.

“Maybe somebody needs to change that,” she says. “You’re just as important as the rest of us.”

“Tell it to the Alpha King,” I reply. Yarra probably could, too. Her husband is an Alpha, after all. Alphas and Lunas run things because they’re extensions of the King back in the Royal City of Clarion. If I thought that the Alpha King would care at all about little old me, that might have been a serious comment.

Just as I say that, a group of girls walks past with their trays of food. They see us and start to whisper to one another. As they pass by, one of them covers her drink.

“Is there a problem?” I say, turning to them.

All three stop in their tracks, and for a split second, they look like three deer caught in the headlights. Then, the one that covered her drink raises an eyebrow and says, “Oh, we just like our food without any fur in it. That’s all. I heard Scarlets tend to shed like sheepdogs. Spend too much time around them, and you end up covered in little red hairs.”

Her friends snicker. I’ve never seen these girls before. Must be freshmen. With a new year comes a whole new set of problems.

“Be careful, ladies,” Yarra says. She sits up with a cool, regal look in her sapphire eyes. “You never know who you might be talking to.”

Two of the girls’ smiles drop. I can’t tell if they recognize Yarra or if they’re just overcome by her royal aura. The smart-ass one puts a hand on her hip and says, “I know what I’m addressing—”

Yarra’s eyes flash gold, and she stands up. “You realize you are addressing the Luna of the Tsukino pack, do you not?”

Instant fear in the smart-ass’s eyes. She nods her head vigorously.

“Then why do you find it necessary to risk your education at Moonhelm?”

The smart-ass looks like she’s about to piss herself. The other two are sidling behind her like they’re hiding. Smart-ass shifts her feet a little like she’s trying to keep her balance. “I do not, ma’am.”

“Didn’t think so. Apologize to my friend.”

They all look at me and utter a weak and fearful, “I’m sorry.”

Yarra doesn’t take her eyes off them, but she speaks to me. “Are we satisfied?”

“For now,” I respond smugly.

“Fine. Carry on. And stay out of trouble.”

“Yes, ma’am,” they respond in unison, then rush off. Yarra sits back down, picks up her cup of tea, and takes a sip.

“It’s good to be queen—or Luna,” she says.

“Thank you,” I say to her.

“Don’t mention it.”

New year. New students. And around I go again, an outcast in the world of wolves. Maybe this year will be different. At least I’ve got a powerful ally now. Hopefully, things won’t be so bad this time.