Page 6 of Alpha’s Hated Mate (Shifters of Clarion)

E ven though I woke up in my own bed this morning, I unfortunately know all too well that it wasn’t a dream. Her claw marks cover my shoulders and chest. Her scent still lingers on my clothes.

I’m standing under the warm water of the shower, trying to piece together what the hell happened last night. I wasn’t drunk. In fact, I’d only just gotten to the party when I saw her there in the first place. Damn it, I can’t even blame the alcohol.

I can’t blame anything. Standing that close to her, her scent driving my wolf wild inside, all I could think about was fucking her. From the second I saw her and all the way back to her dorm room, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.

And the moment she kissed me, I was doomed. She was all I could see. All I wanted in the world. And just when I thought I’d given over my life for a cheap fuck . . . I hadn’t? As she started to come, the air around us changed. It grew thick and heavy and electric, just like it does right before a big storm. I knew my end was near. And then I kissed her, and it all just went away. For the rest of the night, every time she came, all it took was a kiss or a touch in a certain spot and she was back with me.

I don’t understand it at all. I’m not a Neutral. I know I’m not. A wolf can’t be a Neutral and an Alpha . . . can they? I’ve certainly never heard of such a thing.

I try to piece together bits of my past, looking for any clue that the healers might have missed when I was born. Usually, they test children to determine if they’re a Neutral since, unlike Scarlets, Neutrals look just like any other wolf. But if something was missed, is there anything else about me or my personality that would have given it away if I weren’t an Alpha?

Growing up, I had no particular fondness or aptitude for other creatures that I came across. It’s said that Neutral are great negotiators because they can tap into the heat of someone’s emotions and control them. Control them! I’ve never controlled anyone with anything other than my authority as an Alpha.

I step out of the shower and get myself dressed. There aren’t any classes today, and I guess I should be happy for small favors. I don’t think I could concentrate on the finer merits of Lycan politics today, anyway.

I need to figure out how this happened. More importantly, I need to figure out why it happened. None of it makes sense.

As I brush my hair, my phone buzzes. My sister. She probably wants to know what happened to me last night. I sigh and decline the call. I don’t even know what to tell her. I can’t tell her the truth.

I need answers. Maybe I’m losing my mind. Maybe I should see a doctor or . . .

No. I can’t let this get out. I think back to when I talked to Professor Robertson about Saffron’s scent. She seemed to know more than a little about this kind of thing. Maybe she has some answers for me, and maybe I can ask her to keep all this under wraps.

I check the time as I leave my dorm room. It’s early, still. Hopefully, Professor Robertson is in her office.

“So . . . this is about your friend?”

I’m sitting in Professor Robertson’s office, and she’s looking at me over her glasses. She looks a little messier than usual today in her long sweater and her disheveled blonde hair up in a bun. I sigh and say, “Yes. My friend.”

“And he’s had sex with a Scarlet . . . and lived?”

“No. No. I don’t know. He was just asking me and . . . and he’s embarrassed. That’s why he’s asked me to talk to you.” My mind is weaving the lie fast, trying to divert her attention away from me. “Around campus, they say you know the most about wolf biology and everything. He’s embarrassed because . . . you know, the stigma with Scarlets and all.”

She nods, and I relax a little. “Right, right.” She leans back in her chair and says, “Well, what we know about the mating practices of Scarlets is as fascinating as it is widely misunderstood. For one thing, did you know that it’s not the act of intercourse that’s dangerous? Any wolf can technically go through the motions. It’s the actual orgasm that’s the problem.”

My mouth goes a little dry as I remember how Saffron’s entire body glowed crimson as she locked on me and the air grew thick around us.

“You see,” the professor goes on, “wolves don’t inherently have any real connection to magical energies unless they are a hybrid of some sort. You know, my son, Chadwick? His Luna, Yarra, is a very unique hybrid. Human, wolf, and witch. She is capable of great magic when she puts her mind to it.”

I nod and try to feign some interest. I couldn’t care less about her son and his Luna right now.

“But Scarlets,” she says, “they are, at the heart of their biological makeup, wolves. Therefore, they should have no connection to magical energies. And yet, they generate a massive amount of energy when they reach a certain level of . . . excitement. There’s something about the act of sexual climax that triggers a sort of cataclysmic reaction.”

I frown a little, piecing together what I do know about Scarlets. “Except when they sleep with Neutrals.”

“Exactly. And if your friend isn’t a Neutral, he should definitely steer clear.” She gets up and walks over to one side of the room where a teapot sits. She reaches into a cupboard above it and asks, “Would you like some tea?”

“No. No, thank you.”

She starts preparing her cup of tea while she talks. “Your friend’s situation reminds me of an incident during the early days of my tenure. A young wolf fell head over heels in love with a Scarlet during his first year. At that time, information about Scarlets was even scarcer than it is now, but the one thing we were aware of was the inherent danger they presented during mating. When he was warned about having relations with her, he decided to ignore it, thinking it was all mere myth instead of fact. One night after a big dance, he snuck out with her into Lamedia Hall on the north side of campus.”

I frown. “Lamedia Hall?”

“It’s gone now. Back then, Moonhelm was separated between males and females. Lamedia was the female dorm.” She has a somber look on her face, her eyes lost in some ancient memory. “The result of that union was . . . catastrophic. Lamedia Hall burned to the ground. Embers within its ruins continued to glow brightly for an entire year after, no matter how much we tried to put them out . . . like a warning to those who would consider such foolishness again.”

My stomach turns at the image. In my lust-madness, I never even considered that we might destroy an entire building and everyone in it along with ourselves. “Are you telling me that Scarlets can . . . explode when they have sex?”

“No,” she laughed. “Nothing so dramatic. However, they do tend to . . . overheat at a rate that has been known to do quite a bit of damage given the right environment. It’s more like drapes being too close to a fireplace than a bomb going off.”

I swallow hard, but my mouth has gone as dry as a desert. Suddenly, I’d love something to drink.

“So,” she says, “as I said, if your friend is not a Neutral, I highly advise that you convince him to pursue other interests ASAP. Scarlet relations are a very, very serious matter.”

“I don’t think . . . well, the thing is that he’s not a Neutral because he’s actually an Alpha.”

Her mouth stiffens, but she says, “Go on.”

I sigh. “He thinks that it might be possible to be a Neutral and an Alpha. Odd . . . right?”

“Very,” she says. She walks over to her desk and sits on the edge of it, looking down at me with careful consideration. “Whether that is possible is unproven, and your friend shouldn’t fool with such uncertainties. I understand the want to experiment in your youth, but there are some things that carry far too many risks.”

She goes quiet, and for a moment, I think she’s figured me out. I guess it’s pretty obvious. Finally, she stands up and walks back around the desk and sits down. “Tell your friend about Lamedia Hall,” she says. “That should scare him well enough.”

I nod and stand up. “Thank you for the advice.”

“Hold on,” she says, reaching into one of her drawers. She pulls out a folder and opens it. “Since you’re here, we need to talk about your grades.”

Again with my grades. I sigh and sit back down. “I’m not failing anything.”

“No, but you’re just barely passing. Now, we both know that you’re far more intelligent than you’re letting on. What’s the problem?”

I really don’t want to talk about this. Mostly because, for me, it seems obvious. I don’t belong here. “I’m already an Alpha.”

“So are a lot of students.”

“But I am supposed to lead my pack. Now . I’m not a presumptive Alpha. My father has passed, and the Moon Goddess has chosen me. And now I’m supposed to . . . to come here and learn how to do something I’ve been preparing for my entire life? It’s ridiculous.”

She shakes her head, a little smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “You know what I think you would benefit from? A little lesson on the history of the royal line.”

“I know all about the royal line.”

“Then you should have no problem writing a research paper on it. Choose one Alpha King. Let’s say, three thousand words on my desk by the end of the semester?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.” She says it quickly and succinctly like a whip crack. “Otherwise, you can repeat all these courses you’re barely passing.”

I chuckle, even though I know she’s serious. “You can’t do that. The dean—”

“The dean wants the son of the Vaultmore pack to succeed with the highest honors. I doubt he’ll care how that happens.” She pauses, letting the command settle between us. I can do nothing except grind my teeth bitterly. “Now, if there’s nothing else . . . ?”

I leave without another word. Damn it. I came to her for answers and all I got was an assignment. I’ve got half a mind not to do it.

As soon as I’m outside, I realize that I have to. No matter what happens, if I fail out of Moonhelm, I’ll lose all the respect I have in my pack. I guess . . . I guess I better get over to the library.