Marked by the Alpha Captain

The gates of Blackthorn Academy opened at six o'clock in the morning.

Rei had been standing in front of them for almost twenty minutes.

She wasn't nervous.

At least, that was what she kept telling herself.

Nervous people fidgeted. Nervous people looked around. Nervous people wondered whether they belonged.

Rei simply stood there with one hand wrapped around the handle of her battered black suitcase and the other gripping the strap of her backpack.

She stared through the enormous iron gates.

Blackthorn Academy rose beyond them like something out of another century.

Dark stone towers disappeared into a thin layer of morning fog. Ivy covered the oldest buildings, twisting around gargoyles and arched windows. Tall trees surrounded the campus, their branches bending over narrow paths that disappeared between the buildings.

At the center of the campus stood the academy's main hall.

Above its entrance was the symbol every supernatural student knew.

A black wolf beneath a silver moon.

Blackthorn.

The most prestigious supernatural academy in the country.

Home to the children of Alpha families.

Home to future pack leaders.

Home to some of the strongest wolves in existence.

And now, somehow, home to her.

Rei looked down at the acceptance letter sticking out of her backpack.

BLACKTHORN ACADEMY

She had read those words so many times that she could have recited them in her sleep.

A full scholarship.

It was the only reason she was here.

The only reason she could afford the tuition.

The only reason she had been given a chance to start over.

She had promised herself that she would make it work.

No matter what.

Rei took a breath and stepped forward.

The moment she passed through the gates, she felt the difference.

The air itself seemed heavier.

She could smell wolves everywhere.

Hundreds of them.

Alphas.

Betas.

A few older students whose scents were so powerful that she instinctively wanted to step backward.

Her fingers tightened around her suitcase handle.

Don't react.

She had learned that lesson a long time ago.

Never react.

If someone stared, ignore them.

If someone whispered, keep walking.

If someone insulted her, don't give them the satisfaction.

If someone tried to make her uncomfortable, remind yourself that you had survived worse.

Much worse.

Rei lifted her chin.

She walked across the courtyard.

And immediately became the most interesting person on campus.

It started with one student.

A boy standing beside the fountain looked at her.

Then looked again.

His expression changed.

He whispered something to the girl beside him.

The girl's eyes widened.

Within seconds, both of them were staring.

Rei kept walking.

Another group noticed.

Then another.

Whispers spread across the courtyard like sparks catching dry grass.

"Is that her?"

"I think so."

"The scholarship student?"

"No. The Omega."

Rei's stomach tightened.

There it was.

The word.

Omega.

She hated how easily it turned heads.

She hated how people said it like it was her entire identity.

As though being an Omega erased everything else.

Her intelligence.

Her grades.

Her determination.

Her plans.

Everything.

She was simply—

The Omega.

Rei reached into the pocket of her jacket.

Her fingers brushed against the small glass bottle hidden there.

Scent suppressants.

She didn't leave home without them.

She had learned early that her natural scent attracted attention.

Too much attention.

She had never understood why people thought her being beautiful gave them permission to invade her space.

Men stared.

Women judged.

Some people flirted.

Others insulted her.

Some did both.

Rei had learned to recognize the difference between admiration and entitlement.

There was a very thin line between the two.

And too many people crossed it.

She had spent years learning how to disappear while standing in plain sight.

Loose clothing.

Minimal makeup.

Hair pulled back.

Suppressants.

Headphones.

Eyes down.

Keep moving.

But Blackthorn was different.

Here, everyone understood what she was.

An Omega.

A rare one.

Possibly the only one.

And apparently, that made her valuable.

Rei hated that thought.

She reached the administration building.

Before she could open the door, someone stepped directly in front of her.

Three girls.

All dressed in expensive academy uniforms.

The girl in the middle was tall, blonde, and perfectly put together.

Her uniform probably cost more than Rei's entire wardrobe.

She looked Rei over slowly.

Not subtly.

From her shoes to her face.

Then back again.

"You must be Rei."

Rei shifted her backpack.

"Depends who's asking."

The girl's lips curled.

"I'm Selena Hart."

The name meant nothing to Rei.

Selena seemed surprised.

"You don't know who I am?"

"No."

One of the girls behind Selena laughed.

Selena's smile disappeared.

"You will."

Rei stared at her.

"Okay."

She tried to step around them.

Selena moved with her.

"Where are you going?"

"Inside."

"You're supposed to wait."

"For what?"

"For someone to show you around."

Rei glanced at the clock.

"Then they can find me inside."

She stepped around Selena.

This time Selena let her pass.

But as Rei reached the door, Selena called after her.

"Scholarship students usually don't last long here."

Rei stopped.

She slowly looked over her shoulder.

"That's unfortunate."

Selena smiled.

"For you."

Rei held her gaze.

Then smiled back.

"I've survived worse."

She walked inside.

She didn't see Selena's expression change.

But if she had, she would have noticed something important.

Selena Hart had just found someone she wanted to destroy.

The administration building smelled like old books and polished wood.

Rei approached the front desk.

A woman with silver-rimmed glasses looked up.

"Rei?"

"Yes."

"Welcome to Blackthorn Academy."

The woman's smile was professional.

Not warm.

Not cold.

Professional.

Rei appreciated that.

"Thank you."

"Let's get you checked in."

The process took nearly an hour.

Student identification.

Dorm assignment.

Class schedule.

Scholarship paperwork.

Meal card.

Campus map.

Rei signed everything carefully.

She had spent months preparing for this.

She couldn't afford mistakes.

Her scholarship covered tuition, but not everything else.

Books.

Transportation.

Food.

Personal expenses.

And that was why she had applied for a campus job before she had even arrived.

The woman behind the desk glanced at her file.

"I see you've already been approved for employment."

"Yes."

"That's unusual."

"Why?"

"Most scholarship students aren't permitted to work during their first semester."

Rei frowned.

"I was told my scholarship allows limited employment."

"It does."

The woman adjusted her glasses.

"Your application was approved by the athletic department."

Rei blinked.

"The athletic department?"

"Yes."

"What job?"

The woman checked the file.

"Equipment assistant."

Rei stared.

"For which team?"

The woman paused.

"The hockey team."

Rei closed her eyes.

Of course.

Of all the teams at Blackthorn.

Hockey.

She had never cared about hockey in her life.

She didn't even know the rules.

But the position paid more than most campus jobs.

She needed the money.

"I'll take it."

The woman smiled.

"Good."

She handed Rei a key card.

"North Residence. Room 214."

Rei took it.

"Thank you."

"And you'll report to the hockey arena at four."

"Today?"

"Today."

Rei looked at the clock.

Seven fifteen.

She had almost nine hours.

She could survive nine hours.

She had survived entire years.

She picked up her suitcase.

"Thank you."

She turned toward the door.

"Rei?"

She looked back.

The woman's expression had changed.

She seemed almost hesitant.

"Yes?"

"One piece of advice."

Rei waited.

"Keep your suppressant with you."

Rei's hand instinctively touched her jacket pocket.

"I always do."

The woman nodded.

"Good."

Rei left.

She didn't ask why the woman had sounded so serious.

She already knew.

North Residence was enormous.

It looked like a hotel.

Rei dragged her suitcase up the stairs because she refused to wait for the elevator.

Second floor.

Room 214.

She unlocked the door.

The room was surprisingly nice.

Two beds.

Two desks.

Two wardrobes.

Large windows overlooking the eastern side of campus.

She dropped her backpack onto the bed closest to the window.

Then stood there.

For the first time since leaving home, Rei allowed herself to feel something.

Relief.

She was here.

She had made it.

No one was yelling.

No one was pounding on doors.

No one was demanding anything from her.

No one was telling her what she was supposed to be.

She walked toward the window.

The sun was beginning to rise over the campus.

Students filled the paths below.

Some were laughing.

Some were rushing toward class.

Others were heading toward the enormous arena.

Rei watched them for a moment.

Then she whispered to herself.

"You can do this."

Her phone buzzed.

She looked down.

A message from her mother.

Did you arrive safely?

Rei stared at it.

Her thumb hovered over the screen.

She typed:

Yes. I'm here.

She deleted it.

Typed again.

Made it. Room is nice.

She sent it.

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

Then disappeared.

Then appeared again.

Finally:

I'm proud of you.

Rei swallowed.

She didn't know how to answer that.

Pride was complicated.

Love was complicated.

Family was complicated.

Her mother had once been the strongest person Rei knew.

Then she married again.

And everything changed.

Her mother's new husband had been charming at first.

Everyone had loved him.

Except Rei.

Something about him had always made her uncomfortable.

The way he watched her.

The way he stood too close.

The comments.

The unwanted attention.

The moments when Rei tried to tell her mother that something was wrong.

And the years afterward.

Her mother had eventually broken under the weight of everything.

The doctors called it bipolar disorder.

Rei called it what happened when a person was hurt for too long.

She had spent years watching the woman she loved disappear behind fear, medication, anger, and exhaustion.

Eventually, home had stopped feeling like home.

So Rei had left.

Not because she didn't love her mother.

Because she needed to survive.

She locked her phone.

She wasn't going to think about that today.

Today was about Blackthorn.

Today was about starting over.

Rei opened her suitcase.

She began unpacking.

By noon, she had explored most of campus.

Blackthorn was enormous.

There was a library that occupied an entire building.

A supernatural studies hall.

Combat facilities.

Dining halls.

Training grounds.

A medical center.

And the hockey arena.

Rei stopped outside the arena.

The building was impressive.

A huge black wolf was painted above the entrance.

The words BLACKTHORN WOLVES stretched beneath it.

A crowd of students gathered near the doors.

Rei frowned.

"What is happening?"

A girl beside her answered without looking away.

"Practice."

"That causes this many people?"

"You've never seen Dominic Vale play?"

Rei shook her head.

"Who?"

The girl looked at her as though she'd just announced she'd never heard of oxygen.

"Dominic Vale."

"Should I know him?"

"Everyone knows Dominic."

Rei shrugged.

"Apparently not everyone."

The girl stared.

Then laughed.

"You're the new Omega, aren't you?"

Rei's shoulders stiffened.

"Yes."

The girl's expression softened.

"I'm Mia."

"Rei."

"I know."

Of course.

Rei sighed.

Mia smiled.

"Come on."

"Where?"

"You're going to see why everyone is obsessed with Dominic."

"I'm not interested."

"That's what everyone says."

"I'm serious."

"You're going to be working for his team."

Rei stopped.

Mia grinned.

"Welcome to Blackthorn."

Then she dragged Rei toward the arena.

Inside, the sound was overwhelming.

The players moved across the ice with frightening speed.

Rei had never seen anyone skate like that.

Then she saw him.

Dominic.

He moved differently from everyone else.

Faster.

Stronger.

Controlled.

He took the puck from another player, dodged two defenders, and sent it flying into the net.

The crowd erupted.

Dominic lifted his stick.

His teammates surrounded him.

Rei watched silently.

She had to admit it.

He was good.

Very good.

"That's Dominic," Mia whispered.

Rei nodded.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"He's good."

Mia laughed.

"That's all?"

"What else should I say?"

Before Mia could answer, Dominic turned.

His gaze swept across the arena.

Then stopped.

On Rei.

His entire body froze.

Rei felt it immediately.

That strange pull.

That impossible sensation she'd felt earlier.

Her heart beat once.

Hard.

Dominic slowly lowered his stick.

One of his teammates said something to him.

Dominic didn't answer.

He kept staring at her.

Rei frowned.

Why was he looking at her like that?

Then his eyes narrowed.

His wolf had caught her scent.

Not much.

Just enough.

Rei's suppressants were working.

Mostly.

Dominic stepped toward the edge of the rink.

Rei instinctively stepped backward.

Mia whispered something.

Rei didn't hear it.

Dominic climbed over the boards.

He removed his helmet.

Dark hair fell across his forehead.

He walked directly toward her.

Every step seemed deliberate.

People moved out of his way.

Rei refused to move.

He stopped in front of her.

Up close, he was even more intimidating.

Tall.

Broad.

Cold.

His eyes were an unusual shade of gray.

He looked down at her.

"You're in my way."

Rei glanced around.

There were at least six feet of empty space.

She looked back at him.

"No, I'm not."

His jaw tightened.

"Move."

"Ask nicely."

The surrounding players went silent.

Dominic stared at her.

Nobody spoke.

Then someone behind him laughed.

Dominic slowly turned his head.

The laughter stopped.

He looked back at Rei.

"Do you know who I am?"

"No."

His eyebrow lifted.

"I'm Dominic Vale."

Rei nodded.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes."

He stared at her as though she were speaking another language.

Rei crossed her arms.

"Was there supposed to be more?"

Someone coughed to hide a laugh.

Dominic's eyes flashed.

"You must be new."

"Very observant."

His nostrils flared.

For a fraction of a second, Rei thought she saw something animalistic in his expression.

Then it disappeared.

"What are you doing here?"

"Working."

"For the team?"

"Apparently."

"Who hired you?"

"Coach Reed."

Dominic glanced toward the coach.

Coach Reed was watching them from across the rink.

He smiled.

Dominic looked back at Rei.

"You don't know anything about hockey."

"Correct."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because they pay me."

A few players laughed.

Dominic's mouth tightened.

"You think this is funny?"

"No."

"Then why are you smiling?"

"Because you're angry."

"And that amuses you?"

"A little."

The arena went silent again.

Dominic leaned closer.

"You should be careful."

Rei didn't move.

"Is that a threat?"

"No."

His voice lowered.

"It's advice."

"Then here's some advice for you."

His eyebrow rose.

"Don't tell me what to do."

For the first time, something resembling amusement appeared in Dominic's eyes.

It vanished almost immediately.

"You're going to be a problem."

Rei smiled.

"You're going to be a bigger one."

She stepped around him.

Their shoulders brushed.

A strange spark raced through her.

Dominic went completely still.

Rei stopped too.

Neither spoke.

For one second, the noise of the arena disappeared.

Then Rei pulled away.

She walked toward the equipment room.

Dominic watched her.

He didn't understand what had just happened.

His wolf did.

Mate.

Dominic's entire body went rigid.

No.

Absolutely not.

He had spent the last year rebuilding his life.

He wasn't going to let one girl destroy it.

Especially not an Omega.

Especially not her.

He turned toward Coach Reed.

"Who hired her?"

Coach Reed smiled.

"You did."

Dominic's eyes narrowed.

"I did what?"

"You signed off on the equipment assistant application three weeks ago."

Dominic stared at him.

"I didn't know who she was."

Coach Reed shrugged.

"Now you do."

Dominic looked toward the equipment room.

The door had already closed behind her.

Something inside his chest pulled.

Hard.

His wolf paced beneath his skin.

Mine.

Dominic clenched his fists.

"She's not mine."

Coach Reed raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say she was."

Dominic glared at him.

Coach Reed laughed.

"Practice starts again in five minutes, Captain."

Dominic grabbed his helmet.

He forced himself back onto the ice.

But his concentration was gone.

Because for the first time in his life, Dominic Vale had encountered someone who didn't care who he was.

And somehow, that bothered him more than it should have.

Rei shut the equipment-room door behind her.

She leaned against it.

Her heart was racing.

She hated that.

She hated him.

At least, she was supposed to.

He was arrogant.

Condescending.

Controlling.

Exactly the kind of Alpha she had spent years avoiding.

She reached into her pocket and checked her suppressant bottle.

Still there.

Still full.

She exhaled.

"Good."

Then she looked at the rows of hockey equipment surrounding her.

"Now I just have to survive him."

Outside the door, a hockey puck slammed against the wall.

Rei jumped.

A voice shouted.

"Sorry!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Great."

She picked up the clipboard.

She had no idea that by the end of the semester, Dominic Vale would become the most dangerous person in her life.

Not because he wanted to destroy her.

But because he would eventually become the one person she couldn't imagine living without.

And neither of them was prepared for what Blackthorn Academy had waiting for them.

Because Rei hadn't been brought to Blackthorn by accident.

Her scholarship wasn't the only reason the academy had accepted her.

Someone had been waiting for her.

Someone who knew exactly what kind of Omega she was.

And someone had been watching her long before she ever walked through those gates.