Page 25 of Defiant Beta

Namely, climbing out of an upstairs window, into a nearby tree, and falling when a branch snapped under me.

I’d tumbled right into his arms.

It hadn't been easy pretending I was eager to get away instead of staying right there, nestled against the chest of a guy who smelled like dessert.

A few classes had been canceled, and this morning's meeting with the head of the school was a mystery to some, but it most definitely wasn’t to me.

None of the omegas have left yet, but there are more whispers about how Haven Academy isn’t as nice as they’d been led to believe. That every day, there’s a problem with the school or the teachers.

Which isexactlythe sort of whispers I want to drift back to their parents, and maybe they’ll start pulling their kids out of a school with this many problems.

“We’ll be imposing a curfew,” Ms. Arkwright says firmly.

Shit.

“At least until we can address these… minor disturbances. Students will be escorted from the dorms to the dining hall for breakfast, and after dinner, there will be no free time. You will return to your dorms.” Ms. Arkwright flashes a false smile, revealing straight white teeth, and I mentally curse again.

We file out of the auditorium to head for our first class.

“Go on ahead,” I tell River. “I just need to use the bathroom.”

She slows. “Do you want me to come with you so you don’t get lost?”

Something about her expression stops me. An awareness that wasn’t there before.

I have spent the last week finding every excuse in the world to get lost, grab something I forgot, pop to the bathroom, or be late to class.

That probing look makes me think I haven’t been getting away with it as well as I thought I had. “You know it’s me, don’t you?”

We hang back, letting the other students go ahead.

River lowers her voice. “I’m not sure why you’ve been setting fire to the school and super-gluing teachers' doors shut, but I assume you have a reason?”

“Yes, and it’s a good one,” I say firmly.Freedom. “What better thing is there to fight for than to free the oppressed?”

She scrunches her nose, confused. “But no one is oppressed.”

“Aden said his parents would kick him out and cut him off if he didn’t mate with whichever alpha the school chooses. No one may be beaten or drugged, but that is still oppression in my book.”

“Hmm.” She doesn’t seem convinced.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone it was me?”

“Because I like you and I don’t want you to get into trouble. And…” Her voice trails off.

“And?” I prompt.

“You’ve been pushing all of us to open our eyes and decide what we want for ourselves instead of the teachers. You didn’t deserve to get into trouble for that, even if I’m not sure I agree with setting the science building on fire.”

I can’t help but give her a hug for that. “Thanks.”

She squeezes me back. “Just stop, okay? I don’t want you blowing yourself up or getting yourself kicked out.”

I pull away to look her in the face. “My sister mated to an alpha who didn’t treat her well. I don’t want the same for you.”

“Or you?”

It won’t because I’m a fake omega counting down each spritz of a rapidly emptying perfume bottle.

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