Page 11 of Daughter of Garnet

She stands up and claps, breaking the tension of the moment. “But we’ll get to that later! Today, we’ll review the syllabus and get you split into study groups. Eventually, your study groups will be assigned an Alpha to help you put your skills to practical use. But that won’t be for another few classes.”

Warren elbows me to get my attention. “We’ll need a good group. And I hope our Alpha is hot.” I've known since we were teenagers and talking about our futures that Warren wanted to be with an Alpha. I've never thought about it, always assuming that I'd find a Beta.

What if the man in the woods was right, and I am an Omega? Working in close quarters with an Alpha could prove problematic if they catch my scent and demand I be removed from the class.

I haven’t even seen an Omega since I got here. They have their own dining hall, their own classes. They’re completely cut off from the rest of us under the guise of protecting them. The last thing I want is to be shoved in a room and left to rot without Warren and Viv.

How are they meant to find their Alphas if they’re never exposed to them? I don’t know much about being an Omega, but I do know they go into heat every few months rather than a monthly menstrual cycle, and that they need Alphas during that time to help ease the pain and desperation.

Do they get to choose the Alphas who assist them during their heats, or do they take what they’re given?

I'm not an Omega. Being one sounds miserable. I won't live a life like that, so that voice in my head had to be a hallucination. I won't accept anything else.

Warren is chattering away in my ear about how excited he is for the class and our Alpha Aide. I wasn’t even paying attention to the groups we were put into, but at least I know Warren is in mine.

The rest of the day passes without incident, with classes that don’t differ much from the ones I took at university.

Calculus with Warren is my last class of the day, and by the time we’re done, I’ve almost forgotten yesterday's interaction in the woods with the sabertooth Alpha.

I’ve never heard of a God Blessing someone with an extinct beast before Viv mentioned her brother, but I suppose it must happen every so often. They are still the God's creatures, after all, even if they no longer walk among us.

What was everyone's reaction when he shifted? There were only a few exciting shifts in my ceremony: a woman who became a white tiger and a man Blessed by Aenella who became a walrus. Otherwise, it was all very standard.

“Wanna grab dinner?” Warren touches my elbow, halting me before I can peel off toward our dorm.

I picked at my breakfast and lunch, so I should eat something hearty for dinner, even if my appetite is nonexistent. Maybe smelling food will help me get there. Even if it doesn't, spending time with Warren is always great.

“Sure. Lead the way.”

CHAPTER 7

Zoe

Once we get our plates, Warren guides me to a table that is already occupied by a large man with dark hair.

“Cliff!” Warren sets his plate down with a clang and pulls out a chair across from his roommate. “Mind if we join you?”

He shrugs and scoots his chair a little to the side before using his foot to push the one beside him out. “Have a seat.”

I had been planning on sitting next to Warren, but I don’t want to ignore the gesture. He’s Warren’s roommate, so we need to get along, because I’ll be at his place often enough.

“Zoe and I had our first Menagerie Management class today,” Warren says around a mouthful of pasta. “How did you like that one?”

Cliff grunts and takes a bite of his sandwich. After a moment, he swallows and looks at Warren. “It’s fine. But if you get a shitty Alpha Aide, you’re gonna struggle. They all have to do it each year after their first, but some of them really shouldn’t.”

As Cliff talks, I think about the warmth that coursed through my body when we first touched. It wasn’t unlike when I touched the garnet during my ceremony, but he didn’t seem to feel the same. I bet his hand was just really warm from being asleep.

That must be it.

Warren pauses with a fork halfway to his mouth. “How will we know if we get a good one? And how do I make sure we do?”

Cliff sets his fork down and takes a sip of water. “Earth Alphas are the most aggressive. Sea Alphas sometimes feel disconnected from their beasts because they don't feel at home unless they shift near a body of water. It makes them much less likely to go feral or have a rogue shift. Air ones are hit or miss, but their beasts are clever, so they’re easier to reason with.”

“So we want a Sea Alpha.” I eat as I listen to the guys talk. My appetite really isn’t here, but the soup I got isn’t too bad. Warren is invested in the conversation, and I'm happy to not contribute. “How do we make sure we get one?”

Cliff didn’t seem like a chatty guy at first, but maybe it was just because he was tired when we first met. He swipes his beer and takes a sip. “You can’t, not really. Not unless you meet one and ask them to volunteer, but after the second year, they tend to keep to themselves. That’s when they start to pack up.”

I thought they made their packs around Omegas, but then again, it’s not like I know any Alphas or Omegas. I bet that because they outnumber the Omegas so much, some of them assume they’ll never find one and act accordingly.