“Nix, sit down,” Elle demanded softly. Her tone had an unfamiliar edge. Did Nix’s adoptive sister think Nix would bow to her commands like in her past life?
“No. Answer my question,” Nix told them. “Who is more likely to hurt you at this school? Who should you fear?”
The awkward silence suggested the girls wished Nix would leave the table without another word.Oh well.
“Why do we put all of our self-worth on finding a husband by graduation? Why does it feel like life or death?” Nix asked, wanting to shake some sense into them. “Before graduation, we tie ourselves to alphas for protection from other alphas. We ‘sell’ our futures to our natural predators.”
“I’m getting threatened with expulsion because I embarrassed an alpha.” Nix snorted at how not-funny the situation was. “Expulsion—for embarrassing an alpha.”
She stressed each word. “Because the male alphas’ biggest fear is us laughing at them, at us not seeing them as big and strong, and terrifying. But what’s the female prey shifters’ biggest fear, huh?”
Sarasa’s jaw flexed. The others glared at Nix and pressed their lips together.
“They fear us not taking them seriously, and we fear them killing or owning us—that’s why we try to secure a ‘husband’ as a protector.” Nix jabbed her fist against the table again. “Iam an alpha predator shifter now. I am a dragon, andIwill protect you.”
She added, “You don’t want to take classes on alpha-pleasing? Enroll in combat class with me, and I will protect you. You don’t want to marry an alpha out of obligation?Don’t, andIwill protect you.”
“Oh, please.” Most of the women scoffed, but Sarasa blinked and swallowed, staring at Nix. Considering her words.
Elle feigned a weak laugh and waved off Nix’s words. “You make it sound like we areforcedto marry an alpha—”
“Aren’t you? Ask yourselves,” Nix said. “If you had the same strength and abilities as the predator shifters, would you take the classes you’re in now? Would you marry some mediocre, ego-ridden asshole for the promise of a ‘safe’ life?”
Bael chuckled, taking no offense. He knew he was not a mediocre, ego-ridden asshole.
“How would you protect us?” Sarasa asked.
“Sarasa!” Elle scolded, gasping in horror. “You can’t actually be considering—”
“ShebrokeElle’s wrist this morning,” another cygnus said. “A barbaric dragon shifter wouldn’t know how to protect anything but treasure. If you have a heartbeat, the dragon sees fresh meat,” she recited an old rhyme that the cygni clan taught in childhood.
“Dragon shifters are not all violent!” Nix crashed her fist onto the table, frustrated, and the wooden top splintered under her hand. Damn, she was…strong?
“Oh my gods! She broke the table! She’s going to kill us,” one shrieked.
Nix rolled her eyes but chided herself for playing right into the violent stereotype. She did not mean to splinter the wooden tabletop. She wanted to prove the preachings of her adoptive father, Kellan Oadess,wrong.
“I didn’t mean to do that,” Nix admitted. “I’ve, uh, only been stronger like this since this morning.”
“She can’t control herself!” one yelled. “My parents didn’t even want me attending the academy with any dragon shifter students. I can’t share a lunch table with one! I’m too young and pretty to die.”
Baelloudlyplayed with his switchblade.
“She even brought a demon to our table! From actual Hell.”
“I am not going to hurt anyone—just like I never did over themanyyears of relentless, petty bullying,” Nix remarked. “Iwantto protect you all. More than that, I don’t want you torelyon anyone’s protection. Don’t you want to learn how to protect yourselves?”
“I heard that alphas don’t prefer muscular females—”
“Gods, I want to shake you right now,” Nix muttered under her breath.
“Elle! Another threat! Make her leave,” the girl begged.
“Nix,” Elle said sternly.
“Think about it. If you didn’t have to worry about protection, what would you do? Because deep down, we don’t want protection. We wantsafety. We don’t need to offer ourselves up as some kind of prize; we don’t need toearnprotectors.” Nix told them, “We need to burn the attackers.”
Bael whistled again and started a slow, dramatic clap.
