Page 70 of Plug and Claim

One moment, she’d been the most in-demand female in the entire school. Now, she was a social pariah. She was cut off from everything. To rebuild her reputation from scratch would take months if not years.

She needed a new plan. While she looked for an opportunity to present itself, she remained alert and on the lookout for Nathaniel, partly because she’d prepared the perfect combination of fuck you and asshole to berate him with. And partly because her gut feeling told her that when his summons finally came, she could use it to her advantage.

But the week passed uneventfully, and his summons never came. She was sure he would summon her on the weekend, but that, too, passed.

Kira grew increasingly agitated when another school week passed and Nathaniel still hadn’t sent for her. She hadn’t even seen him since the incident in his office.

Rather than feel relieved, Kira felt lost. The dreaded red socks made her an outsider, and even Susie’s friendship wasn’t enough to overcome the fact that no one else at the school so much as smiled at her. The wolves didn’t want her, and the vampires certainly didn’t. The polite greetings of professors didn’t count.

As a second week passed, it became more and more obvious that Nathaniel didn’t want her, either. And that stung. He’d ruined her reputation, then left her to pick up the pieces.

She hated to admit it, but she’d almost looked forward to Potions in the hope that she’d see him, but he hadn’t showed up at all.

“Nathaniel? Yes, he’s still around.” Victoria shrugged when Kira summoned the nerve to ask her at the end of class. “Just moping about as per usual. It’s sweet that you’re worried about him.”

“I’m not worried,” she said quickly, even though a part of her had been. Except now that she knew he wasn’t unwell or injured, she fucking hated his guts for ignoring her.

“It’s such a waste for him to claim you and then ignore you,” Victoria said sympathetically. “He’s normally more attentive with the wolves he claims. Not sure why he’s stonewalled you.”

That made her feel a hundred times worse as she stared at the porridge-like contents of her cauldron. For the briefest of moments, she felt a primal pang of jealousy at the mention of other female wolves—but then she remembered that they’d wound up dead.

Be careful what you wish for, Kira.

Victoria’s slender brows drew together when she caught sight of Kira’s disappointment. “He’s probably just busy.”

Busy my ass.

She made to leave, but Victoria stopped her.

“Hey Kira, what are you doing tomorrow night?”

Kira hesitated. “Tomorrow night?”

“It’s Friday! You should come to our dorm for drinks.”

The invitation caught her off guard. Victoria was regarding her excitedly, and while Kira did not want to be anyone’s pity project, the invitation seemed genuine.

“Come on, Kira, don’t tell me you have other plans,” Victoria prompted.

“I’ll…think about it.”

“Great! See you then.” Victoria winked and gave her arm an affectionate squeeze. “Move along!” she chirped to a group of first-year wolves who were still standing outside the Potions classroom.

They scattered as Victoria strode past, but reassembled in a nearby alcove, talking in hushed voices. Curious, Kira pressed herself close to the wall and crept closer.

“My knees were so sore,” a male student was saying. “If he expects us to do that again next week, I swear—”

“We don’t have a choice,” a female voice interrupted. “The sooner we do what he wants, the easier it will be. That’s what the older students said.”

“Rubbish. I’ll tell Zott where to stick it.”

Zott? Kira thought. As in Professor Zott’s Pet Obedience Class?

“No, you won’t,” the female retorted. “Zott said he’ll use whips next week, remember? He said that if he has to discipline us—”

“Nah. He’s bluffing.”

“He’s not. My brother’s in third year, remember? He still has the scars on his back.”