Her Beta Triplets (Omega University Book 2) Read online

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  Her Beta Triplets

  Omega University

  By: J.L. Wilder

  Click to Receive a Free Copy of Brother’s Wolf (Full length)

  Table of Contents

  Her Beta Triplets

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Next in Series: Feral Alpha

  More Books by J.L. Wilder

  About The Author

  Her Beta Triplets

  Chapter One

  HALEY

  Haley Miller was the first to arrive to weaving class on Monday morning.

  That was nothing new. Haley was always the first to arrive. But today’s class was special because she and her classmates would be presenting their senior projects.

  She had expected that someone else would be early today. Haley herself had had to make two trips from the dorm to the lecture hall to carry the two different baskets she had woven. Of course, she could have carried both at once. They were sturdy enough. But only one of them at a time could fit under her jacket, and she didn’t want her classmates to see what she had been working on all semester until it was time for the big reveal.

  One of her baskets was perfect for berry picking. That had been the assignment. Create a basket that would work well for gathering food. Haley had made that one with a very tight weave so no berries could slip through any cracks. She was confident that she would get a good grade.

  But her second basket was the one she was really proud of. She had used a loose weave, and she had coated the basket materials with layers of wax to make the whole thing waterproof. It would be perfect for carrying fish.

  There was a long table at the front of the classroom. Haley found her name and carefully arranged her baskets in the place that had been reserved for her. Then she took her seat and pulled out her notebook to review the notes she had made on last night’s reading.

  The professor was next to show up. He didn’t comment on Haley’s early arrival. She knew her professors were used to seeing her before the start of class, so she hadn’t expected him to say anything. But he did pull out his grade book and go over to the display table.

  Haley watched out of the corner of her eye as he picked up her baskets, turning them in his hands, examining them for flaws. He won’t find any.

  She smiled as he put pencil to paper. She knew already that she had succeeded in impressing her professor once again.

  AFTER CLASS, HALEY met her best friend, Margaret, for lunch on the campus lawn. Margaret was sprawled out on her back, her hand drifting toward a bag of potato chips.

  Haley moved the bag within her reach. “Tough class this morning?”

  “I had midwifery,” Margaret said with a theatrical groan.

  “I like midwifery,” Haley said mildly.

  “Okay,” Margaret said. “But you like everything.”

  “I don’t like everything,” Haley protested.

  Margaret laughed. “Since you came to Omega University,” she said, “name one class you haven’t liked.”

  Haley hesitated.

  “You can’t do it!” Margaret crowed.

  “All right,” Haley conceded. “I like all my classes.”

  “Of course you do,” Margaret said fondly. “You’re a teacher’s pet. You can’t help it.”

  “I’m not a teacher’s pet,” Haley argued. “I just like learning. And I like shifter culture, and I’m excited about the prospect of becoming someone’s omega. Belonging to a real pack.”

  “Those are the exact opinions that make teachers love you so much,” Margaret said, laughing. “You are a teacher’s pet. I’m not saying you try to be. But you can’t deny you’re the favorite around here. You should hear the way they talk about you when you’re not around.”

  Haley blushed and busied herself slicing a piece of cheese.

  “They do it with me all the time,” Margaret said. “‘Why can’t you be more like Haley?’ or ‘You should try to learn from the example your friend is setting.’ They all wish I were you.”

  “I’m sorry,” Haley said.

  “Don’t be,” Margaret scoffed, waving her hand. “I am who I am. I didn’t come to Omega University to turn into somebody else. The way you are, all eager and studious—it’s great. It’s textbook omega. But we can’t all be the same.”

  “It doesn’t seem to be holding you back, either,” Haley pointed out.

  Margaret raised her eyebrows. “Meaning what?”

  “Meaning you’ve got an alpha already.” Margaret’s boyfriend had imprinted on her back in freshman year, and the two of them had been inseparable ever since.

  “Some boyfriend,” Margaret said. “We never get to see each other. Every day, I wish he’d tell me he wants to leave school so we can run off and start a life.”

  “You don’t really want to run away, do you?” Haley asked.

  “Not really,” Margaret admitted. “Not now. We’re only a few months away from graduation, and at this point, we might as well stay for all the year-end festivities. Don’t get me wrong, I’m eager to get my life started, but there are going to be socials and all the big events, and I don’t want to miss out. It’s once in a lifetime, right?”

  “Right,” Haley murmured.

  Margaret glanced at her. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “You’re not your usual upbeat self. Didn’t you get an A-plus on your basket project?”

  “I don’t know,” Haley said. “We don’t have the grades back yet. But probably. I think the professor liked it.”

  “So then why so glum? There are only a few more weeks of classes, and then the fun starts!”

  “Yeah, I know,” Haley said. “That’s the problem.”

  “How on Earth is that a problem?”

  “It’s all geared toward couples,” Haley said. “You have an alpha, so you’ll have a great time. But I’m alone.”

  “That doesn’t mean the graduation events aren’t for you,” Margaret protested. “Everyone is invited.”

  “Everyone is invited,” Haley said. “But we’re really there to celebrate those of you who have found your alpha. Everyone knows you’re not a true Omega University graduate until you’re mated.”

  “That’s not true,” Margaret said.

  “Sure it is,” Haley replied. “That’s why the school keeps a record of what percent of the students graduate with mates. It’s the whole point of our education here. If you graduate without a mate, it’s like failing the final exam. You get to go to all the parties, but what do you really have to celebrate?”

  “You’ll find a mate, Haley,” Margaret said sympathetically.

  “That’s easy for you to say,” Haley said. “When did you meet Terrence? It was the firs
t week of school, wasn’t it?”

  “The first social we had,” Margaret said. She couldn’t help but allow a little dreaminess into her voice. “We danced together all night.”

  “I definitely thought you were going to leave school after freshman year,” Haley said.

  “I wanted to,” Margaret said. “You know how it goes. We definitely can’t have sex until we start our life together because I’m too fertile, and I’ll probably just get pregnant.” She sighed and tilted her head back so that the sun was shining on her face. “I don’t see why pregnant girls can’t keep going to school here,” she added.

  “Because once you have kids, you have to be under the full-time authority of your alpha,” Haley said. “And you can’t do that while you’re going to school and living in the dorms.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Margaret said. “I know. I just wish we could move into a house off campus and start our family and still keep taking classes. Finishing the degree is so important to Terrence.”

  “Well, it’s almost over now,” Haley said. “And don’t get me wrong—I was glad when you said you were coming back, and that you wanted to be my roommate again. I don’t know how I would have handled it if I’d had to start all over again living with someone new.”

  “You would have been fine,” Margaret said. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re very easy to get along with, you know. It’s part of what makes you such a great omega.”

  Haley shook her head. “If I’m such a great omega,” she said, “why can’t I get a guy interested in me? I’ve attended every single social we’ve had with Shifter University for the past four years. I’ve made myself available to them. But it’s like they don’t even see me.”

  “It’ll happen,” Margaret insisted. “Sometimes it’s got nothing to do with how good and obedient you are. Look at me. I’m kind of a mess, but Terrence imprinted on me right away. I know it’s hard for you that you can’t control the outcome. But there are some things in life you just have to wait for.”

  “It’s not like I haven’t been patient,” Haley pointed out. “I’ve waited. I’ve been waiting for years. Every time a social comes along, I get my hopes up, and every time, nothing happens. The pool of alphas just gets smaller and smaller.”

  “It’s not like you can’t meet a mate after graduation,” Margaret said.

  “You know as well as I do that the odds go way down after graduation,” Haley said. “While we’re at school, we’ve got a group of single alphas right across the road, and we’ve got all these school-sponsored activities so that we can mingle with them safely. After graduation...I don’t know where I’m even supposed to meet an alpha.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find someone,” Margaret said gently.

  “Alphas are bound to mate with members of their own packs,” Haley said.

  “But there are alphas out there who are like you were before you came to school,” Margaret said. “Guys who don’t belong to packs at all. Loners.”

  “I know.” Haley lay back on the grass and stared at the sky. “That just...isn’t the way I imagined it.”

  “How did you imagine it?”

  “I guess I thought I’d end up with an alpha from Shifter U,” Haley explained. “Someone who cared as much about shifter traditions as I do. Someone who came here to educate himself in our ways. The idea of submitting to an alpha who’s never had this training...I don’t know. It really doesn’t appeal to me in the same way.”

  “Can I make a suggestion?” Margaret asked.

  “You know you can,” Haley said, surprised that her friend felt the need to ask.

  “It’s just...there are a lot more guys over there besides the alphas,” Margaret said. “If you broaden your standards a little—”

  “Lower my standards, you mean?”

  “I’m just saying betas are perfectly acceptable mates. And some of them are really nice.”

  Haley sat upright. “A beta? Tell me you’re joking.”

  “I’m just saying, if you really want a mate, it might be worth thinking about,” Margaret said. “You’re right. A lot of the alphas have already found mates. The ones that are left might not be the caliber of guy you want to involve yourself with.”

  “But a beta?” Haley shook her head. “Margaret, you shouldn’t even be talking about that. You know betas aren’t allowed to mate with omegas. That kind of thing could get us kicked out of school.”

  “We’re about to graduate,” Margaret said with a little laugh. “If you met the right guy, you could just wait a few weeks to make it official. The school isn’t going to throw you out now. They’re probably not going to throw you out at all, no matter what you do. You’re the golden girl, remember? The perfect omega.”

  “I won’t be the perfect omega if I mate with a beta,” Haley said. The one thing every omega was supposed to do was to submit to an alpha. It was her responsibility to make herself available so that when the right alpha mate emerged, she could be claimed. If she gave herself to a beta, she would be flying in the face of that tradition.

  She would be dishonoring her role as omega.

  “I think,” said Margaret, “that you worry too much about being perfect. Are you coming down to the track? I was going to run some laps this afternoon.”

  “No,” Haley said. Ordinarily, she would have gone. Keeping her body in peak physical condition was an important part of being a good omega. But today, she felt despondent. “I’m going up to our room.”

  “Okay,” Margaret said. “I’ll be back in about an hour, I guess.”

  Haley made her way across campus and up the winding stairs that led to her dorm room. There was no elevator in the dormitory, and Haley knew that walking up the stairs each day was one of the ways the school helped the omegas stay in shape.

  Everything here has been set up to help me get ready for real life, and I haven’t been able to make the most of it.

  What had she done wrong? Though she resented Margaret’s calling her a teacher’s pet, it was true that she worked hard and tried to be the best she could at everything.

  If I were an alpha, she thought, flinging herself down on her bed, I would want me.

  By every standard she could find to measure herself, she was perfect. She was at the top of all her classes. She was in great physical shape. She was always perfectly obedient to authority. And though she did her best not to be prideful, she knew she was decent to look at too.

  Sometimes, I guess luck just isn’t on our side.

  But it was heartbreaking. After all, she had come to Omega University dreaming of the day she would belong to a pack of her very own. Unlike Margaret, unlike most of the other students at the school, Haley hadn’t grown up in a pack. She had lived in a cottage in the woods with only her mother, and she had grown up listening to her mother’s stories of pack life and promising herself that someday, that was the life she would have.

  She had known, when she had come to Omega University, that it was her one chance to meet eligible alphas. If she were ever going to find a pack of her own, these four years were the time to do it.

  Haley could still remember her very first social, the feeling of magic in her stomach, her absolute conviction that it was going to happen, that tonight would be the night. And then, afterward, muffling her tears in her pillow so that Margaret wouldn’t feel the need to downplay her own happiness at having met someone.

  Freshman year had slipped away so quickly. But there had still been three more years. So much time.

  And then sophomore year had ended, and school was halfway over. Then junior year, and Haley could see the finish line rushing up at her, approaching far too quickly.

  And now it was here.

  In just a few weeks, she would have to pack up her things and leave school forever. She would have to find a place to live and start a new life.

  And instead of doing it with an alpha, the way she had always imagined she would, it was looking more and more like she was going to be doing it
alone.

  Chapter Two

  JASPER

  Jasper Wood sat by the river that ran behind Shifter University, fishing pole in hand. “I don’t see why I have to do this,” he grumbled.

  Olivia, his friend and Wildlife Skills class partner, grinned. “You always say that,” she pointed out. “About everything.”

  “Well, it’s the truth,” Jasper said. “Why bother learning how to catch fish with a pole? When am I ever going to use that? I can just shift and catch them in my mouth. And I’m really good at it.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Olivia said, rolling her eyes and knocking her shoulder against his. “You’re a prize.”

  “I just think it’s a waste of time,” Jasper said. “At the end of the day, you get a fish either way. What difference does it make how you get it?”

  “Because this is school,” Olivia said. “The whole point is to learn how to do things we aren’t already good at. I swear, you’re like an alpha sometimes, Jasper. It’s like you think the only reason you’re here is to show off and impress people.”

  Jasper scowled.

  Olivia raised her hands. “Sorry,” she said. “Didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”

  “I should be an alpha,” Jasper said. “You know I should.”

  “If you should be, then you would be,” Olivia said.

  A flash of irritation tore through Jasper. “You don’t know anything about it,” he said.

  Olivia shrugged.

  He knew what she was doing. It was the same thing she always did when the two of them were on their own together. She seemed to think that if she could convince him to accept his station in life as a beta, then there was a chance he might start to return the very obvious feelings she had for him.

  It’ll never happen.

  The fact of the matter was Jasper Wood should have been the alpha of his family. But he wasn’t. And his brothers were entirely to blame.

  That wasn’t exactly fair. Dean and Tom couldn’t help the circumstances of their birth. It wasn’t their fault that their mother, a beta woman, had given birth to identical triplets instead of the singleton that was all most betas could provide.