The Beta girl who had challenged Derek's behavior stepped forward with the kind of natural authority that made other students instinctively pay attention. She was about Otto's age, with honey-blonde hair pulled back in a practical ponytail and dark brown eyes that sparkled with intelligence and determination.

"I'm Desi Whitmore," she said, extending her hand to Otto with a warm smile that seemed completely genuine. "And you're Otto Moorland, the scholarship recipient whose research on ...