The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 13

I sigh and drop my head back on my pillow as I finish my sandwich, curling up tight and pressing my eyes shut, going over every moment of my conversation with Luca in my

head.

Thinking about his handsome face, the way his eyes fell to my mouth, the ran down his spine —

The fact that I did that to him…

This is…

I sigh, feeling suddenly overwhelmed.

Because this is getting into some dangerous grounds, isn’t it?

way

the shiver

Some wonderful grounds, my wolf corrects, curling into a little crescent and tucking her nose warmly beneath the edge of her tail. Sneak back over – let’s see if we can make him go all shivery again!

No, I growl inwardly, shaking my head. Because as much as I’m completely distracted and fascinated by my new connections, I have to resist the urge to explore them right now. There’s far too much at stake –

If I let Luca or Jackson in too much, I could get caught and then I risk losing my shot at trying myself in the Academy and I’ll risk having to go home and fulfill my promise to marry Prince Edward. As much as I’m intrigued…

I have to keep my distance. Which means doing my best to avoid my mates during the two weeks of candidacy.

I can do that, right? Mates are forever – I will have time to explore my connections with them later, and right now I need to turn my mind to other things.

I can do this, I tell myself with a steady nod, my eyes still pressed shut.

No you can’t, my wolf sighs sleepily, closing her eyes.

But I just ignore her, determined, and steady my breathing, willing myself to fall asleep.

When a hand shakes my arm the next morning, I gasp awake out of a much–needed deep.

in

Chapter 13

dreamless sleep.

from his perch on the side of my bed. “Time to get up!”

are a mess of noise, all the candidates getting ready at once. I sit up and look around, realizing that everyone’s still

the side of the bed. “We’re going for

sigh, but I pull my blankets off and hop down softly, taking note of the single finger pressed

one thing we’re going to be talking about.

ablutions and then out the door of the barracks. As we pass my bunk I smile at my brother’s sleeping form, grateful

our big crazy family there wasn’t much choice but to be able

around my shoulders as we walk out into the dawn light, the fresh morning

we able to just walk in

start out on a dirt track that leads towards the hills. “Candidates are all here voluntarily and they’re all determined to hold themselves to the

just come and go at

an early morning run. Which is what we’re doing.” He gives me a wink and a little squeeze around the shoulders before dropping his arm and starting to stretch.

drops open before I scowl at

track at a gentle jog. “Come

with my cousin, who

silence for a long while as he puts me through my paces, making me stay by his side until I’m panting for air while he, infuriatingly, barely breaks a sweat. When we get to the top of a hill he signals to me to take a break and I put my hands on

me,” I gasp, glaring at

at me and laughs a little. “You have hobbies, Ari. Dad and Uncle Dom have been prepping Rafe and I for this since we were kids.” He takes a deep breath, looking out over the gorgeous, hazy countryside with

head, aware that my angry thoughts are in contrast to such a beautiful landscape. “I hate that you and Rafe got to become bastions of athletic prowess and I got to train to be a

says gently, letting me have my bitterness while still pointing out the truth. “That was all you. Mom was pissed as

ask, my

me. “Yeah, she said that she had seen your future at your moonlight baptism and that guy was not your mate – so why the hell would we let you go into a marriage that we knew would fail? But Aunt Ella said you had to be free to make your own

baffled by this. “So, you knew the whole time too? And wait – they had this conversation in

little and runs his hand through his hair.

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a little bit.”

to smack him but laughing as I do. Jesse – he’s always been good at being

me. “You trained your whole life to be a Queen, and it didn’t work out in that way, but the fact that your mate is here? Training for the Academy at the same time you are?” he shrugs and grins at me, a little baffled. “Honestly, I think it sounds

nodding with him. “It feels

laughs, shaking his head a little at our inside joke of

my full name in such serious tones. I raise my eyebrows, inviting him to say what he wants to

do, and that you’ve already got an overprotective big brother to play this role. But…” he hesitates and I step closer, wanting to hear what he has to say.

a little

figured out who