The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 17

“Well?” Jackson says, his voice low, and I flinch again god, that’s getting annoying as I snap my head up to look at him. He gestures towards the head table. “Hand in your test.”

“Um,” I say, and then another chair scrapes in the room. Someone else is finished too, and headed this way. “You take it.” I say, making a snap decision and nodding towards it.

“You finished first,” he growls, taking a menacing step towards me.

I shock myself by holding my ground. “Just turn in your test, Jackson,” I growl, looking up into his eyes, starting to get pissed. Because if one of us doesn’t do it, whoever finished next certainly will.

Jackson comes to the same conclusion that I do at the same moment, seeing the next candidate. walking towards us. He snaps his gaze to me for a moment and then turns, expressionless, and places his test face–down on the table. I follow, doing the same, fully aware that if Jackson did as well as I did on this exam he just took first.

Which…well, it doesn’t really make much of a difference to our rankings, not really. But at least, to me, it feels like we’re more even now.

He gave up one for me, even if he didn’t mean to. And now? I’ve given one back.

As far as I’m concerned, we’re square.

face And as I walk about ten feet behind him towards the barracks, doing my very best to turn my away so that I don’t catch any spare sniffs of his scent. I very much hope that that’s the end of any interaction that me and Jackson McClintock get to have for my entire time at the academy.

Or, at least that’s what I tell myself.

My wolf, who lifts her head in the air and eagerly sniffs at his scent, her eyes half–lidded, her tongue. lolling from her mouth?

She, clearly, has other ideas.

Get ahold of yourself, I growl to her.

No way, she says, shaking her fur out as a shiver passes through her. Do you remember the way pinned our wrists above our head? Imagine what he could do in bed

“Oh

my

y god,” I murmur aloud, clenching my fists and storming past Jackson as we both walk through the door, locking down my mind and not letting any more of my wolf’s ridiculous thoughts in.

Because the last thing I need to be thinking about now is…

close to that.

he

blankets, tucking my cap low over my eyes before I close them, waiting for

I don’t have long to wait. They’re not

surprise. He laughs as he reaches out to shake my shoulder. “Nicely done! I saw you get

up, “if you’d kept your eyes on the exam, instead of worrying about

his eyes, “when the exam was

I say, sighing and hopping down from my bunk, starting to gather

bath stuff.

putting out a hand out to stop me. “Not yet. We’re not done

I ask, looking between them. I mean, the day is done there is nothing else

and

walk me through the barracks and back towards the door. I have a bad feeling that whatever this is? It’s not going to be fun. But before we

snap up, confused. “Come

line of confusion

it matter?” Rafe asks, dry, and Ben laughs a little, shrugging and getting out of bed, slipping his boots on and starting after us without tying them. He catches up fast, looking between us all curiously but not asking any questions. I shrug at him, letting him know that I don’t know either, and we both sigh as Rafe and Jesse lead us back into the gym.

the lights

is this?” I ask, looking

he walks backwards into the room after Rafe. “You both need the extra work if you’re going to make

at us a little, “is Jesse’s nice way of saying that we’re going to spend an extra hour kicking your asses every night until you can make the cut.”

Chapter 17

Ben says, his eyes going

at where the showers are probably already filling up with cadets, all of the lovely hot water running

Ari,” Rafe says, nodding towards a pull up bar.

dragging my feet and heading over to him, but

step forward but frowning at my brother and my cousin. “Him, I get,” he says, gesturing towards me with his thumb. “But why are you

me in the bout today. So, I figured, why not give you a

his kindness, even though we all see through it. The truth is that Rafe likes an underdog – he can’t help it, he’s soft–hearted like mom, even if he pretends that he’s not. It’s probably why he acts tough all the

says, smiling and running a hand through his hair. “I mean it.

on the first day, that you’re… kind of shit at throwing a punch. Let’s work

get to work as I walk over to Rafe and wrap my arms around

brother is nice,” I say softly, grinning and giving him