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

before I close them, waiting for Jesse and Rafe to come back so that we can take our showers

wait. They’re not stupid, after

side of my bed and making me gasp a little in surprise. He laughs as he reaches out to shake my shoulder. “Nicely done!

little faster,” I say, raising an eyebrow at him as I sit up, “if you’d kept your eyes

his eyes, “when the exam was

fun, Jesse,” I say, sighing and hopping down from my

bath stuff.

putting out a hand out to stop me. “Not

I mean, the day is done there is nothing else scheduled, and

arm around my shoulders and leading me away. “We’ve got

bad feeling that whatever this is? It’s not going to be fun. But before we can get to the door, Rafe pauses, peering into one of the

he says, and I turn curiously to see Ben’s head snap up,

a line of confusion

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,

the lights and striding into the room.

what is this?” I ask, looking

Rafe. “You both need the extra work if you’re going to make any progress on these physical exams. So,” he shrugs, “we’re going

to glare at us a little, “is Jesse’s nice way of saying that we’re going to spend

Chapter 17

Ben says, his eyes

my shoulder at where the showers are probably

says, nodding towards a pull up bar. “You

my feet and heading over to him, but Ben’s words

“Him, I get,” he says, gesturing towards me with his thumb. “But why are

you got a bad turn, being pitted against me in the bout today. So,

at my brother, who is trying to play off 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

and running a hand through his

bid deal,” Jesse says, gesturing for him to come over. “I noticed, on the first day, that you’re… kind of shit at throwing a punch.

as I walk over to Rafe and wrap my arms around his waist,

I say softly,