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

my cap low over my eyes before I close them, waiting for Jesse and Rafe to come back so that we can take

wait. They’re not

by the side of my bed and making me gasp a little in surprise. He laughs

been done a little faster,” I say, raising an eyebrow at him as I sit up, “if you’d kept your eyes on the exam, instead of worrying about how everyone else was

that,” he says, rolling his eyes, “when the exam

sighing and hopping down from

bath stuff.

walking up and putting out a hand out

day is done there is

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

barracks and back towards the door. I have a bad feeling that

see Ben’s head snap up, confused. “Come on,”

of confusion forming between his

looking between us all curiously but not asking any

Rafe says, flicking on the lights and

is this?” I

me as he walks backwards into the room after 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 help you do that.”

a little, “is Jesse’s nice way of saying that we’re going to spend an extra hour kicking your asses every night

Chapter 17

his eyes going

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

nodding towards a pull up

sigh, dragging my feet and heading over

brother and my cousin. “Him, I get,” he says, gesturing

think you got a bad turn, being pitted against me in the bout today. So, I figured, why not

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 he

Ben says, smiling and running a hand through his hair.

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

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

I say softly, grinning and