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

eyes before I close them, waiting for Jesse and

wait. They’re not stupid, after all.

little in surprise. He laughs

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

rolling his

sighing and hopping down from my bunk, starting to

bath stuff.

up and putting out a hand out to

there is nothing else scheduled, and frankly I

around my shoulders and leading me away. “We’ve got a surprise for you.”

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

curiously to see Ben’s head snap up,

Ben says, a line of confusion forming between his brows.

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

Rafe says, flicking on the lights and striding into the room. “Let’s go.”

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

us 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

Ben says, his eyes

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

towards a pull up bar.

feet and heading over

frowning at my 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 give you

can’t help it, he’s soft–hearted like mom, even if he pretends

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

the first day, that you’re… kind of

I walk over to Rafe and wrap my arms

is nice,” I say softly, grinning