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…

to

he

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

long to wait. They’re not stupid,

by the side of my bed and making me gasp a little in surprise. He laughs as he reaches out to shake my shoulder. “Nicely done! I saw you get up first.”

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

I do that,” he says, rolling his eyes, “when the exam was so boring.”

hopping down from my bunk, starting to

bath stuff.

putting out a hand out to stop

is done there is nothing else scheduled, and

shoulders and leading me away. “We’ve got a

they 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 can

to see Ben’s head snap up, confused. “Come on,” Rafe continues, nodding to the

Ben says, a line of confusion forming

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,

flicking on the

this?” I ask, looking around,

says, turning to grin at Ben and 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,

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

Chapter 17

says, his

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

Rafe says, nodding towards a pull

feet and heading over to him, but

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

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

The truth is that Rafe likes an underdog – he can’t help it, he’s soft–hearted like mom, even if he

a hand through his hair. “I mean it. Thank you.”

says, gesturing for him to come over. “I noticed, on the

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

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