The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 18

I’m almost too exhausted to notice how fast the next week passes. Jesse wakes me up early every day, and I scowl at Rafe. who snores peacefully while Jesse drags me out the door for our run. He seriously puts me through my paces, too, not even relenting when I try to bribe him.

“Please.” beg. “I’ll give you my crown –”

“Why would I want your crown. I’m a duke –”

“But dukes,” I pant, “don’t get anything pretty to wear on their heads –”

But Jesse just laughs, and makes me run harder.

The candidate lessons are no less brutal. Every other day is spent running through that damn obstacle course, and even though Jesse and Rafe make me work out every night I still can’t climb that damn chain. I mean, I am getting better, which is satisfying, I can pull myself up about three feet of it now. But still, every day, after ten minutes of trying, the Lieutenant at that point on the course blows the whistle and lets me climb the ladder, putting a further demerit on my time.

Even Ben gets up faster than I do now, looking down at me with apology in his eyes as he does. But I just scowl and wave him off.

Rafe and Jesse really put the time in with Ben and I every evening, which has actually become as fun as it is useful. Ben has proven himself to have one hell of a sense of humor, and he makes me laugh so hard it feels like my sides will split. Even Rafe, as he pushes us around and tells us to get back to work, can’t help but smile.

Still, it’s nice to have made a real friend.

Every day the four of us eat our meals together and every morning our eyes go immediately to the ranking list to see what the previous day’s exams – if any have done to our numbers.

And while I’m never, ever going to beat out the big guys like Rafe and Jesse – I have to say, I’m holding my own.

This morning. I grin when the numbers come up to see that I’m ranked at 75 – a personal high spot. for me. Jesse slaps me on the back, laughing and grinning.

“Nicely done. Ari!” he says, smiling at me with true pleasure. “Looks like the marksmanship competition yesterday did its work.”

He’s not wrong. There are still enough hand–to–hand bouts that while my win against Jackson and my second place on the logic exam pulled me out of the cut zone above 96, I’ve been hovering right on the edge for days. But yesterday, when they finally put a crossbow and then a gun in my hands?

Then I really showed them what I could do. Because even if dad didn’t let me train like Rafe did, he always made sure I could handle myself with a gun more than handle myself, really. I came in

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Chapter 18

second, talling only behind Rafe ben beating Jesse, who came in at

a little as 1 digitory pancakes. But when

am celebrating, and

as my eyes fly back to the hoard, where Ben is ranked

really are getting faster, Ben,” I say, nodding to

us. “I’m fine. Seriously, it’s fine, it’s way better than 119, where

stomach. Because there are only 5 days left until the final ranking, and both of us are still in a great deal of trouble. None of our runs of the obstacle course have counted yet, and the one on the last day? It counts as double any of the rest

credit work after hours with Rafe and

at it.

can even get, or what

inside me. We are strong and

a mental hand over her fur, grateful for her

a private room! And invite our mates

and brushing her away, ignoring her

words.

she can’t stop thinking about our mates, I have to admit…the lure of the Academy itself? It’s starting

of course, that I get there. It just sounds amazing – you get sorted into a discipline, and then

strength for that the hours spent learning how to spy, or to craft

just like…everything I’ve always wanted to do and

Chapter is

a 5(th) at our meals, or at least stops by

teases me, and drops little hints about things that know. And I swear to god, one

believe he hasn’t already sense’s

–

me, and only me, even if

my mate as he reaches out to give Jesse and Ben high–fives. He offers one to Rafe, who just gives him

to look at him. And seriously,

I get this stupid smile on my face, and

stupid, ridiculous

I help it? He grins at me with that perfect face, his dimples flaring, his pretty brown eyes shining

and I’m unendingly attracted to him on a

back on her haunches

out and run my fingers through his

to keep my voice dry. “I noticed I kicked your ass in marksmanship. What,