The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 22

Jesse and I quietly pack our rucksacks over the next half hour while Rafe pitches a fit with the Lieutenants, insisting that he be allowed to transfer to my team or me to his. Jesse grimaces at me, shaking his head to let me know that he doesn’t think that it’s going to work.

I just sigh and roll my eyes at my cousin, communicating that I don’t even want it to work. I mean, it would be different if I was being sent out in the forest with Jackson – but I’m not. As far as I know? No one on my little team of five people wants me dead.

Eventually the Captain is called over and he has about four short words to say to Rafe before my brother scowls and stalks back to our bunks, grabbing Luca along the way and dragging him with

1. US.

“You,” Rafe snaps, shoving Luca to a stumbling stop before our bunks. “Are responsible for him.” He points a stark finger right at my face, his eyes still on Luca’s. “If Ari dies, you die. If he even gets a papercut, you get a papercut. Am I perfectly f**king clear?”

“Geeze,” Luca says, looking Rafe over with surprise and a little distaste as he runs a hand through his mussed hair. “Message taken, your Highness. I’d have done it anyway, all right? We’re friends.”

“You’d better f**king take this seriously –” Rafe leans in, just getting started, but Jesse cuts in smoothly.

“It’s so nice to have friends,” he says, looping an arm around Luca’s shoulders and grinning broadly at my brother. “Let’s not try to drive them all away today, right? Rafe?”

Rafe scowls, leaning back and realizing that he’s going a little overboard.

I sigh and shove Rafe’s pack into his arms. Jesse and I prepared it while he had his meltdown at the front of the barracks.

Rafe sighs and slings it over his shoulder, glancing at all of the candidates who are starting to filter to the front of the room. “Fine,” he snaps, turning to me. “You take care of yourself, all right? You know how to do this shit. Don’t let anyone boss you around or take advantage of you.”

“Right back at you, cousin,” I say, giving him a little glare – because as much as I love my brother, it’s getting a little embarrassing at this point.

Rafe shakes his head at me as I pull my own pack on my shoulders and turn towards the front door. And then as a foursome, we start to walk forward.

“Good luck out there,” Jesse says, his voice calm as he gives me a harmless little punch on my shoulder. “You’re going to kill it.”

“Don’t be too jealous when I take first.” I say, grinning at him. And then we reach the door, and Jesse and Rafe start towards their groups – Rafe giving me another anxious look before Jesse drags him

away.

Chapter 22

suddenly, it’s just

his deal with him?” Luca asks, frowning after Rafe. “He treats you like

that.” I sigh, staring after my big

kind of…a mascot.”

and I can’t help but burst into a grin when the full force of his smile hits me. “A mascot?”

“I’m the little spunky one. I get them all full of spirit and then send them out to kick ass while I cheer on the sidelines. All

I know we both ignore the tingles that run through us like…god. I don’t know, like twinkling starlight under my

our numbered van and taking me with him, “no sitting on the sidelines today. Do you know how to

say, underplaying my knowledge in case it turns out that I forget it all when we’re

“You teach me to start a fire, I’ll punch anyone who comes

with cold expressions. I blink, surprised – because while I don’t know any of their names? They

–

says the tallest a broadly built guy with dark hair and pale, pale him stand his

a little bit of wonder, my mouth falling open a bit. What the

is this?

–

hands on his waist, grinning at

granted, he

carries just the barest edge, “looks like our reputation,

you are.”

Luca’s face. A little bit of me is pleased

I’m ranked

Chapter 22

higher than you.”

do recognize the name – alongside my two mates,

the

giving Alan an

Gibson and Graham Wright.” Alan growls, and I quickly put together that the slightly shorter paie–skinned guy is related to Alan somehow, though I’m not sure it matters how. “And none of us are pleased with the way that your little pet here

a lot of stuff, but