The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 31

Jackson takes a long moment to size up Luca, I think feeling more comfortable with direct confrontation than small talk. “No secrets, Grant,” he says quietly. “Just genuinely f**king good at it.”

Luca’s smirk deepens. “At least you’re good for the grunt work,” he says quietly, and my spine straightens at the cruel edge to his words. “Even the military needs its brutes on the front line.”

The table goes quiet at the clear implication in Luca’s words. My eyes flick over Luca again, unsettled by this aggression.

“I seem to recall,” Jackson says slowly, carefully, “that I beat you out on the intelligence exam too, Grant.”

Jesse’s mouth forms into a scandalized, delighted little “o” as he looks eagerly between Jackson and Luca, and a scandalized little laugh stumbles from Ben’s mouth. Rafe and I are completely silent.

Luca just leans back in his chair and grins, flicking his eyes over Jackson like he knows he could take him.

Even though…honestly, he might be the only person at the table who believes that.

“Thanks for breakfast,” Jackson says, smoothly breaking the awkward silence and standing up from his chair.

“Stay,” I say, leaning forward, the word popping from my lips before I realize it.

“Nah, I’m finished, and I want to warm up,” Jackson says, pushing his chair in and looking towards the tray–bussing station. But before he goes, he flicks his blue gaze back to me and holds my eyes seriously. “But thank you for the invitation. No one…no one has asked me to eat with them yet. It means a lot.”

I stay still for a moment, captivated by his gaze, but then he just nods to me.

And I nod back.

And then he’s walking away.

“Ari, why the hell did you ask him to eat with us?” Rafe growls, leaning across the table to yell at me once Jackson’s out of earshot.

“Because I felt bad for him, Rafe,” I say, gesturing in Jackson’s direction. “Didn’t

– no one, for two whole weeks you hear what he just said

“And did you ever imagine,” Luca says, his voice dry, “that maybe there’s a reason why no one asked him to eat with them? Because he’s a dangerous jerk?”

me like I’m an idiot, Luca,” I say, my voice low. He blinks at me in surprise. “Don’t try to pretend I’m silly enough to not have bothered imagining why people might not like Jackson. But I also don’t imagine that most people have your particular reason for disliking him, okay? Just because you

think a little shocked to see

two talking about?” Jesse asks, leaning forward, fascinated.

snaps, standing up with his own tray and nodding up towards the clock. “No one’s talking about anything

know Rafe is right, and push to my feet, my hands shaking a little as I grab my tray. Rafe waits patiently for Luca, Jesse, and Ben to move ahead, falling in next to me as we walk to bus

glaring down at me, “the moment we get into the Academy. All right?”

look up at him, words on my lips

I grin instead, my eyes crinkling as I look up at my brother. “Does that mean you

putting it on the rack below his. “It does,” he says, his voice sure. “I believe in you, Ari. Even if I’m going to kick your ass for that stunt the moment we get inside,” he sighs, slinging an arm around my shoulders as we head for the gym, “I

wells in me at my

to hear as I head into

Chapter 31

my fate.

before Ben and I. I give Jesse and Rafe both hugs and wish them good luck, knowing that I won’t see them again until the ceremony in which the final rankings are announced. We’ll be allowed back in the barracks after the obstacle course, but just to grab our

a status which will surely change after this obstacle run – I

the next group of 10, I wave to Ben, who gives me a wink and a salute of good luck. I grin as I turn away from him, hoping to hell he makes it too – Ben, he’s become a good friend. It

that Graham Wright is part of my pack. But I sigh and just do my best to stand far away from him. As we pass through the door, I’m surprised to see a small

I do a bit of a double–take,

Jackson is there, at the start line of the obstacle course, kneeling down and messing with the tie

attention is pulled away from my mate. I shake my head to clear it and step into place at the back of the line. Once I’m there, the professors begin to move slowly

but…I mean, nobody looks any worse for

turn comes.

Ari Clark,” a Lieutenant says, making notes on a clip board as the professor comes to

the professor looks me seriously in the

hands, Clark. Nothing else

in which shadows swirl and pulse. I go still with surprise as I watch the black clouds, and as I stare I even see…little pulses of purple lightening flash through them, as thin as thread

you.

you,” the professor says, and I jump a

favors. He

when someone barks my name

all of the other candidates are lined up at the start of

L

on my left knee in a runners