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?”

“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

hold Luca’s gaze while he just stares at me, I think a little shocked to see the funny little Shrimp he’s gotten to

two talking

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

I know Rafe is right, and push to my feet, my hands shaking a little as I grab my tray. Rafe

quietly, glaring down at me, “the moment we get into the

look up at him, words on my lips ready to explain –

crinkling as I look up at

and 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

me at my brother’s confidence,

precisely what I needed to hear as I head into

Chapter 31

my fate.

Rafe both hugs and wish them good luck, knowing that I won’t see them

will surely change after this obstacle run – I don’t have

my name as part of 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

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 group of Academy professors in black waiting there, making us all stand in a straight line. I’m studying them, my eyes catching again on the handsome brown–haired professor who I noticed at the intelligence examination. Today, he holds a shiny black orb in his hands.

him further, I

start line of the obstacle course, kneeling down and messing with the tie of his boot of all the things. What the

place at the back of the line. Once I’m there, the professors begin to move slowly down the line, the handsome professor at the center handing the orb to each of us in turn and observing us carefully for a few seconds before taking it

as I do after the experience, but…I mean, nobody looks any worse for the

turn comes.

making notes on a clip board as the professor comes to stand in

me seriously

take the sphere in your hands, Clark. Nothing else

down at the glass ball. But no one answers me. As I stare at the orb, I realize that it’s not a solid ball of obsidian glass, but instead…clear glass, in which shadows swirl and pulse. I go still with surprise as I watch the black clouds, and as

you.

the professor says, and I jump a

and then I blush, because I feel a little ridiculous. I mean, I didn’t actually do him any favors. He smirks at me, looking me up and down before he moves with

still staring after him when someone barks my name

the other candidates are lined up at

L

falling in line, putting my hands on my left knee in a runners stance, ready to make a break for it when