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?”

pretend I’m silly enough to not have bothered

just stares at me, I think a little shocked to

talking about?” Jesse asks, leaning forward,

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

as I grab my tray. Rafe waits patiently for Luca, Jesse, and Ben to

down at me, “the moment we get into the

look up at him, words

then I grin instead, my eyes crinkling as I look up at my brother. “Does that mean you think I’m going to get in?”

then stalks forward to deposit his empty tray, taking my full one from my hands 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 that stunt the moment we get inside,” he sighs, slinging an arm around my shoulders as we head for the gym, “I do think you’re going to pull it out. You’re

my

what I needed to hear as I head into the gym, ready to

Chapter 31

my fate.

enter the obstacles course in groups of ten according to our ranking, which means that Luca, Jesse and Rafe are invited in way 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

surely change after this obstacle run

Ben, who gives me a wink and a salute of good luck. I grin as I turn away from him, hoping to hell he

I walk with the group of ten through the entrance to the course, I’m a chagrined to see 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

before I can study him further, I do a bit of a

kneeling down and messing with the

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

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

turn comes.

Lieutenant says, making notes on a clip board as the professor comes to stand in front

looks me seriously in the eye.

sphere in your hands, Clark. Nothing else

instead…clear glass, in which shadows swirl and pulse.

you.

professor says, and I jump a little before handing the

I mean, I didn’t actually do him any favors. He smirks at me, looking me up and

after him when someone barks

other candidates are lined up at the start

L

putting my hands on my left knee in a runners stance, ready to make a