The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 34

I gape a little as we walk down the long, dark tunnel towards…

I mean, I don’t even know what we’re walking towards.

“Where are we going?” I ask Rafe, a little breathless with intrigue and excitement.

“Into the Academy,” he hisses back, like it’s a secret, but I know he’s kidding even before I glare up at him.

“Uniforms,” Jesse says smoothly, running a hand through his hair like he’s very suave. “We’ve got to get fitted, because Academy cadets always look good.”

“What?” I say, a little confused. “Honestly, that can’t be first –”

“His dad,” Rafe says, “the vainest man in the world –”

“Um, justifiably,” Jesse counters, grinning.

“Yeah, whatever,” Rafe says, grinning, “anyway, Uncle Roger really did decide that all of the cadets enrolled here need to look their best at all times. So, yeah,” he shrugs, “first thing is fittings for uniforms.”

“Whoa,” I say, and my awe is not simply for Uncle Roger’s semi–predictable flare for looking good, but also for the cavernous room we walk into next. Because, I mean, the tunnel was literally just that a tunnel, with rough walls and low lighting.

But this?

“Damn,” Luca says, a smirk on his face as he comes up next to Jesse. “Looks like this city boy has finally made it, haven’t I?‘

I nod as I stare around the room, with its three–story arching stone ceilings and polished floors. And I mean, this is the bottom of the castle, where I assumed the dungeons were. If this is here, what the hell is upstairs?

“This way,” Rafe says, tugging me along towards a line of professors waiting at a set of tables ahead of us, a set of boxes in front of them.

“Ah, Cadet Sinclair,” one of the professors says, smiling at Rafe as he steps forward. “Naturally we thought you’d be one of the first to appear, but now I see that you

Chapter 34

for…” he peers beyond Rafe and blinks a little at Ben and 1,

his best Prince

to your candidate apparel. Also within the box is your dorm information and key, the Cadet Handbook, and a map of

listening interestedly, and I jump a little when I

name.

I move eagerly towards him, seeing he has what I

hesitate because…I mean, he’s just staring at

look forward to seeing much, much

taught me to be sweet to anyone who says they look forward to seeing me again, but my reaction just makes his own smile deepen. And suddenly, as he holds my gaze, I get the sneaking suspicion that he knows….absolutely everything

much shakier ground here, and under a great deal more

straightening my shoulders, doing my best to be, I don’t know, masculine. “Thank you, sir,” I say seriously. “I’ll look forward to you seeing you, 100.”

clearly pleased and entertained, and nods

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their own boxes, my mind racing as I follow Rafe to the

is smaller and has walls covered in mirrors. I look around passively, my mind still reeling

and this brown–haired professor teach? They’re so different –

still in shock before

asks, coming to my side.

plain face with no makeup, my hair tucked expertly up below my cap, my baggy fatigues. “That’s what I look

across the room like I’m doing, his face bursting into a

boy, but I’m sure that I’m the smallest, wimpiest, most pink–cheeked little guy that’s ever walked

it in shock as she laughs a little too and waves me forward. I mean, it’s not like I recognize the voice or anything – it’s just….a girl. “A lot of guys have that reaction when they see themselves for the first time in

round platform in front of which she kneels on a little ottoman. “Come forward,” she says. “I’ll take your measurements, and we’ll have you looking dashing in a custom uniform before you know it.”

hesitate, realizing suddenly that this young woman

wants to touch

my form. And while my baggy candidate uniform conceals everything about my

SUN, LU Mar

Chapter 21

access to some

you’re shy, I can take