The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 61

“McClintock?” Alvez says, smiling at Jackson. “Anything to report? I am particularly interested in the results of this pairing.”

“Why?” Rafe says, the word abrupt. All of our faces turn to brother, Tony leaning around Jackson to get a good look.

Alvez just raises his eyebrows.

“Why?” Rafe asks again, slinging an arm over the back of his chair. “What’s so special about the pairing between Clark and McClintock?”

“Because,” Alvez replies, even. “I have the sense that their magical affinities complement each other.”

Jackson goes rigid in his seat next to me, but I just turn my head, curious. What is this man up to.

“I know it seemed, perhaps, by chance how I paired you up in the last class and for your homework sessions, but the orb gives more than sense that you can do magic. It also gives a sense of what that magic might be.”

“What the hell,” Jesse says, frowning at our professor. “Why didn’t you tell us this last time? Wouldn’t it have been useful to know that whoever we were paired up with for homework was our best match? And, also, that you already know what we can do?”

“I don’t know what you can do,” Alvez corrects, his voice still calm and even though the rest of us are a little ruffled by the news. “I simply have a sense,” he says, gesturing back to the diagrams on the board, “of where your affinities might lay.”

“No, I’m with Sinclair,” Tony says, shaking his head at Alvez. “You should have told us this, if you already know. You expected a lot of honesty from us last class while withholding information.”

“I understand your point, and your objection,” Alvez says smoothly, nodding and looking around at each of us in turn. “But I do find that the results are better when students go into the first pairing with less information and more freedom to experiment. Everything here is

deliberate, planned. I would ask you to please trust me both as a person, and as your professor.”

narrow my eyes a little at this man, though, my wolf’s hackles raising. Because honestly, I’m not sure I do trust him. Tony is right he asks for a lot while holding his own cards

he’s

me, raising an eyebrow and perhaps reminding me of that leverage with the little smirk on his handsome mouth. I sigh, tom suddenly between my obligation to this man and my promise to

I can find a line to walk between the two.

yes,” I say, trying to channel Jackson’s energy and keep my voice as stony and expressionless as possible. “I melted the

excitement, but Jesse and Rafe – for whom this

marble?” Alvez says, emphasizing the first word with

marble together, but when it didn’t work, we both tried individual experiments. I didn’t tell him that I was trying to melt it, I just did it by myself. And

stoic at

Alvez says, smiling and looking between us. “And, it confirms the placement of your affinity along the lines reported by the orb, Clark. There is indeed an aspect of heat

little delighted to see this information come forward. Alvez stands then and moves towards the chalkboard, beginning to explain the complicated diagram which he has drawn out. He

blur, so fascinated am I by the lesson. Apparently, my magic is primarily sun magic, if it has something to do with heat. But what I can truly do with

lays out the details for us. “Why, then, were you excited to

and

the diagram. “I figured the Sun connection between the two of them would produce an interesting result. The whole system is a great metaphor

he gives me a steady nod, letting me

won’t.

I?”

spots on the diagram, “are heavy on

what that means,

him,