The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 92

“I’m not leaving you behind, Ari,” Jackson spits out, glaring at me like I’ve said something. horrible and ridiculous, like we should both throw ourselves off the cliff.

“I’m just slowing you down!” I say, throwing out my hands for emphasis. “Seriously, if you hadn’t back–tracked for me, you’d be like, finished now

“I didn’t backtrack for you,” he mutters, still staring at me, “I backtracked for

“Your mate, whatever,” I sigh, rolling my eyes. “Either way, it’s not fair. I’ll find my own way

the mountain, it will be fine.”

up

“It will not be fine,” he says, reaching out to grab my arm. “Do you think I want to do this without you!?”

“What?” I ask, suddenly baffled.

“Not…not this, Ari,” Jackson says, waving the map around at the darkening forest. “Not the Examination. I mean, the Academy. Do you think I’m not aware that you’re the only person who has been nice to me? That you’re you’re the only human connection I have at all?”

–

“But,” I frown at him, “Rafe and Jesse –”

“Are only friends with me because you make them be

“That’s not true, Jackson,” I whisper, turning to face him, desperate for him to believe me. “They like you for who you are sure, I was the start of it, but they really do –”

–

“Ari,” Jackson sighs, his shoulders slumping, “this isn’t the time for a pep talk. Just – I’m not leaving you behind, okay? I found you in the woods, for some reason – because you’re always weirdly around when I smell her scent – but…I’m not leaving you behind now, all right? There’re ways to do this, even if I have to drag you up the mountain myself.” He mutters the final words, looking back at the map, and a slow, terribly pleased smile creeps over my face.

Because my mate- he likes me. He’s my friend.

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Chapter 92

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of course your mate is supposed to like you as

and stepping close. “So, what

at me, hesitating. Not everyone can shift

“This will all be a lot easier if you can run as a wolf”

shift….I mean, the jig will instantly be up if I do. Jackson will take one whiff of my honey and clove scent in

of course, destroy his world and throw his attention off again when we both need to concentrate on getting

hoping desperately that it’s the right choice. “No,” I whisper, and my wolf howls within me to be denied the chance to run as well

and sliding it into his back pocket. “See what

him, letting him take the

the dark. He silently, almost passively watches out for me, pointing to tricky spots or turning to offer a hand when the terrain is particularly steep.

of the ravine and the start to the bridge next to it. Clearly, a group of cadets truly has set up something of a toll at the

around, interested. “Let’s get to higher ground,” he says, nodding upwards to a cliff above us. “I want

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Chapter 92

we’re up against

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all wolf. I do my best to follow, clinging to the rock and taking his patient hand when I need to. Twenty minutes later we’re about thirty feet in the air on a flat jut of rock about ten feet wide. I hesitate, wondering if it’s safe, but Jackson crouches casually on the edge, apparently

move close to him, wishing I moved in the

hanging out in a

whisper, wanting to know what the situation below looks at

that there are about ten cadets passed out to the side, my stomach turning to see a few of their legs twisted and broken, taken out

desperately that none of them are Ben, or Jesse, or Luca, or Rafe. But…no, it can’t be. Their stories at the Academy

pay attention. “What do you think, do we risk

many of them,” Jackson murmurs, shaking his head. “They’ll hold out overnight, hoping to take out more. Then, in the morning, they’ll shift and run. Maybe cut the

ask, fear curling in

nodding and pointing left along the trail, beyond the