The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0391

"Get out," my father growls, taking a single menacing step towards the Atalaxian delegation. There's danger in every line of my father, and even our own people lean away at the sight of him. Dad - he really is the wolf incarnate, ready to leap across the room and destroy this man who has so casually threatened us with conqueset. "Gladly," Gibson murmurs, giving a little shrug. As one, all of the Atalaxians turn towards the door, pausing before they begin to march. And I realize, as I did last night, that all of this is rehearsed.

That they...they probably never came to Moon Valley intending to have peace talks.

That it was always about this - about learning more about where we stand and then this moment of telling us that they intend to destroy us, and that the assault starts now. Sure, they probably intended to do it after a humiliating defeat of our boxing champion - and we screwed them right over on that one- but still. Their intent is the same.

*The first assault comes in three days, Sinclair." Gibson says, smug, an eyebrow raised. "We will delay only not to insult the gods on Midwinter. But then... it begins. Get your armies - and your women-* and here his eyes move deliberately over my mother, my aunt, and then me, his disgust perfectly clear, "in order."

open as I watch them go, my mind working frantically to try to understand what this means for us, for

look up at Rafe, but he's looking towards my parents

action. I gasp slightly as everyone immediately begins to talk in harsh, worried turns, and many people begin to move into groups. My dad shouts

my mother there, her other hand wrapped around Juniper's. "Come," she says, immediately, her eyes

inhale sharply, frightened, but when I turn my face up and see that it's Jackson I feel an immediate sense of calm. He gives me a single nod and then another to my mother, beginning to cut a path through the people to the door to take us to our private

I protest, following Jackson even as I look back towards my father. "We should stay - we should help -" *Let him manage this, Ariel," my mom says, her voice at once

a little when I see that Jesse and Rafe go to my father's side,

defer to my mother-do as she says. As Jackson opens the door to the antechamber, waving our group through, I realize that it's bigger than I thought. That Luca is here, and Daphne, and Ben, and Markie, everyone looking as freaked out as I feel. When Cora comes through the door last, murmuring to leave it to the military minds, we walk as a tight group back into the hall and then

shut, the room rings with silence for a long, long moment, as we all