Ch. 46..50: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 46-50

Chapter 46

Professor Alvez smiles like a cat who has just caught a canary. “Oh, excellent, Cadet Davis. Please, do share.”

The dark haired boy sighs again, crossing his arms over his chest as he looks around at us, clearly uncomfortable. “Are we sworn to secrecy in here?” he asks, anxious. “I’m not eager to share if this secret I’ve been keeping for twenty–two years is suddenly going to be public knowledge.”

“We are bound by our own rules in this classroom,” Alvez says, looking around at all of us. “If the six of us decide to swear each other to secrecy, then we will be. Thoughts?”

“I think that’s fair,” Rafe says, nodding solidly. “What happens between the six of us should be held in strict confidence.”

“And consequences?” Jackson asks, turning to look at Rafe. “If someone breaks the secrecy?”

We all turn, a little instinctually, to the professor. “Well,” Alvez says, his voice quiet, a little smile playing on his lips. “I am forbidden to offer corporeal punishment…” he murmurs.

I go still, staring him, and Rafe at my side does the same.

“A…little joke,” he says, laughing with a shrug. I relax a little, but I scowl. This professor – he’s almost too casual with his “little jokes.” He could have some sympathy for the fact that we’re all being asked to share our deepest secrets on the first day of school.

“But,” the professor continues, “what has worked in years past has been a jury by peer system. If someone violates the trust of the cohort, a complaint can be raised and we can decide together what punishment is fair. For the worst cases, expulsion could be on the table. Thoughts?”

I look between Rafe and Jesse, who both look at me. Together, we nod. “That works for us,” Rafe says, speaking for our little group.

“Convenient,” the dark–haired boy says, staring over at the three of us. “Considering your little cadre of three has the majority in any voting situation.”

Rafe just shrugs, holding his gaze, clearly telling him to deal with it.

Jackson, to my surprise, looks over at me. I meet his eyes evenly and nod once, no expression on my face as I ask him, without words, to trust us. He studies me for at long moment with those grey–blue eyes and then turns back to the professor. “I’ll agree to it,” he says.

Rafe turns to look at me, his face stony, because he’s very aware that Jackson – whether he knows it or not is turning towards me and seeking my opinion because he’s my mate. He exhales sharply through his nose, turning to the dark- haired boy across the room, and raises an eyebrow.

“Fine,” Davis says, hanging his head back on his neck as if exhausted. Then he, too, exhales a deep breath and speaks as he raises his head. “I can breathe underwater.”

Alvez’s face bursts into a grin as I gasp, leaning forward eagerly, because that is perhaps the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.

Jesse is just as excited as I am. “Really?” he says, grinning at Davis. “How the hell did you figure that out? Is there a time limit on it, or could you do it forever? Do your fingers still get all pruney if you stay under too long? How does –”

“Sinclair,” the Professor says, his voice tired, and Jesse laughs a little before snapping his mouth shut and leaning back in his chair with an apologetic shrug. He’s just excited, is all. “That’s incredible,

Davis,” the Professor says, smiling at him. “And likely to be useful in a variety of situations. Would you be willing to demonstrate at the next meeting, if I can arrange it?”

Davis sighs again but then nods sharply before turning to glare at all of us.

“Thanks for telling us, man,” Jesse says, giving Davis a warm smile. “You can trust us, though,” he says, gesturing to me and Rafe as well. “We’re not going to tell anyone.”

For the first time, a little smile comes to the other cadet’s face. “You can call me Tony,” he says quietly. And Jesse nods, his grin deepening, and I’m grateful again for my charming, friendly, thoughtful cousin who always knows how to make everyone feel comfortable. Warmth runs through me, and I’m reminded again how grateful I am to have him in my

life.

“Anyone else?” Alvez says, looking eagerly around at us.

The other four are silent before Rafe looses a tense breath. “We’re not holding anything back,” he says, his voice solid. “We just…don’t know. Our mothers have magic and they told us that we will have magic some day,” he says, gesturing towards himself and Jesse, “but it hasn’t manifested yet.”

“Not uncommon,” Alvez says, his voice encouraging. “And, the cousin?” he says, turning to me.

I blink a little, because of course my story is the same as theirs. But I’m not supposed to have a magic mother, am I? I say the first thing that comes to mind, hoping it’s plausible. “This is all a surprise to me,” I say with a shrug. “I mean, I knew they had pending magic, but I had no idea I did too. Pretty cool, I guess, that I get to be part of the club.”

Rafe smiles at me, nodding, letting me know I’ve done well. I smile back.

“My situation is the same,” Jackson chimes in, tense. “Surprised to be here. No magical family line to speak of. Are you sure I’m in the right place?”

“Oh, I’m sure, McClintock,” Alvez says, leaning forward to smile at him. And, is it just me? Or does that smile look almost…greedy? “Your reading was particularly vivid.”

Jackson scowls, looking at the floor.

“So, what do we do?” Tony says, his arms still crossed as he slumps in his chair. “Like what is this class about? I already know how to use my magic – what am I supposed to learn? Are there like, textbooks…”

“No texts,” Alvez quips, stretching his arms over his head. “Instead, we will spend our time nurturing each of your gifts where they are. For those whose magics have yet to manifest, we’ll spend some time attempting to coax them forward. For you, Davis, we’ll work to push your gift to explore its extremes, see if any other details reveal themselves. Then, in future months or years – assuming that you pass the Examination –” he pauses a moment, looking significantly around at all of us, “we will begin to consider how to use your magic on a battlefield or in other ways to aid the nation.”

I take a moment to smack Rafe on the arm, mouthing “Examination!?” to him and knitting my brows to show my displeasure that he didn’t tell me about this. Rafe just flaps a hand at me, dismissing my concern for now.

“All right!” Alvez says, clapping his hands together and hopping down from the desk. “Step one for this program is getting your magics to manifest themselves, and in my previous experience directing this program I have found that magic. does indeed call to magic. As such, we will now pair off in a trust exercise to see if anything…stirs. As you three,” he says, turning to us, “have been around each other for years with no results, let’s try engagement with someone new.”

Rafe sends an anxious glance my way but I just roll my eyes at him, willing him to stop hovering over me like a mother hen. As he turns away, though, I realize that his anxiety is not misplaced – because Jackson and I, we have been having physical reactions to each other that I now consider might be a result of our both having magic.

That pulse that moves through the air whenever I touch him with my hands? Is that….something?

“Let’s have Rafe with Tony, please?” Alvez says, interrupting my train of thought and gesturing for Rafe to cross the room to stand with Tony, who rises from his chair.

“And Jackson with Jesse?” Alvez says next. My heart sinks a little because I’m alone

the odd “man” out. Do I not get to experiment today?

“I’ll pair with you, Clark,” Alvez says as he takes three marbles out of his pocket and places one on a desk in front of Rafe and Tony and then another before Jesse and. Jackson. Anxiety twists in my stomach as Alvez slowly approaches me, because… something in the way that he walks, he smiles at me.

I’m again reminded of a cat, and not the sweet kittenish type.

No, an eager, hungry cat who has just found a mouse he wants to play with.

—

Alvez stops in front of me, placing a marble against our desk in front of us. “You should each find a form of physical contact you feel comfortable with skin to skin is best. And then, together, you should attempt to access your magics, using it together to attempt to move the marble – either floating it in the air, pushing it from the desk or…I don’t know. Exploding it. Whatever feels natural.”

“This isn’t going to work for me,” Tony says immediately, glaring a little. “I can’t take the marble under water and breathe it in.

“Humor me, Davis,” Alvez says, stepping close to my side. “Your goal today is to

help Rafe Sinclair discover his magics. Be a pal. You’re a team, after all.”

The four others in the room hesitate for a moment, but then turn to each other, beginning to discuss – I guess what it is they want to do.

“Hand to hand?” Alvez says, turning to me and speaking softly, almost intimately in my ear.

“Um, sure?” I say, anxiety racing through me as he raises his hand.

My wolf shifts from paw to paw, wary, as I raise my own hand and press the back of it to the back of the professor’s hand. I don’t trust him, she murmurs to me,

anxious.

Me neither. I murmur back.

But there’s no time to think on it now.

“Oh, come on,” Alvez says, smiling wickedly at me and turning his hand to grasp mine, interlacing our fingers. “After all, it’s not every day a man gets a chance to take the hand of a princess, is it?‘

Every drop of blood drains from my face.

Chapter 47

My eyes immediately dart to Rafe and Jesse across the room, but they’re caught up in their conversations with Jackson and Tony.

“No no,” Aivez says, his voice soft and pleased. “Don’t shout for your brother, Ariel. That would be a poor choice.”

I turn my eyes back to the professor as, inside me, my wolf’s hackles raise.

“Don’t misunderstand – I am excited that you are here, highness,” Alvez murmurs, giving my hand a little squeeze. “I’m looking forward to working with you, developing your powers. But, of course, if anyone were to discover that I knew that a young woman had infiltrated the academy…I would lose my job.”

I stare at him, instantly realizing the trap that he’s laid for me here. If I reveal to anyone that he knows who I am even my brothers – he’ll have me expelled, even

if it means he goes too.

“Mutually assured destruction,” he murmurs, seeing me process the consequences. “So, I think it’s best that the two of us work together, don’t you? Trust, after all,” he says, his voice low and luxurious, “is the foundation of any great relationship.”

“Fine,” I say, my word hardly a whisper as I nod. “Please just…don’t…”

“Ariel,” he murmurs, moving closer, his eyes slowly drifting over my face. “Your secret is safe with me.”

I exhale slowly.

“But,” he continues, “you could thank me for my generosity.”

“Thank you,” I say instantly, the words falling from my mouth, and the way that he grins…

Instantly I realize how under his thumb I am.

How much he likes forcing my hand, making me his little puppet.

“You are welcome, my Princess,” he purrs. Alvez takes another moment to stare into my eyes before turning to look at the marble, his entire demeanor changing in an instant. I stare at him, shocked a little to see that he is again the mind- mannered professor. “Now,” he says, grinning. “I’ll do my best to push my power

towards you. What do you think, should we try to levitate it? Or push?”

“Um,” I reply, still staring at him, a little shocked.

“Let’s try push.” he says, glancing at me with a friendly grin. “Concentrate now, Clark. See what you can do.”

I stare at him for a moment longer, still rattled by his revelation and the way that he took control. But then I loose my breath and concentrate because…what else am I going to do?

Any way this turns, if I do anything at all beyond what he says, I’m kicked out of school. So…I comply and focus on the marble in front of me.

To my surprise, my hand where it’s clasped in Alvez’s begins to heat – and more than the usual body heat produced by two people holding hands. I flinch a little, turning towards him.

“Nooo,” he murmurs, giving my hand a squeeze. “It’s totally normal – don’t get distracted. Concentrate, Clark.”

I turn my attention back to the marble, and I do willing it first to lift, and then to move, and then to…I don’t know, do anything.

My whole body is sweating after about fifteen minutes of concentration, but then Alvez sighs and drops my hand. “It was good work, Clark,” he says, smiling at me with encouragement as he claps me on the shoulder. “It may just be that our particular magics do not speak to each other. Shall we switch it up?”

Alvez claps his hands in the air and asks for results, but when no one reports any ability to make the marble do anything at all, he just sighs and puts us in new couples.

I’m with Tony this time, who gives me a friendly nod. “Hands okay?” he asks, offering his.

“Sure,” I say, taking it. It’s completely different this time, and a coolness rushes through me as Tony and I stand for a long, long time looking at the marble before me. After awhile I find myself almost in a… meditative state. I’m calm, and relaxed, and honestly I feel like I’m almost…floating. All of the heat which resulted from my experience with Alvez is wiped from me, replaced by utter calm.

I jump when Alvez again claps his hands – because, how long was that? It felt like

about three minutes….

But as I glance at the clock, I realize that about half an hour has passed. I gape.

“Any results?” Alvez calls out to us, and Rafe begins to murmur something about. the marble maybe moving a little bit as I look up at Tony in surprise.

He blinks down at me, a smile on his lips, and I instantly grin as I realize that his experience, somehow, matched my own. “I kind of forgot about the marble,” I say, smiling up at him.

Tony laughs. “Me too, but…”

“That was cool wasn’t it!?”

“I feel like I’ve been at the spa all day,” he whispers back, laughing more now with the joy of it. “I’m so cozy, warm in my soul. I’m so fucking relaxed.”

“I know! I –”

“Results?” Alvez says, pitching his voice louder to interrupt us. Tony and I both turn to him and when Alvez flicks his eyes down to our still–joined hands, I blush a little and pull my hand away.

“The marble didn’t move,” I say, my voice solid. Tony looks down at me, perhaps wondering why I’m not sharing more, but I just stand straight and don’t look at him, hoping he holds his tongue.

Good, my wolf says, though she’s laying languidly in my soul now, her eyes half- lidded in her relaxation. Let’s not tell the professor anything until we know more about what he wants.

I nod, agreeing with her.

“Shame,” Alvez says, quirking his head to the side. Then he looks up at the clock. “We are out of time,” he says with a little chagrin. “For homework, I’d like each of you to get into your last pairing and try again for longer this time. At least a full hour. Come to our class in two days ready to report your results. Sinclair? Please come over here to arrange a time to meet with me privately.”

Alvez nods around to us before moving to his desk, starting to pack up his bag as Rafe approaches to arrange a time.

My eyes immediately move to Jackson, who turns to me.

Because he’s the only one who’s left.

Tony leaves my side, heading for Jesse as Jackson slowly moves over. I have to crane my head back on my neck to look up at him as he moves close.

“I’m glad to see you made it into the Academy,” Jackson says quietly, his voice gruff as he stares down at me, his expression stony and unkind.

I can’t help it, I burst into a grin and laugh, just a little bit.

“What?” he asks, frowning now, confused.

“You just said something really nice,” I answer quietly, shrugging one shoulder, “even though your tone and your expression still say you want to rip me to shreds.”

Jackson flinches back a little and stares at me. “Wait, really?” he asks.

4. 4.

“Yeah,” I say, laughing a little more now. “Are you now aware of it? The fact that you’ve got like, murder in your eyes pretty much all the time?”

“Oh my god,” he murmurs, dropping his head and scraping a calloused hand down the length of his face. “No, I guess I wasn’t.”

“Well, I’m glad I’m here too,” I say quietly, more serious now. “And thank you for

“Don’t mention it,” he murmurs, and as he glances around I realize that it’s as much a desire for secrecy as it is a downplaying of his generosity in the obstacle course. “So, we have to…”

“Yeah,” I say, clearing my throat a little awkwardly. “Um, do you want to come up to our room for dinner? You could eat with us and then…” I reach out and grab the little marble still sitting on the desk. “Try to blow this to smithereens, or whatever.”

Jackson smirks at me and glances over his shoulder towards Jesse and Rafe.“Yeah, Jackson,” Jesse says, and I smile as he appears at Jackson’s side, holding my

Chemistry textbook out to me. “Come to dinner – you can have your food sent up with ours.”

From the other side of the room, I hear Rafe groan as he hears the invitation.

“Ignore him,” I say, stepping closer to Jackson and shaking my head as I look up into his face. “He’s being a dick. Seriously, come!”

“I’ll think about it,” Jackson says, glancing over his shoulder at the crown Prince who so clearly doesn’t want him to do that. “If not, I’ll send word about my schedule. See if we can’t make a time to meet.”

“Okay,” I say with a shrug, taking my books from Jesse and smiling up at my mate, kind of unable to help it. Because…honestly, I’m not scared of him at all anymore, even if I probably should be. After his apology in the bathroom, and then how he helped me?

I don’t know. I’m starting to realize that there’s more to Jackson than just his gruff surface.

For a second, my mind flashes to Luca –

But I push it away, not letting myself go there.

Jackson nods to me and Jesse, not bothering to say any other words of goodbye as he grabs his satchel and heads from the door.

“He’s not all bad, that one,” Jesse says, considering Jackson as he disappears. “Even if he is mildly terrifying even at the best of times.”

“I agree,” I say, contemplative. Jesse just grins at me and nods towards the door, where Rafe is waiting at Alvez’s side, Alvez patiently holding the key to the classroom in his hands.

“Good luck!” Alvez says to the three of us cheerfully as we move through the door. “Rafe, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Jesse, Ari, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need anything.”

–

We murmur our thanks to our professor, turning away –

And honestly, I thought it was all finished, until I feel fingers trace down the length of my spine as I turn away.

Chapter 48

My eyes go wide as I gasp, spinning to see Alvez walking down the hall, completely nonchalant. But that was no ghost, sneaking an intimate touch when my brother’s back was turned.

“What is it?” Rafe asks, turning towards me.

“Sorry, I uh–just saw a spider,” 1 murmur. “Really big one.”

“Gross,” Jesse says, a shiver running through him. I grin at him, because Jesse hates spiders.

“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Rafe says, nodding towards the elevator at the end of the hall. “Ari and I have to have a chat after all.”

“Really?” Jesse gasps as we step into the elevator. “What about!? Do I get to come. too?”

“No,” Rafe says, slinging an arm around my shoulders and glaring over at our cousin. “Siblings only for this one.”

Jesse hangs his head back as the elevator lifts us swiftly into the air. “That’s so unfair,” he groans. “Come on, I’m basically a sibling – our dads our brothers, our moms are sisters! Genetically, I’m pretty much the same

“Don’t be weird,” Rafe says, glancing over at Jesse with his brows knit as the elevator door opens and we start down the hall.

Jesse continues to complain all the way into the room but Rafe ignores him and I laugh, because Jesse can be such a baby when he doesn’t get his way. But eventually Jesse flops, defeated and depressed

to be deprived of the gossip, onto his bed as Rafe pushes me towards the bathroom.

“Rafe, you can pee alone,” I mutter, tossing my chemistry book onto my bed as I

1. go.

“This is about secrecy not bodily functions,” he murmurs, shutting the door behind him and leaning back on it. “Which I’d think would be something you appreciated, considering this is a conversation about your mate. So?” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Spill.”

I sigh, closing the lid to the toilet and sitting down on it, taking off my cap and

taking a moment to massage my sore scalp under its tight braid. Rafe listens quietly and carefully as I tell him everything about Jackson about his apology in the bathroom that allowed me to see a different side of him, my impulsive invitation to breakfast, and then about his waiting to go into his obstacle course. with me, and the hint and the help he gave.

By the end, Rafe looks more contemplative than angry, which is probably a good thing. “So,” he says, looking studiously down at the floor with his brows drawn, “do you think he’s like…figured it out? That he’s helping you because he knows you’re his mate?”

“No,” I say, thoughtful as I lean back against the toilet tank. “I mean, anything is possible, and I think he’s being nice to me because he does sense a connection. between us. But I think that if he knew I was his mate, he wouldn’t just…let it pass.”

Rafe’s quiet for a minute before he sinks to the floor a bit. “It’s all just so weird, Ari,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “I don’t know how to navigate any of this.”

“You’re telling me,” I say, but I smile at my brother because it feels nice to be able to talk to him about it.

“It’s just, you have a right to get to know your mate,” he murmurs, “that’s important. But there’s so much at risk. And he did seriously try to hurt you, which makes me very wary to let him into our little circle of trust…”

“I think you have to try, Rafe,” I say quietly. “I don’t think he’s going to try to hurt me again. Honestly, if anything, it feels like his instincts are swinging in the other direction, and he might be following them.”

“So like, even if he doesn’t know he’s your mate, he’s got some impulse to protect you?” Rafe asks, looking up at me. “I mean, that makes sense…the way dad protects mom feels just like a part of who he is.”

A little anxiety stirs in me at the comparison to dad and mom – because they feel just so right together.

And Jackson? I…just met him.

And Luca?

They’re both important, my wolf says, prancing gleefully at the thought of them. And very good looking.

12.02

Tu Mar

Easy for you to say, I murmur, swatting her playfully in the rump. She spins in a circle and then trots off, spirits high.

“All right,” Rafe sighs, hanging his head a little with a big sigh. “I’ll try to be nicer. Though it will not be easy.”

I smile, starting to thank him, but a knock comes out the door.

“Go pee somewhere else, Jesse,” Rafe says, his voice exhausted.

“Thanks so much for the advice, Rafe,” Jesse replies, dry, “but actually our uniforms are here.”

“Oh!” I say, standing up and eagerly pulling on my cap. Rafe gets to his feet too, but his eyes move immediately to the shower.

“Will you get mine?” he asks, heading for it. “I want to take a minute to myself.”

“Sure,” I say, grinning at him and heading for the door, eager to see what the seamstress did to my uniform to make it fit better. Rafe starts to strip off his shirt as I pull the door open, but I’m a little shocked to see Jesse standing right there, waiting for me.

He grabs me by the wrist and tugs me out of the bathroom, snicking the door shut behind me. “You have a guest, Mr. Clark,” he says, his voice half devious and half angry. “Who is asking for you in particular.”

My eyes go wide as I follow Jesse’s gesturing hand towards there door, where I burst into a grin to see the seamstress here in the flesh, a black box in her hands.

“Oh, hi!” I shout, scurrying over, excited.”Hi!” she says, beaming at me, “I’m so happy to see you! I made some modifications, but, um…” her eyes drift over to Jesse as she bites her lip.

“Oh, don’t worry about him,” I say, flapping a hand in his direction as I take the box from her hands and head for my nook. “Come over here! Thank you so much for bringing these up yourself! What’s your name? I’m Ariel –

“Ariel!” Jesse gasps, horrified, and both the seamstress and I stop short in our tracks, our eyes going to him.

“Oh, sorry,” I say, grimacing at my cousin a little as I resume my steps. “I forgot to tell you, Jesse

she kind of…figured it out yesterday.”

A slow smile spreads on the seamstress’s face as she looks between my cousin and me. “Oh, a secret within a secret, is it? I love those.”

“Ari,” Jesse groans, covering his face with his hands and turning away from me, his—- shoulders shaking a little bit. “You can’t do this shit to me and are you serious!? Someone else figured it out!?”

“Who else knows?” the seamstress asks, stepping closer to me as I put the box on my bed and start to unpack it.

“Just my brother, obviously, and our friend Ben,” I say with a shrug, smiling at her. “Though he had less direct evidence than you

“Ariel!” Jesse snaps, storming over to us, “stop telling her shit! We have no idea who

this woman is!”

“Jesse!” I scold, glaring at him. “You’re being very rude to our guest, and obviously she is trustworthy – she would have told someone by now if she was going to! And she wouldn’t have taken such time to make modifications to my outfit! Thank you for those, by the way,” I say, turning my smile on her again.

“You’re welcome,” she replies, sketching a little bow with a half smile on her face, though she does glance anxiously back at my cousin.

Jesse sighs and narrows his eyes at the young woman, crossing his arms and looking her up and down. “While my cousin has a point,” he says, frustrated, “I would like some further assurances that

you can be trusted, ma’am.”

“Oh?” she says, and I blink a little as the seamstress tucks her hands coyly behind her back and raises her chin at Jesse, stepping closer. “And what kind of assurances would you like, sir?”

I go a bit still as I watch them.

“Well,” he murmurs, his voice deepening as he looks down at her. “Your personal information, to start. As well as any leverage you’d like to hand over so that I can exact revenge if you blow my cousin’s cover.”

“Leverage, highness?” she says, a little smirk forming on her lips. “Why, we’ve just met. Don’t you think you need to earn something like that?”

Jesse laughs a little, his eyes focused on hers, and my jaw drops when I see him. take a step closer, barely a hand’s breadth between them now. Because they are

flirting.

“Earn it, claim it,” Jesse murmurs, raising a bold hand and twisting a stray curl of her auburn hair around his finger before tucking it back behind her ear. “Either way, we can start with your number, unless we’re supposed to use messenger pigeons to contact people in this dank castle –”

“Oh my god,” I burst out, staring between them. “Jesse!” I step forward and smack him, hard, on the arm. “Would you stop!?”

“Ari!” he shouts, laughing and taking a step away. “I am working here to protect

you

–

“Oh, you so are not,” I growl, stepping in front of the seamstress. “There is one girl in this whole castle who knows about my secret, and I’d quite like her to be my friend, so if you can please stop hitting on her

Jesse’s mouth drops open at my accusation and the seamstress, behind me, bursts out laughing.

“It’s all right, Ari,” she says, putting a hand on my arm and turning me towards her. “I’m pretty much the only young woman working in this castle – I know how to handle myself around these boys.” I grin at her as she rolls her eyes.

Chapter 49

“Okay, the question of boys aside,” Jesse says, clearly rankled by the diminutive appellation as he steps forward again, “seriously, can we trust you? This is…not a small secret.”

“I swear it,” the seamstress says, her eyebrows going up and her face sincere. “Beyond the fact that I will absolutely lose this job if anyone figures out that I kept this secret, I think it’s really cool that there’s finally a girl in the ranks. Plus,” she grins at me and gives me a shy little shrug, “I liked you immediately. And I, too, could use a friend. Gets lonely in this castle.”

“See?” I say, linking arms with her and turning to pout at Jesse. “We’re lonely, Jess. Are you going to deny us friendship?”

Jesse groans, tilting his head back and covering his face with his hands, but I just turn to smile at the girl.

“I’m Daphne,” she says, offering her hand, which I shake. “And I swear, I won’t tell anyone, ever. I want to help.”

“I’m Ariel,” I say in turn, though clearly she already knows that. “And thank you, seriously.”

“Anytime!” she says as Jesse takes a deep breath and drops his hands from his face. “Let me show you what I did –”

– a

Daphne quickly walks me through the details of my uniform modifications wider waist, more breathing room in the chest and the little sports bra that she quickly sewed for me, which she designed to flatten my already–smallish chest as much as possible.

“I’ll make you more of these,” she says, grinning at me, “as well as send you up any women’s products that you need, whenever you need them. Just send me a little note saying you popped a seam, I’ll figure it out.”

I beam at her and impulsively throw my arms around her in a hug, pleased and grateful. “You’re the best, Daphne,” I murmur. “Can you stay for dinner? There will be plenty of food,” I say, pulling back. But then I roll my eyes. “But also, many more boys.”

“That’s all right,” she says, shaking her head, her pretty blue eyes sparkling. “But,

maybe I can come up later in the week on my day off? And we could…hang out?”

“Yes!” I say instantly nodding and feeling a bit sorry when I see the hope that swells in her eyes. This poor girl she’s probably even more starved for female company

than I am.

“We’ll be glad to see you,” Jesse says, his calm returned now as he slips his hands into his pockets and again steps close to Daphne, smiling down at her. “Though, try to come with it’s just us Sinclairs here in the room,” he murmurs. “We like to keep our secret close.”

“Or,” Daphne says, turning her head, again coy. “Do you just not want to share me with the other boys?”

“Well, why would you want to see them anyway?” Jesse asks, a subtle twist to his lips. “When you could hang out with a duke?”

Laugher bursts from me at the gall of him at this moment and I just shake my head, turning away. God, a few minutes ago I’d honestly thought Jesse was doing a good job of flirting with Daphne, but with that

line

“Oh, a Duke?” Daphne says, her eyes wide and innocent. “Is that supposed to be impressive?”

Jesse blinks at her, but as I watch his smile grow I realize that he likes that she’s actually pushing back. “Isn’t it?” he asks, boldly taking another step closer, “It’s not every day you meet a duke.”

“Well,” she says, hesitating and glancing towards the bathroom, “isn’t there a Prince just behind that door?”

I burst into delighted laughter again, doubling over and putting my hands in my knees at the way Jesse’s mouth pops open in surprise.

Daphne grins too, smiling up at him, pleased as punch to have gotten the better of him. And Jesse, to his credit, laughs as well.

“I have to get back,” Daphne says, reaching out to me for a hug – which I give her – before she heads for the door. “Ari, I’ll be in touch. And, your grace,” she puts deliberate emphasis on his royal title as she smiles pulls the door open, “it was so nice meeting you.”

“Bye, Daphne!” I call as she leaves, but then I instantly spin to grin up at Jesse.

“Ohhh she got you!” I say, pointing a delighted finger up into his face. “You are so embarrassed!”

“I am not,” he says, still smiling and smacking my finger away. “Come on, you have a workout to do before dinner.”

“What?”

“Seriously!” he laughs, shoving me between the shoulders towards the door.

“Didn’t you hear about the Examination at the end of term? We’ve got to keep you fit if we want to keep you around, little Princess!”

“You just want to keep me around so Daphne keeps coming around,” I accuse, glaring at him over the shoulder as I drag my feet towards the door. Honestly, I thought my day was over and I could relax.

“Nah, I like you for you,” Jesse says, smiling at me as we pass through the door and head for the elevator. “Though I do admit, the seamstress could be an unforeseen perk.”

“You stay away from my friend,” I snap as we climb back into the elevator.

“Absolutely not,” he says, his voice deadpan as the doors shut and we head down, down, down to the ground floor.

I’m still panting and gross with sweat an hour and a half later when Jesse and I get back to the room, me stumbling in exhausted and him casually strolling as if we did nothing more than take an evening walk.

We leave the door open in case any other cadets want to come by and say hello, introduce themselves or whatever.“Hey!” Rafe shouts from the couch, where Ben and Luca are already sitting. Rafe glances up at the clock. “You’re pushing it close to dinner time,” he says, curious.

“Well, Shrimpy here just needs to get faster, doesn’t he?” Jesse says, grinning at me and shoving me towards the bathroom, letting me subtly know that I can take first shower.

–

I rush towards it, blushing a little – as ridiculous as it is for Luca to see me all red and sweaty.

I take my time in the shower because while I’m in it my mind returns, perhaps. inevitably, to the way Luca’s face looked at breakfast this morning – his absolute shock at the realization that not only are our midnight dream meetings real, but that in the end I tried to keep that from him.

But eventually my growling stomach forces my hand, and I towel off and pull my new uniform on- chic and fitted, as promised – before braiding my hair up and tucking my cap onto my head.

When I open the bathroom door, I almost moan at the scent of foot that immediately floods my nose.

“Seriously, Ari,” Rafe says, glancing up at me. “I had to basically fight these guys to keep them away from your serving. What took you so long?”

“Just tired,” I murmur, heading to what is clearly becoming my little corner of the couch – a place which is, fortunately or unfortunately, right next to Luca. My attention immediately goes to the food in front of me – roasted chicken all wrapped up in soft flat bread, spread with spicy sauce and topped with crispy vegetables.

I dig in with gusto.

As I eat, the boys continue their conversation around me, everyone filling in the details of their day. Ben is chattiest, and while I am interested in the details of his program (which sounds almost as rigorous as mine), I do not miss the fact that Luca is noticeably silent and still moody, like he was this morning.

But I don’t look up at him, simply concentrating on my food.

“Actually, Luca,” Ben says, and I lift my head to see him turning to my mate from his spot on the floor. “I was practicing those punch combos you showed me earlier, but my shoulder is tweaking after like ten of them. Can you show me if I’m doing them right?”

“I actually hurt my arm in workout this morning, Ben,” Luca says, frowning at him with true apology on his face. “Maybe Rafe could take a look? He can throw a punch almost as well as I can.

Luca glances over at my brother, who smirks at him before nodding eagerly to Ben. The two stand up and move to the center of the room behind the couch, where there’s more space. My stomach twists with anxiety as I hear them get

started, Rafe directing Ben to lift his fists and show him what he’s got.

“All right,” Jesse says with a sigh as he pushes himself up from the chair. “Time for

my

Oh no, my wolf says, raising her snout as my eyes dart between Luca and Jesse’s retreating form. Say anything! Get him to stay here!

“Wait, Jesse,” I say, and he pauses, turning to look at me. “Um,” I say, glancing around for an excuse for him to stay but coming up with absolutely nothing. “Don’t you want to…finish…dinner?”

“I ate enough for both of us, Ari,” he says, gesturing towards my unfinished plate. “You should worry about yourself before me.”

Ohhhh nooo my wolf moans as I watch my cousin disappear into the bathroom, dread pooling in me.

“What is it, Shrimp,” Luca says, his voice soft as he turns to me. I sink back into the corner of the couch. “Don’t want to sit alone with me? Don’t want to have a nice little one–on–one chat?”

“Um,” I say, my eyes going wide as his narrow.

And then I gasp as, quicker than I can see, Luca ducks below the high back of the couch and snaps his hand out, grabbing the front of my uniform and pulling me so close that there’s barely a few inches between our faces.

“What the f**k is going on, Ari!?” he growls, his face livid.

I stare at him, my eyes wide, but before I can bluster out some kind of excuse or apology or protest, a hesitant voice rings out from the door.

“Sorry,” it says, and I spin around in shock to see Jackson standing at the open door, his hands sunk into his pockets. “Am I…interrupting something?”

Chapter 50

Luca freezes for a moment before scowling at me and dropping his hand from my shirt, crossing his arms over his chest before he sinks back into the couch cushions, glowering.

“No!” I say, throwing myself over the arm of the couch and stumbling my way to the door, my face still pale from my shock. “Um, sorry it’s good to see you, Jackson! I’m glad you could come.”

I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see Ben and Rafe coming over. Luca, perhaps predictably, stays on the couch, though he’s moved to lean against the far arm of it so that he can watch the goings–on at the door, his arms still crossed.

“You’ve got a really nice setup here,” Jackson says, his eyebrows raised as he looks around the room.

“Thank you,” Rafe responds, reaching out a hand. I see the corner of Jackson’s mouth twitch upwards at Rafe’s relative warmth as he shakes my brother’s hand. But it’s gone in a flash. “Where is your room located?” Rafe asks.

“I’m closer to this guy,” he says, nodding to Ben.

“Really?” Ben asks, surprised.

“I’m four doors down,” Jackson says, leaning against our doorway. Ben looks even more surprised now, perhaps wondering if Jackson is just very perceptive? Or if he, Ben, hasn’t been perceptive enough..

“You’re letting a draft in,” Luca calls from his place on the couch. “Maybe it’s time. to shut the door.”

A little shocked, I glare at him over my shoulder, because the door has been open for hours. “Would you like to come in?” I say to Jackson, gesturing towards the room. “We don’t have any food left, but…”

“That’s okay,” Jackson says, nodding at me and pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “I just came to give you a copy of my schedule. Maybe you could tell me a time, tomorrow, when we could meet for the homework?”

“Come to dinner tomorrow,” Rafe offers instantly. “Ari really doesn’t leave the room much. He’ll be here all night. I’m sure you can find a quiet space to work.”

I turn slowly to glare at my brother, but sigh when he just glares back. He is definitely not going to let me go galivanting around in the castle alone with my

mate.

“Yes, Jackson,” I say, taking the schedule from his hands anyway. “Please, come for

dinner.”

“All right,” he says slowly, frowning as he looks between Rafe and me, probably wondering about our weird over–protective cousin relationship. “See you tomorrow, then.”

“Bye!” Luca shouts from behind us, his word harsh and obviously making I clear that he wants Jackson gone now.

I roll my eyes, but keep my focus on Jackson. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks for this,” I hold up the now–useless schedule in my hand.

“You’re welcome,” he says, nodding to me before moving away. I smirk a little as he goes, thinking he needs to work a bit on his pleasant good–byes.

Rafe doesn’t say anything as he moves away from the door, heading back to the center of the room and gesturing for Ben. But Ben pauses, frowning at Luca.

“Why are you so rude to him?” he asks. “What did he ever do to you?”

“Dude’s got bad vibes,” Luca says, scowling. “I don’t trust him.”

“You’re the one with bad vibes tonight,” Ben says, frowning at Luca, whose jaw drops open, probably surprised that Ben – who he could take out with a single punch – is calling him out for bad behavior. But I just sigh as Ben walks away to go work with Rafe more.

I settle in on the couch across from Luca and glare at him a little.

“Ben’s right, you know,” I say, keeping my voice soft. “You have been in a mood all day, and you’ve been taking it out on everyone else. Get your shit together.”

“Get my “Luca sputters, leaning forward to glare at me. “Get my shit together!? Are you kidding me, Ari!?”

My scowl deepens as I narrow my eyes. “This is weird for me too, you know!” I hiss leaning forward, admitting for the first time in person – however tacitly that the dream state really is real.

Luca groans and presses his eyes shut, gritting his teeth, his whole body going tense. I kick him, glancing over the edge of the couch at where Rafe slowly has Ben go through the gestures of a cross– body punch.

“I am serious!” I whisper–hiss. “We cannot have this conversation here! This is not public information!”

Luca’s eyes fly open, instantly glaring at me. “Fine,” he snaps. “Then we are having this conversation tonight. And I would suggest that you have a great deal of chamomile tea very soon, because I am not going to wait around for you in that boring–ass fog forest for hours while you do your best to stay awake and avoid this conversation –”

I sit up a little, surprised. “Wait, so,” I hesitate now, trying to figure out the meaning behind his words, “you can go there and like, hang around? Even before I get there?”

“Yes, Shrimp!” he snaps, grabbing one of the pillows and throwing at me. I gasp a little as it hits me right in the chest. “And it’s really boring! There is nothing to do there except wait! It sucks!”

I scowl at him, hugging the pillow to my chest. “Fine,” I growl, glaring at him. “I’ll go to bed.”

“Good!” he almost shouts, forgetting himself a little as he jumps off the couch and storms for the door. “So will I!”

The door slams as Luca leaves and I gape after him for a moment before slowly turning back to Ben and Rafe, who stare at me.

“Seriously,” Rafe says, glancing over towards the door. “What the hell is going on with you two?”

“He’s just tired,” I mutter, sighing and pushing myself up off the couch as well. I grab my Chemistry textbook off the coffee table and take it with me towards my nook. “And so am I. I’m going to bed. Sleep tight, guys.”

They murmur their goodnights as I swing my velvet curtain shut and flop onto my bed in despair, burying my face into my pillow.

“Whoa,” I hear Jesse’s voice say out in the room as the bathroom door creeks open. “Where did everyone go?”

Predictably, it takes me forever to fall asleep, not least because Jesse, Ben, and Rafe stay up for a while, talking softly. I get changed into the pajamas that Daphne thoughtfully packed into my uniform box and re–braid my hair once it’s dry, but it’s the Chemistry book, in the end, which really does the trick.

It’s not that it’s not interesting – it’s just that I’ve had such a long day, and the workout Jesse put me through, combined with the minute details of the periodic. table…

My eyes are flickering shut before I know it.

And almost immediately after that…

I raise my eyelids again to blink in the soft light of the birch forest, looking around at the pretty yellow leaves flickering in the wind.

I sigh, wrapping my arms around myself, steeling myself for the hard conversation that’s going to come next. Because I know I owe him an explanation, but god, it would have just been so much easier if –

“Shrimp!” Luca’s voice rings out through the grove, and my eyes go wide to hear the anger still lacing it. “I know you’re here, I can feel it!”

I curse to myself and then gasp as he appears between the trees, striding towards me. I press my eyes shut, willing my clothes to change, my hair to tuck itself up under the cap –

I give little shriek when I feel hands wrap around my upper arms, giving me a shake. But when I open my eyes and look down, I’m relieved to see Luca’s fingers wrapped around the sleeves of my black uniform, not the white nightdress I always wear when I first appear here.

“Talk!” Luca demands, glaring down at me. “Now!”

“Would you stop being so rough with me!?” I snap, shaking myself free of his grip and taking a step back from him. “You’re bigger than me, Luca! It’s bullshit to use that to try to intimidate me

“Are you seriously going to try to talk to me about what is fair right now, Ari?” he spits out, stepping closer to loom over me. “After all of the shit you pulled with this

– this dream!?”

07號

“Hey!” I shout, whipping my finger up into his face, “I, too, was pulled into this dream without knowing what it was, and I also did not know at first that it was real!

So-”

“But you definitely knew before I did!” Luca snaps, grabbing my arm and hauling me closer. And you should have told me! Immediately!”

“I did!” I insist, staring up at him.

“Not until after you let me confess all sorts of weird shit!” he shouts, flinging hist arms out to the side in exasperation. “God, seriously, Shrimp, do you think I would have said half of that shit to you if I had known that you were actually hearing it!?”

“Which is why,” I say through clenched teeth, crossing my arms. “I told you it was real, and then decided to never meet you here again!”

“What, like that’s your choice alone!?” he gasps, staring at me. “Do you have control over this place?”

do you

I spread my hands wide and, some instinct prodding me, will flowers to grow. Delicate little snowbells push themselves out of the earth, unfurling themselves from green leaves to hang their little white heads all around us.

Luca gasps, his eyes going as wide as saucers as he looks around.

“Can you do that?” I ask, my voice going softer now.

Luca looks up at my face and stares at me for a long moment before he, too, spreads his hands wide.

Nothing happens.

“What….are you trying to do?” I ask quietly.

“I’m trying to make…daffodils…” he murmurs, looking around. But none appear. I sigh, shaking my head as he looks up at me again. “So this is…your dream,” he says, picking up on things now.

I nod. “I think so.”

“And you pulled me into it,” he continues, studying my face as he takes a step closer.

I shrug, a little embarrassed, but admitting it because….well, I certainly can’t blame him for it. Dream states come from the female wolf, we invite our mates into it, but we’re in charge.

“So,” he continues softly, and a pulse of shock runs through me as I feel Luca’s hands on my cheeks, turning my face up to him. “Do you…not want me to do this?”

And before I can stop him, he lowers his lips to mine.