Ch. 466..470: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 466-470

Chapter 0466

You must work very hard, little bird," Blaze says, smiling at me. "And even then, it will take time to master."

"I will," I say, nodding again. "I'll work very hard!"

"Tonight, then," he says, bobbing his head. "Here, after your Chemistry class. We will begin."

I express my thanks eagerly as I get to my feet, holding out a hand to shake Blaze's, but to my surprise he holds out his arms and wraps me in a warm hug. I laugh and return the gesture. He steps away after a moment, heading towards another door in the room, as Faiza comes to my side.

"He's cool, isn't he?" she says, looking after him, fond.

"Did he teach you?" I ask, curious.

"He still does," she says with a sigh, turning to smile at me. "You never really finish learning - not quite. Plus, obviously, he can still kick my ass as easy as breathing."

I laugh, shaking my head, hardly able to believe it. "All right, come on," Faiza says, looping her arm in mind and tugging me towards the door to the corridor. "Time for part two."

"Part two?" I ask, curious because...well, honestly, because I thought that was it.

"Yup," she says, giving me a devious grin. "Evenings are for Blaze - mornings on days that you have Chemistry? Those you spend with me."

My eyes go wide because...I mean, I assumed Faiza was going to be teaching me the martial arts alongside Blaze. What else could she actually be assigned to teach me?

As we walk swiftly through the halls at the base of the castle, Faiza peppers me with questions, asking about my hobbies as a kid and what sort of things I'm good at. I tell her about my years of ballet, and etiquette classes, and how much I'm looking forward to switching that all up by becoming an expert marksman.

"All of that is good," Faiza says, pulling a key out of her pocket when we reach a rough, dark wooden door. She deftly twists the key in the lock and pushes the door open, revealing a comfortable office with a bunch of boxes inside, as-yet unpacked. "But time to get down to the really important stuff."

"Important stuff?" I ask, stepping in and sitting in a chair that she waves me to as she presses the door shut behind her.

"Yup," Faiza says, tossing herself into the armchair across from me and lounging in it with one leg over an arm, studying me from head to toe with deliberate interest as I sit across from her. “The real question is...how good are you at seducing men?"

For what feels like the thousandth time that day, my mouth falls open.

And Faiza bursts out laughing.

My throat clicks as I try to find words, just staring at her, and Faiza - still laughing - smiles so gleefully at me that her eyes crinkle into little half-

moons.

"Oh man, Ariel," she says, shaking her head at me. "You are too cute - this is going to be way too easy."

"Y-you know who I am!?" I gasp, staring at her.

"Of course I do!" she says, still laughing and shaking her head at me. “If Neumann hadn't told me who you were before I got here, I'd have figured it out in an instant. You hang around Rafe Sinclair, you look identical to your mother, and you make absolutely no effort to move like a boy. Honestly, Ariel, it's a miracle you were able to fool anyone, let alone a whole school."

I blush terribly, looking down into my lap, and she clicks her tongue.

"Aw, I'm sorry," she says, and I look up when I realize that her tone is genuine. "I mean, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. You have actually done amazing here - it's just been very easy on you that apparently all the Alphas in this school are idiots who can't put two and two together."

"Not all of them," I say, my shoulders straightening as I get defensive.

“Oh yeah?” she says, the corner of her mouth quirking. "And which ones of them are clever?"

"All of my boys, as you call them," I say, leaning towards her, my eyes narrowing a bit. "Are clever."

"And which ones are...yours, Ariel?" she asks, tilting her head, her face at once gleeful and daring.

I sit up straight, realizing what she's asking. Not knowing how much to say.

"You should trust me," Faiza says, giving a half shrug. "This all goes a lot easier if there aren't any secrets between us."

“Well, that's fairly biased logic,” I say, leaning back in my chair, studying her. "All you do is produce a piece of paper with my favorite professor's signature on it, show me a fancy bit of hand-to-hand, and then suddenly I spill all my secrets?"

 

Chapter 0467

"So, you've got secrets then," she says, closing one eye as if doing so will help her see me better. But then she laughs, leaning forward. "I actually like that you're kind of cagey - I think it will make you a better spy. Damn," she says, shaking her head at me. "I'm really glad dad got me here. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of transforming you into an agent. And the best part is that not a single person will ever see you coming."

"Dad?" I ask, sitting up straighter in my chair, not understanding.

But the door opens again, and suddenly all of my questions are answered as Neumann steps into the room. I huff a little laugh, looking between the two of them as Neumann presses the door shut and steps to the side of Faiza's chair. Because - I mean – it's not like they look alike. But the confidence with which they move, the way they each control every room they walk into?

Damn, I should have known.

“Daughter,” Neumann murmurs, bending down to press a fond kiss to her cheek. She returns it, patting him on the shoulder as she smiles up at him. "And how are introductions going?"

"Good," Faiza says, her grin deepening. "I like her. She's so cute and spunky that it's barely going to take an effort to convince everyone that she's an air head. And then no one will hide a damn thing from her. Plus, I think she's smart." Faiza turns her attention back to me, narrowing her eyes. "You're smart, right?"

"She's smart," Neumann says with a sigh, frowning down at his daughter. "And behave yourself, Faiza - you know I don't enjoy it when you're intentionally glib."

"Aw," she says, turning again to grin up at him. "Shame, then, that I do enjoy it."

Neumann's mouth twitches as he fights a smile. "Cadet," he says, turning back to me. "Faiza is tasked with teaching you everything she knows about the art of espionage which - though she seeks to hide it by being brash and arrogant - is a great deal. I've taken quite a bit of care with this one," he smooth a fond hand over her hair, even as he looks at me. "She's the best."

"I'm starting to believe it," I say quite quietly, excitement building in me.

"You have about twenty minutes," he says, glancing at the clock on the wall. "To formulate a plan with your tutor. Do attempt to use the time wisely." His voice is characteristically dry as he pats Faiza again on the head and moves back to the door. "Don't be late for chemistry. And Faiza?"

She turns to him with interest, lifting her chin.

"Don't give her any knives," he says, dry, glancing over at me. "Not yet. She's more likely to cut herself than someone else at this point." Faiza laughs and nods as I blush, not bothering to deny it.

Neumann pulls the door shut behind him as he goes and I turn my eyes back to Faiza. "So, I guess I can trust you," I say quietly.

"Why do you say that?" she asks, peering at me again like a cat.

"Because I trust him," I say, nodding towards the door and making her smile.

"He likes you, you know," she says, quiet. I scoff a little but she just laughs and shakes her head. "I know, he keeps it close to the vest. But he wouldn't have called me in if he didn't think you were worth it. Seriously, Ariel, I think we can do...great stuff here."

"Why are you so sure of that?" I ask, leaning towards her, curious.

"Why do you doubt it?" she asks, likewise leaning closer.

"I don't," I say, shrugging, confident. "I just...want to know your reasonings."

"I'm sure," she says quietly, holding my gaze, "because everyone on earth already thinks they know you, Ariel. Perfect miss Princess, prim and proper and cloistered away in a nunnery? I mean, I could have done without that stunning dress the night you decided to make your mating to the boxer perfectly clear," she says, smirking at me and making me burst into a grin. "But beyond that?"

"What do you mean?" I whisper, still not getting it.

"The media has convinced everyone on the pl that you're a cream puff, Ariel," Faiza says, her grin deepening. When my face falls she just shakes her head. "No, it's great - they think you're weak, and bubbly, and vulnerable, and sweet. You can't pay for that kind of stainless reputation. So, when we release you on an unsuspecting target? Ariel..." she shakes her head, her eagerness growing with every breath, "they're never going to see it coming."

 

Chapter 0468

 

I sit back in my chair, staring at her, suddenly seeing the logic of this.

My entire life, I've been the perfect princess. And I never, ever considered that what I was doing could be use as a smoke screen for a second identity underneath - one that's been secretly growing since the moment I entered the Academy and which Faiza is here to help me grow.

"That's right," Faiza says, her smile growing as mine does. "You're the perfect sleeper agent, Ariel Sinclair. And I'm going to have so much fun teaching you everything you need to know."

I grin at Faiza, wrinkling my nose. "I'm so excited. Can we start now?"

Faiza laughs and then groans, tilting her head back and covering her eyes. "Oh my god, that little nose wrinkle. God, I couldn't even teach you that! This is going to be so great."

I laugh, leaning back in my chair, suddenly pleased that my years of being a bubblegum sparkle princess are apparently about to pay off big time.

“Okay,” Faiza says, sitting up more properly in her chair now. "I need to know what we're working with here, though. All those boys - are they even going to let you go to war? Be put in situations where your life is in danger?"

I bite my lip, looking away, considering it.

"That bad, huh?" she asks, and I look up, shrugging.

"They like me," I say, tentative, and she laughs again at this.

"Ariel, they're obsessed with you," she says, raising an eyebrow at me. "I've never seen an Alpha reaction like that. The brother I get - and the cousin, maybe..."

"Jesse and I are close," I say, defensive. "We were raised together - he was basically a brother growing up."

"All right," she says, nodding slowly. "The smaller, dark haired one I get - he didn't react as much -“

I nod, knowing she means Ben.

"And the boxer - your mate?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. "Is that true?"

I hesitate but then nod, admitting it, supposing that it's better not to lie.

"Well, that's inconvenient," she says, dry, sighing and leaning back in your chair. "Not a lot of chance he's going to let you walk into a lion's den." She frowns though, tilting her head to the side. "But what about the other one? The hot one? What's his story?"

"The hot one?" I ask, my face bursting into a grin.

"The super hot one," she says, giving me a wink. "Who was about to tear the chair apart when I touched you. What's his story?"

I laugh a little, shaking my head at her. "Don't get your hopes up," I say with a sigh, shaking my head. "He's spoken for. Very spoken for." I let a little growl enter my voice the second time I say it.

Faiza just goes very still before her face bursts into a grin. "No way. Both of them?"

I shrug. "He's my mate too."

“What!?” she leans towards me like it's the most exciting thing she's heard in a year, and I laugh, a little part of me absurdly thrilled that my new tutor apparently likes to gossip as much as the rest of my family. "Well, you're a much spicier cream puff than I thought you'd be. But I thought that was... not possible?"

"The Goddess gave me two mates," I say, shrugging and raising a hand passively like I can't help it. Then, quickly, I summarize things for her - about how the Goddess is my grandmother, and how my father had two mates before me, about the mating bonds snapping into place on my first day as a candidate.

“Shit," Faiza murmurs, shaking her head at me. "I didn't realize I was getting into some divine crap here. So, playboy Luca Grant and the hot quiet one. That makes you a lucky girl but also one..." she hesitates.

"Who is going to have a hard time convincing people to let me put myself in danger?"

"You might have to trick them to make them let you go," she says, her voice challenging, like she doesn't know if I could do it.

"I won't do that," I say instantly, quietly. "Not...not to Jacks."

"To Luca?" she asks, curious.

I hesitate but then nod. "Luca can handle it, would understand eventually. Jacks -"

"The hot one," she corrects, giving me a wink and pointing her finger at me like a gun.

I laugh and nod, "sure, the hot one," I concede, rolling my yes - I mean, Luca is gorgeous too. But then I move on to the point. "But yeah he...I can't lie to him. It will break his heart."

"Well, shit, Princess," Faiza says, shaking her head at me. "Looks like you got it bad."

Chapter 0469

 

"It's not like that," I say, dropping my head a little, wondering at myself. "My mates - Jackson, especially - are...a benefit to me. Not a weakness. I don't need to run from them to do my job; and if I need to be separated from them for an assignment..." I shrug. "I'll make them understand."

"All right," she says, her hands going up to protest her innocence. "Your mates, your business. But, Princess, you have made one mistake." "What?" I ask, sitting up straight, suddenly worried.

Faiza's smile grows as she winks at me and glances up at the clock on the wall. "You forgot to watch the time. And dad hates it when people are late." I gasp, leaping to my feet. "Faiza!” I breathe, dashing immediately for the door. "How could you do that to me!?"

"Your schedule is not my problem Cadet!" she calls after me, laughing as I haul the door open and dash out of it. "See you back here the day after tomorrow, and then we'll really get started!"

I dash down the hall, moving as fast as I can, cursing under my breath even though I know that it's no good – I'm already five minutes late, which to Neumann might as well be a year. Still, I push myself faster, flying around corners until my feet are pounding down the marble hall to the chemistry room door.

I skid to a stop outside of it and then push it open, panting as I step inside.

Neumann turns towards me with a characteristic frown. Then, when he sees me panting and breathless, he just rolls his eyes and points to the desks in front of him. "Inside, Clark. And stop panting like an animal, you're embarrassing yourself."

"Yes, sir," I murmur, stepping inside and doing my best to control my breathing, wiping sweat from my brow as I slip onto a stool behind a lab table. Despite my exhaustion, shock fills me as I look over at the other desks in the room and see that there are only two other students here.

And that neither of them are my friends from the sniper unit.

Am...am I the only one that made it?

"Now that we are all here," Neumann says, drawing my attention immediately back to him when he slams a new textbook, notebook, and pen onto the desk in front of me. I jump and turn towards him, my hands immediately going to the books. "Let us begin our course for the semester."

I glance back at the two other students - both of whom sneer at me - and I sigh when I realize that they're two of the ones who protested that I shouldn't be allowed to take the final. But I sit up straighter, a bit smug when I realize that they're only two of a handful of students who made that protest - and that I kicked both of their asses on the final itself.

Letting a smirk find my lips - and letting them see it - I turn back to Neumann and pay attention.

He gets started, speaking quickly as he always does, summarizing the goals of the class this semester, which are to learn the properties of more chemical solutions - not just poisons - which will aid us in our endeavors outside of the classroom.

"I will teach you the chemical properties of these solutions," Neumann says, looking at each of us in turn. "And we will also do a great deal of work to discover where to harvest the raw materials which will allow you to create these solutions – in secret, if necessary. Then, you will each work with your individual tutors to discuss methods of delivering or otherwise utilizing these solutions that best match your personal skills."

I perk up again with interest at this, again looking over at the two other boys in the class as I realize that they, too, likely met their individual tutors this morning. God, I wonder who they are, what their styles consist of.

No matter what, though, I'm sure they're not nearly as unique or interesting as Faiza.

"Have no doubts," Neumann says on a sigh, as if he's bored, "that this semester will be as grueling as the last, even if there are no cuts at the end. No, the only way out now is death or graduation. Please," he says, looking around at us with a raised eyebrow. "Do strive for the latter. Student death takes a great deal more paperwork than signing a line on your diploma."

He turns away then, striding for the board to begin, and a smile tugs at my lips even as I open the notebook and click the pen, starting to take my notes.

Because grueling as I'm sure it will be, I honestly can't wait to get started.

Chapter 0470

I throw open the door to our room and stumble inside, panting and exhausted and covered in sweat from my lesson with Blaze as I toss my new chemistry textbook onto a side table. "I just had the best day," I sputter out, each word seeming to come out on its own little pant.

"Ariel!" Rafe shouts, frantic, and I stand up straight when I find him barreling across the room towards me. I barely have time to squeak in surprise before he wraps me up in a tight bear hug, holding me close, his arms shaking. "Where the hell have you been!?"

"At my lessons!" I protest, my words coming out all muffled against his arm. I hug my brother for a second but then push against him, confused, wanting to know what on earth is going on. But he holds me locked tight in his arms, not letting me go. “Rafe!” I gasp, shoving harder against him. "You're suffocating me!"

"Good," he growls, but he lets me go when Jesse tugs hard at his arm.

I gasp a breath but barely have a moment to get it down before Jesse takes Rafe's place. "You idiot," he growls, holding me close to his chest. "Do you know what time it is!? You missed dinner! We were so fucking worried, Ariel!"

I hug Jesse back for a second, looking at the clock behind him in surprise and realizing with a little bit of horror that he's right. "Oh my god," I say, pushing back a minute. "Jess - I'm so sorry -"

But before I can get any further he's shoved away and I find myself up in Luca's arms, being carried away over to the couch. I can't help it - I laugh, even as he snarls at me.

"What, I don't get a hug?" Ben protests from his spot over by the door.

"I'm sorry, Benny!" I call to him over Luca's shoulder. "I didn't mean to worry you!"

But before I can say anything else Luca sinks down onto the couch, taking me with him, wrapping me up in his arms and settling me onto his lap. "Please don't do that again, Ariel," he sighs, resting his forehead against mine. "We were seriously flipping out - we thought...maybe Wright had gotten to you? God, we had no idea -"

"I'm sorry," I whisper, raising my hand and cupping his cheek, pressing a swift kiss to his mouth. "I really am - I lost track of time and didn't even think

_"

"Well, where were you?" Rafe asks, sinking down into his arm chair and rubbing at his temple, still glaring at me. Jesse does the same, and I work hard to keep a smile from my face because honestly they look the picture of Dad and uncle Roger right now when they're pissed at one of us kids. Quickly, I tell them all about my amazing day - about Faiza teaching me to be a spy, and Blaze teaching me to fight, and Neumann's plans to teach us all sorts of fascinating chemical compounds. Their attention is rapt through the first two things, though I think I lose them a bit on the third.

"So, you were at hand-to-hand lessons?" Jesse asks, clearly interested. "Instead of dinner? And you have to do it every night?"

"I mean, I'll eat when I come home," I say, yawning already and snuggling warmly against Luca.

"Still," Jesse says, glancing at the clock. "That is a long day. Longer than any of ours."

"I don't like it," Rafe says, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "I can't believe you walked through the castle alone today, Ariel. Twice." "Rafe," I sigh, shaking my head at him. "You can't always be my bodyguard! Eventually, I have to be able to protect myself!"

"Yeah, and until then, someone has to protect you!" he snaps, leaning forward to glare at me.

"Oh, we'll figure it out," I say, flapping a hand dismissively at him as I tuck my head against Luca's shoulder and close my eyes for a second, letting myself rest. "Is there any food left? I'm starving."

Rafe grumbles but gets up, making me a plate of semi-cold turkey and vegetables wrapped in a piece of flatbread with a sweet and spicy sauce. When he hands it to me, I scarf it down. Luca obligingly holds my plate for me, laughing at me a little as I eat as fast as I can.

"What'd you guys do all day?" I ask, my mouth a little full. I send Luca a pulse of apology down our bond for being so gross, but he just laughs and kisses me on my cheek, letting me know he doesn't care.

"Well, until we spent the past two hours worried as hell about you," Rafe says, glaring at me again as he sinks back into his seat. "We all actually had a great day."