Ch. 51..55: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 51-55

Chapter 51

Luca’s lips just barely, barely brush mine before I gasp and shove him away.

“Luca!” I shout, stumbling backwards a few steps and staring up at him with wide eyes.

“Oh my god, Ari!” he shouts, digging his hands into his hair and turning from me in frustration, clenching his jaw. “What are you seriously!? What are we even here for if we’re not going to –”

“Luca!” I shout again, stomping my foot and going completely rigid with my own anger. “You are not being fair – you told me to come here tonight for a conversation, and then you try to –” I hesitate now, stumbling over my words in my embarrassment, “what, make out with me!?”

Luca laughs an ironic little laugh and turns back at me, glaring. “Well, isn’t that the point, Ari? What do you want from me? Why are you pulling me into a secret dream if not to –“

“I don’t know!” I half shout, half moan, my arms stiff at my side as I turn my head up to the sky and press my eyes shut, overwhelmed and frustrated. “We just – we are not on the same terms here! And I don’t want to do anything with you unless –”

–

And then I halt my words, my cheeks blushing scarlet as I realize that I just admitted that I would want to kiss him if the terms are right.

When I tentatively open my eyes, I see that Luca picked up on it too. He’s smirking a little

to discover that he wasn’t wrong about this thing now, still frustrated but pleased – I think that’s between us. That it is not at all one–sided,

–

“Fine,” he snaps, taking another step closer to me. “Let’s have this conversation then. Why won’t you let me kiss you?”

I blink in shock at the bluntness of his words, but the way his smirk deepens makes me realize that he did it on purpose that he’s trying to unnerve me, probably because he’s

pissed.

I just narrow my eyes, pissed in turn that he’s deliberately not playing fair.

“Because, Luca,” I reply, a bit through my teeth. “I don’t know your motives for wanting to kiss me.”

“Do I need motives?”

“A little!” I say, taking a step back as he takes one forward. Elsewhere in the dream, my wolf gives a few happy yips of excitement, but I just scowl at her, annoyed. “I mean, I don’t want you to kiss me, Luca, if you’re just trying to…figure out your sexuality or something! I am…I am a whole person…”

He stops when I say this, turning his head to study me, suddenly more curious than he was before.

I lift my chin, continuing. “And I don’t want to be kissed as an experiment. I want to be…” I bite my lip now.

“Tell me,” he says, his voice soft.

I take a deep breath, not really knowing even what I mean. “I want…” I say softly, speaking the words as my mind finds them, “you to kiss me…because you want to kiss me. Not just some…shrimp you find yourself weirdly attracted to.”

“Ari,” Luca murmurs, still looking at me curiously, his expression and his stance somehow softer now. “What makes you think that I felt otherwise?”

“Well, I don’t know!” I burst out, throwing my hands to the side. “Are you – are you gay, Luca!? Do you like boys!?”

He laughs, shaking his head at me and slipping his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. “Haven’t I already told you the answer to that, several dreams ago? I didn’t think I was attracted to guys, but then I met you, and everything got tossed up into the air –“

“Well,” I interrupt, staring at him, baffled. “Doesn’t that…does that bother you?”

“No,” he says instantly, narrowing his eyes at me a little. “Does it…bother you?”

“No,” I reply, but I turn my head at him, considering. “Wouldn’t it like…affect you, though?”

“What?”

“I mean, you’re a celebrity, Luca!” I gesture towards him like it’s obvious. “I know that we live in a pretty progressive country and time, but it will affect your status in the world if people find out that you’re at Alpha Academy making out with a little shrimpy boy.”

Luca laughs and strides forward, surprising me by taking my face in his hands again. “Ari,” he murmurs, “I don’t care about any of that. All of that is outdated moral bullshit that should be tossed out the window. We get one life, and when you meet someone that you have a connection with? A connection like this?” He shakes his head, staring into my eyes, suddenly looking so overwhelmed and baffled by the connection between us that it breaks my heart.

“Ari,” he murmurs, dropping a hand from my cheek and wrapping his arm tight around my waist, pulling me suddenly flush against him. “Who fucking cares?”

And I stare at him, searching for words, for some kind of response –

But then he moves, dipping his head low, pressing his lips to mine again, more firmly this time like he means it.

And damn it, I break.

I’m out of protests, out of words, and I just…kiss him.

My bodily response to him is immediate, and visceral, and intense.

–

A tiny moan escapes me as my eyes flutter shut and arms wrap around his neck. I lean my entire weight against him, not really intending to do it my body is moving beyond me now. His lip slants over mine, his tongue pressing into my mouth in a way that sends shivers streaking through my entire body.

Luca’s mouth moves swiftly over mine, and every single second of it just sings to me with how right it is. I pull my mate closer as his arms wrap tight around my waist, forcing me to bend my head back on my neck, to submit to him completely.

And I do – I let Luca claim me with his mouth, with his arms, with his body pressed against me. I kiss him right back, maring at the way that his soft lips can press so hard against

mine, at how his tongue moving over my lower lip can make my breath come so short. God it’s insane, the sudden relief and solace that floods me, because it feels so incredibly right.

–

I realize, quite suddenly, that I waited far too long for this

–

that my soul has been aching for him, for the feel of his mouth against me, his body pressed close. I am hungry for Luca in a way that feels desperate, like an animal long denied water. And like I’ve suddenly found a pool after days alone in the desert, I throw myself into this with abandon.

The fervor with which I kiss Luca suddenly intensifies, and I open my mouth to him completely. He takes full advantage of the situation, deepening the kiss, his tongue

sweeping against mine, a hard shudder passing through him as one of my hands wraps in the fabric of his sweatshirt and pulls him close

1

G

But it’s not enough, none of it’s enough none of it is getting him as close as I need him to be. My other hand tangles in Luca’s hair as he moves his lips from my mouth, dragging his tongue across my jaw and down my neck like he could devour me

―

A groan escapes Luca as he stumbles forward a step, as lost in me as I am in him, and then the hand that was around my waist dips lower, sliding down over my ass to grip me high on the back of my thigh.

gasp, a shiver running through me, and I pull back for a moment as Luca’s hand moves – because no one has ever touched me there –

–

But he holds my gaze and just shakes his head, determined, before he presses his mouth back to mine and tightens his grip, pulling me up – up into his arms, so that our faces are level, so that he’s actually holding me against him, my feet no longer on the ground.

I groan, wrapping my legs around his waist, knowing full well that I am in deep trouble here and not giving a damn.

Chapter 52

Luca’s stumbles again as he holds me up with one arm below my ass, the other still around my waist – but I don’t care.

I don’t care at all – don’t care about anything except the taste of his mouth, the feel of his lips pressing against mine again and again. I can only concentrate on the way his tongue feels as he licks me, promising without words all the different ways he wants to taste me, all the different parts of my body he wants to taste –

God, fuck, if we fall to the ground in this damn dream forest, I don’t care

Might be better, honestly, so I could feel the weight of him on me, pressing me inexorably down, into the ground –

But Luca finds his footing, his grip on my thigh moving upwards to tighten at the soft place right at the crease of my ass. He moans again, that hard shudder passing through him as I wrap his hair in my fist and tilt his head backwards an inch, taking control of the kiss, pressing my tongue into his mouth this time.

He shakes his head, panting against me, his eyes flicking open just for a second, hazy with lust. And slowly, deliberately – not knowing at all what makes me do it – I pull back just incrementally to lick the length of his lower lip, wanting to taste him there. The feel of the stubble on his chin against my tongue makes my eyes flutter shut with want.

“God damn it, Ari,” Luca murmurs before sealing his mouth hard to mine, his hand drifting higher on my back, up my neck, his fingers brushing the hair at my nape. I lose myself to him completely, to the feel of his body pressed tight to mine, to his heartbeat my own – pounding in his chest.

–

–

as vivid as

But suddenly his fingers move higher, burying themself in my hair hair that is longer than it should be, for a boy –

And my cap, it falls sideways off my head –

All of my hair tumbles down a moment later, cascading around my shoulders.

Luca’s eyes fly open as I gasp, pulling back just an inch

But it’s enough.

Enough, as his fingers run once through the length of my hair.

I freeze. Completely freeze like a panicked animal, staring at him.

◌ོར་�མས

I see every second of it as Luca’s eyes go wide, taking in the rose–gold expanse of my hair as it pools around my face.

“Ari…” he whispers, mystified.

And something about him saying my name – it breaks me out of my shock.

I shriek and shake my head, pressing my eyes shut –

Willing the dream to end.

–

I groan the moment I wake up, burying my face into my pillow and shrieking again unable to help it, but also desperately hoping that my deep–sleeping brother and cousin don’t hear me.

Because I desperately, desperately can’t let them know how completely I’ve fucked this up.

I roll onto my back when I feel capable of controlling myself, covering my face with my hands and staring up at the ceiling of my tiny, perfect nook, totally ashamed of my loss of control.

This

–

this could be the end of everything, couldn’t it? All because I was so stupid and weak and couldn’t resist kissing him couldn’t keep myself from absolutely losing control with him, climbing him like a stupid little monkey just because he kissed me.

–

And god, what a kiss – I

“Ve kissed boys before, but not like that –

–

But even as I being to reminisce, I scold myself. Even if it was a shatteringly good, life- changing kiss this isn’t precisely the time for kissing, is it!?

–

I have thing to do! I have goals!

And even if I don’t think that Luca would spill my secret, anything could happen right now. He’s probably waking up in his own room right now, completely freaked out and baffled about what’s going on, desperate to know more

–

I mean, he could storm into breakfast tomorrow and just absolutely blow my cover! And considering how moody he was this morning when he didn’t even know if the dream state was real, imagine how he’s going to react now!

I am miserable all night long, going over all the possible scenarios in my mind. Whether or not Luca actually figured out I’m a girl when my hair fell down…

But, of course he did. Of course! He’s not stupid, after all.

But also…did he? Did he think it was just dream magic? Or…

And, I mean, is he going to hate me for keeping even more important truths from him? I can’t blame him for that.

But how will he actually react to it?

What will he do?

But surely, surely he’ll refuse to keep my secret any more with Rafe and Jesse, wanting everything out in the open…but then!

Rafe!

Rafe thinks that Jackson is my singular mate! What the hell is he going to do when he figures out I’m making out with Luca in a dream state!?

I

groan again, sick of myself, sick of trying to balance all these secrets, sick of my complete loss of control.

I’m completely miserable for the next several hours, which I spend in bed loathing myself with my eyes pressed shut. But sleep does not find me, not an ounce of it. I don’t know why – I’m completely exhausted, but somehow it just doesn’t. Maybe because I’m terrified of entering the dream state again, of facing him –

Or that he won’t be there, because he’s too mad at me –

Or maybe I don’t sleep because I’ve convinced myself that I don’t deserve sleep, because I put my enrollment in the Academy at risk because I was too weak to resist a kiss.

As the night starts to turn towards dawn, I give up on the prospect of sleep all together and sit up, pulling my chemistry book closer. I light the little lamp on my tiny bedside table and, ensuring that the curtains around my nook are tightly shut so that my family can’t see it, I lose myself in my studies for as long as I can.

I jump almost out of my skin a few hours later when Rafe pulls back

my

curtain.

“What are you doing?” he asks, frowning at me when he sees me slumped over my chemistry text.

“Studying,” I murmur, glancing up at him from where my face is pressed miserably to the page. I’m too close to read anything, but also too miserable and exhausted to get up.

“Ari,” Rafe snaps, scowling and coming forward, putting a hand under my chin and obliging me to sit up so that he can survey my face. “You look like shit did

you get any sleep at all last night?”

Still wretched, I just shake my head.

–

He sighs, glaring at me a little before dropping my chin and stroking his palm once over the head, like a pet. “You have to sleep, Ariel. You’re not going to make it through this if don’t rest. What, are you anxious about something?”

you

Not lying at all, I slowly nod

my head.

“About what?” he asks, sinking down to sit on the edge of my bed and stare at me, worried. “Ari, you have nothing to worry about – you’re the smartest girl I’ve ever met, smartest person, full stop! And Jesse and I – we’re going to kick your ass at workouts so that you’re ready when the Examination comes around! You’re going to be fine!”

I sigh, my eyes filling with

tears at my sweet brother’s pep talk, and I push my chemistry book away, crawling across the bed a few feet and pressing myself warm against his side, resting my head on his chest. Rafe sighs,

wrapping his arms around me and rocking me back and forth just like mom does when we’re sad.

“Don’t get overwhelmed now, baby trouble,” he murmurs, using my family’s pet name for

1. me. “We’ve got you.”

“Thank you. Rafe,” I murmur, sniffing a little, gratitude overwhelming my worry for just a second. “You’re the best.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he says, smirking at me as he tilts my head up so that I look into his face. “I’m in charge of your workout this afternoon, and I’m going to make you suffer, little Shrimp.”

I can’t help the little smile that finds my lips, the tiny laugh that pulses through me. “Nooo, go nice on me, big brother,” I sigh, putting my head back down. “I’m tired.”

“Coffee will patch you up,” he says, patting me on the back and standing up abruptly so that I flop onto the bed in a heap. “Now get up! The day is not waiting for lazy girls!”

I sigh, watching him stride towards the bathroom and then shifting my eyes to Jesse as I see him start to stir in his bed, stretching his arms over his head in a yawn. His face bursts into a grin as Rafe pulls the bathroom door shut and his eyes focus on me.

“Hey, tiny cousin,” he says, wicked. “How’d you sleep? Any interesting dreams?”

But I just scowl at him and burrow under my blankets, not needing any of Jesse’s nonsense today.

Because I have to prepare myself for breakfast.

And Luca’s definitely, absolutely going to be at breakfast.

Chapter 53

Jesse is really nice to me for the rest of the morning, slinging his arm around my shoulders and cracking jokes all the way to breakfast. Even I can’t help laughing, even as a deep pool of dread forms in my stomach, because I have absolutely no control over how Luca is going to react to any of this.

My mind keeps running through scenarios – is he going to storm in demanding answers? Is he going to declare to the entire Hall that I’m a girl? Is he going to just pull me aside and-

“Hey,” Jesse says, using the arm around my shoulder to tug me incrementally closer. “Whatever it is, Ari? It can’t be that bad.”

“What?” I ask, looking up at him as we walk, glancing at Rafe, who chats amiably with Ben as they walk down the hall ahead of us.

“Whatever drama went down last night in your little dream state?” Jesse says, raising an eyebrow at me.

I

gape at him – how did he…!?

He just laughs at me, my face making the admission even if I don’t confirm with words.

“Seriously, Shrimpy, it can’t be that bad. You’re going to get through it! Don’t worry so

much.”

—-

I sigh, hanging my head back and leaning against him, more relieved than I thought I’d be that he guessed and I have someone to talk to about it.

“I’m just…I have no idea how to handle this, Jess,” I murmur as we walk into the Hall. “You’re more experienced than me, how do you handle…” I glance again at Rafe, lowering my voice, “romance drama?”

“Well, in my experience, you just gently dump them and move on the moment things start to get even remotely complicated,” Jesse says, his voice breezy.

I gasp and gape, looking up at him. “Jesse!” I scold, aghast.

“What!?” he says, grinning at me even as I shove him away. “I enjoy other people’s romantic drama, not my own. Plus, I said gently –

“I didn’t know you were a heartbreaker,” I growl, glaring at him. “And also! This advice does not apply to me!”

“I know, you poor thing,” he murmurs, laughing at me a little. “None of my methods will suit you, you should probably just call your mom –”

“We don’t even have phones, you idiot,” I groan, shoving him away from me further, disappointed that he is so nice to me but also so useless. My eyes scan the room, going first to our usual table and then into the room at large…

But Luca’s not here yet. I let out a little huff of relief.

Jesse smiles at me, kind, and pulls out my chair for me before going to sit next to Ben, deliberately leaving the seat next to me open. I glare at him, hoping he can read the word “traitor” all over my face.

He grins back at me, devious, as he accepts the coffee pot from the approaching waiter, murmuring his thanks.

I scowl as Jesse pours coffee in the cups all around the table. The waiter delivers my plate of eggs and sausage and I do my best to lose myself in Rafe and Ben’s conversation about fighting techniques for smaller bodies, but I keep losing track of it and instead just concentrate on drinking cup after cup of coffee, trying to wake the hell up.

“Better slow down on that, Shrimp,” a voice says above me.

I jump, my eyes going wide as I turn my face up towards Luca, who smirks down at me before sinking into the chair next to me.

“Save some for the rest of us,” he says, lifting the now–empty coffee carafe with a frown.

I just gape at him, my breath coming short as I wait to see what the hell is going to happen

next.

“Hey, Luc!” Jesse calls from across the table, friendly. Ben and Rafe also smile at him, saying their goodmornings as Luca snags a fresh muffin from the basket, tossing it in the air once

before taking a bite.

“Morning, all,” Luca murmurs, dead casual as he catches the eye of a waiter and orders more coffee for the table. The waiter nods, walking briskly away as I just continue to stare.

“So, Luca,” Jesse says, and my eyes whip to him as I hear the mischief in his voice. “Was your sleep any better last night? Any…bad dreams?”

I glare at my cousin, murder in my eyes. If I were closer and it wouldn’t absolutely blow my cover, I’d wring his neck.

“Nah, I slept great,” Luca says, smiling warmly at Jesse and thanking the waiter, who comes back with the coffee pot. “Completely dreamless for once, which is a blessing. I feel amazing today.”

“Good,” Jesse says, his eyebrows going up in surprise.

I forget to draw breath as I just stare at Luca, aghast.

What…what the hell is he playing at?

Does he…really not remember what happened?

Or is he just playing it off!?

I’m still gaping at him when he turns to frown at me, looking me up and down. “Seriously, Shrimp,” he says, completely casual. “You’d better eat, we have like, fifteen minutes before class.”

Slowly I turn back to my eggs, pushing them around with my fork, completely, completely baffled as to how Luca is this calm and collected when I am a wreck.

My daze continues as Rafe walks me to my Marksmanship class, which begins at roughly the same time as the Warrior–track training. He made us leave breakfast a few minutes early so that he has time to walk me, so I don’t even have the opportunity to speak to Luca for a minute alone.

་་་པ་་ 30

All the way to class, Rafe babbles on about some kind of sporty nonsense – fighting techniques, how to throw a javelin, who the hell knows

and surprise about Luca’s reaction.

as my mind just spins in shock

I mean, yesterday, when he just suspected something was up, he was moody all day and basically had a meltdown at breakfast. But today, when he finds out my deepest secret, he’s completely cool?

What the hell is going on?

And why is my mate so complicated – why didn’t I get stuck with some nice simpleton –

“Hey,” Rafe says, grabbing my sleeve. “Stop – we’re here.”

I fall back a step, realizing I walked right past the classroom door.

“Oh,” I say, my shoulders bunching in embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you all right?” he says, looking me over. “You had enough coffee at breakfast to fuel a rhinoceros

you should be good. Is there anything I should be…worried about?”

–

“No,” I sigh, looking up at him and shaking my head, doing my best to will some energy back into my body. Who’s being moody now? “Seriously, Rafe, I just need to get more sleep tonight. I’m sorry – please don’t worry.”

“All right,” he says, giving me a little smile and looking down the hall. “Good luck in there!”

“Thanks!” I call as he starts away from me, clearly eager to get to his own class.

And then, with a big sigh, I push all of the Luca drama out of my brain and step into my Marksmanship classroom.

“Oh,” I say, the word popping out of my mouth without my intending to say it. Because this it’s huge, more like a gym, except long and narrow instead of a wide rectangle.

classroom

–

“Clark!” a loud voice says, not unfriendly, and my eyes move immediately to the man standing at the front of the room, the lines of his body locked into military precision. My eyebrows raise when I see that it’s the Captain.

“Sir!” I say, hurrying across the room towards him. As I walk, my eyes flick to the two other students, both of whom I recognize from my Chemistry class yesterday.

“Good,” he says, nodding me towards a spot next to the other two so that the three of us stand in a neat line. “Glad you’re all here.”

My eyebrows go higher, if that’s possible, when I understand that he means that this is our entire class. Rafe and Jesse – they’re in huge classes, packed with cadets.

Mine have all been tiny.

The Captain smiles at me, just a little lift of his mouth. “Surprised?”

“Just didn’t expect such individualized attention,” I respond, honest.

“Yes, individualized is right,” the Captain says, looking at the other two young men before his eyes settle on me. “Considering that I picked the three of you by hand.”

And my breath suddenly catches as my eyes meet his because he looks at me with such… assurance. Like he knows everything about me.

Can he, like Professor Alvez, have already guessed my secret?

Have we fooled ourselves into thinking that we could really keep it from the people who run this school!?

 

Chapter 54

But the Captain just smirks at me and turns his attention back to the group of us, beginning his lecture.

“Espionage Track splits its chosen cadets further into specialties so that we can have a

variety of agents trained for our nation’s particular needs. All of you will be trained by Dr. Neumann so that you can each handle the chemical tools that you’ll need to perform your jobs on the battlefield, wherever that may be. Some of the cadets in your track are spending their alternate days taking lessons with Ambassador–track students, so that we can have agents trained to go into political situations.”

I dart my eyes towards the two young men standing next to me, wondering if they, too, are relieved to be spared those classes. I had enough political training as a Princess – I have no real urge to further study how to handle myself in government negotiations.

No, I want to get to the good stuff.

“Other cadets,” the Captain continues, his voice snapping my eyes back to him, “within Espionage track, are being trained in disciplines which are classified. Your discipline is likewise classified, so I would urge you to be close–lipped with your peers regarding what it is, precisely, that you learn in this class.”

My eyes go a little wide with excitement, because a classified discipline? This, I think, is where it starts to get good.

“I chose the three of you,” the Captain says, folding his arms, “because of your high marksmanship rankings combined with your excellent scores on the intelligence examination. And I get first pick of cadets, so you should see your position here as…elite.”

A little thrill of joy runs through me, because even if I was ninetieth through the door into the Academy? Clearly, the Captain wanted me here.

“Come,” he says, turning sharply and marching towards the back of the room. The other two cadets and I follow immediately. I take a moment to glance up at them, noting the excitement on their faces as well. One of them, I’m surprised to see, is a blonde that I noticed on the first day of candidacy – tall and quiet with a jawline as sharp as a knife. The other is a dark–haired young man only a little taller than me, his face serious, perhaps a little taciturn.

Though I’ve got no real reason to, I like them both immediately.

But before I can consider them further, the Captain presses a button on the back wall. A metal partition begins to raise, tucking itself neatly against the ceiling above us like a garage door. And beyond it

I gasp a little, unable to help it, at the incredible expanse of weapons that sit beyond it.

“You three,” the Captain says, a distinct hint of pleasure in his voice, “are going to be trained as marksmen. Snipers, specifically, if we can get you there. But experts in long–rage projectiles of a variety of classes. You will each find your specialty as the course progresses.”

I’m practically vibrating with excitement as I survey the collection of rifles, bows, crossbows, and even shoulder–mounted missile launchers that range before me, each of them top of the line and state–of– the–art. I mean, I’m not a gun nut or anything, but even I have to admit that this is insanely cool.

“May I ask a question?” the blonde next to me asks, drawing my eyes to him now.

“You’re encouraged to, Cadet Baumann” the Captain says, nodding to him. “We can be more casual here than we are elsewhere – I expect a distinct camaraderie to build within this group, presuming that you can indeed make it through the Examination.”

The blonde nods. “Is this…everything? All the weaponry at our disposal?” I smirk, because he sounds a little disappointed.

The Captain laughs a little, clearly feeling as I do. “It is not,” he says, shaking his head. “There is a great deal more – this is simply what has been made available as preliminary weaponry for the course. Is there something in particular that you’d like to see?”

“At home,” he says, folding his arms over his chest, “I trained a little in drone strike technology. I would be…interested to continue those studies.”

“We’ll see what we can do,” the Captain replies, his eyebrows raised, “provided you prove adequate with this,” he nods now towards the weapons behind him.

weapons and

The cadet nods and the Captain moves on, going through each of the explaining what it is, how it’s going to be used. And then he hands each of us a bow, explaining that we’ll be moving from oldest to newest technologies, hoping to master each

over the course of the next few months and, in doing so, revealing where our particular aptitudes lay.

I’m grinning with excitement by the time that the Captain hands me my bow, offering a quiver of arrows that I sling over my shoulder.

“Do any of you have experience with archery?” The Captain asks.

“I do!” I quip, cheerful, but I grimace a little when I realize that I’m the only one who spoke. The other two glare at me a little, perhaps resenting my leg–up. The marksmanship test we took as candidates, after all, only measured our expertise with guns.

“Um,” I say, retracting my excitement just a bit. “Just…some target practice at summer camp,” I lie. Because I have that, but also a few years of private tutoring. Jesse and Rafe got hand–to–hand combat lessons which dad decided were too rough for me, so mom? She hired a world–class archer to teach me this more “delicate” sport.

The Captain smirks at me, clearly seeing through my lie, but he gestures towards the range of targets at the far end of the room. Humans, I know, would struggle to make out the details that far down the room, but our wolf eyesight has no trouble making out the bullseye at the center of each.

The three of us line up at the red line painted across the floor, paying close attention to the Captain as he gives us all a brief introduction to the bow and basic instructions on how to fire it. I listen closely even if I don’t need it, wanting to soak up every bit of instruction available to me.

Because I am quite determined to do well in this course, and I suspect that it – like our Chemistry exam – has cuts at the end of term. Cuts which I’m going to do everything in my power to avoid.

We start shooting as the Captain stands aside as watches us from behind. My muscles sigh happily as I step into the familiar stance and draw the bow. The string pulls back easily on the unfamiliar compound weapon I trained on recurve, which requires more strength. But I take aim and let my first arrow fly, following it up with three more as I get used to the feel of the weapon.

–

All four of my shots hit the target, though none of them come close to the bullseye. I’m frowning, disappointed, until I glance over at the other targets and see that…none of the

other two made any of their shots.

“Retrieve,” the Captain orders, calm, and I sling my bow over my shoulder before starting the long trek to the target, even though there are more arrows already in my quiver. Still, it’s nice to have a clean target as well as an opportunity to talk to my fellow cadets.

–

“I’m Ari,” I whisper as the three of us walk side–by–side.

“I’m jealous,” the small dark–haired cadet says, shooting me a little glare, though I can tell by the way that his lips curl up that there’s not an ounce of malice behind his words. “Tell the truth – did you grow up doing this?”

Chapter 55

I shrug a little, letting him see through my summer camp lic. He just laughs, shaking his head as we draw close to our targets.

“Bullshit, if you ask me,” the tall blonde says, sighing as he gathers his arrows off the floor and I pull mine from the target’s body. “We’re forced to embarrass ourselves on the first day just because we haven’t trained in an antiquated form of weaponry? I mean honestly, who even uses archery anymore on the battlefield?”

“I don’t know,” I say, popping my arrows into my quiver as we turn around and start back. “I see the logic in being able to handle all weapons.”

The blonde shrugs, conceding the point but clearly expressing that he’s still not happy with it. “I’m David, by the way,” he murmurs.

“And I’m Hai,” the other says, nodding to both of us.

I smile at them, but we’re all lost in our thoughts about how to improve as we make our way back to the line.

“Again,” says the Captain, nodding. We all get into our stances and raise arrows to bowstrings, ready to fire.

The Captain has us going for hours, until my arms ache from drawing my bow. As we fire round after round, he works with each of us, giving more basic pointers to the other two and working with me to refine my shot. By the end, I hit the bullseye with consistency, and I can’t keep the smile from my face.

At the end of our four–hour class, the Captain tells us to return our bows, his face blank. We do as he says as he gives us instructions for how and when to practice, letting us know that this gym will be

available to us twenty–four hours a day and suggesting that we make use of it. My smile deepens at the prospect – I like marksmanship, always have. The idea of having this be my homework, when I get sick of Chemistry?

God, does that sound like a relief.

As we finish hanging our bows the Captain tells us we’re dismissed and we troop for the

O

door, me going last as I stack my arrows neatly in the quiver, probably being more picky than I need to be.

As I turn towards the door, I’m surprised to hear the Captain’s voice call to me lightly.

“I’ve got quite literal money on you this year, Clark,” he says, leaning against the wall and giving me a little smirk. “Don’t make me regret it. I don’t like to lose.”

“Really?” I ask, turning to him with wide eyes.

“Surprised?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“By the fact that you’ve bet on me, or by the fact that the professors actively gamble on the success of their students?” The words fall from my lips before I have time to consider them, but to my relief the Captain just laughs, pleased.

“Not with the other professors,” he says quietly. “With some old friends who have a stake in the Academy itself. Though I do admit,” he says, cocking his head a little, “I was surprised when your Uncle

Roger didn’t take the opportunity to bet on his own nephew. Didn’t comment at all when he saw your name on the list of Marksman cadets.”

I do my very best to keep all emotion off my face as the Captain studies me, and I wonder again how much he knows.

The result is that I awkwardly stand stock still in front of him, saying nothing for far too long. The Captain just grins, shaking his head and laughing as he lifts his chin towards the door. “Get out of here, Cadet. Good work today – keep it up. Don’t embarrass me.”

I nod, eager, and head out.

Because even if the Captain knows my secret, or is starting to suspect? He’s clearly not pushing me to reveal anything.

I hurry out of the classroom and down the hall. I have an empty afternoon next, so that I can study for our Chemistry class tomorrow, and I’m on strict orders to head directly back to the rooms with no pit stops. Rafe, predictably, flipped out about the idea that I’d be walking through the castle by myself, but even Jesse had taken my side and told him he was going a bit overboard with the protective stuff.

I’m a cadet, after all. If I can’t even survive walking from the classroom to the dorm, what chance do I have on the battlefield?

I consider that, a little, as I head for the brass elevator at the end of the hall, climbing in and pressing the button for the dormitory floor. Because today, in Marksmanship, I considered for the first time – perhaps naively that we really are being trained for combat.

–

I don’t know why I hadn’t really thought about it before – perhaps I’m just naïve but…I don’t know. Something about running obstacle courses and getting class schedules and learning the chemical makeup of poisons had made it seem…theoretical. Part of a game, and a class, rather than preparation for the real world.

But today, shooting real weapons?

I don’t know – something about it made me really realize that…I’m being trained as a weapon myself. And that I’m going to be asked to kill people.

Especially if I become a sniper, as the school clearly hopes I will be. Am I prepared for this? For the reality of looking down a scope at a human being, and pulling the trigger?

A shiver runs through me as I consider it, and honestly I don’t know what the answer is to that question. I gnaw on my lower lip, troubled by it, as I cross the hall and head up the winding stairs to our top floor, still completely distracted as I work the key in our door and push into our room.

The only thing that breaks me out of my reverie is the…silence.

–

I look up and around the room suddenly, and realize that actually for the first time in weeks I am… completely alone. Like completely alone not just in absence of my brother and my cousin, but by myself.

And a grin takes my face, even despite my troubled thoughts.

I push the door shut and lean back against it, heaving a long sigh. I’ll talk to Rafe later, I decide, about my bigger questions of what it means to be part of a military organization at

war.

Because right now, for a few minutes? I am going to just be alone.

I immediately indulge, whipping my hat from my head and then stripping my shirt off, dropping it onto the floor before working at the clasp of my pants, stepping out of them as I walk towards the couch in my stupid boys underwear and the chest–flattening sports bra Daphne made me, my hands already unbraiding my hair so that I can run my fingers luxuriously against my scalp.

I sigh, collapsing onto the couch, my mind flashing – just a second hands felt in my hair, however briefly they touched it. But then I scowl at myself, and sigh, – to the way that Luca’s and will my mind to turn elsewhere, desperate to think of something else.

Because Luca – he’s being so weird. I mean, at least he didn’t blow my secret at breakfast, but what the hell is he doing, pretending it never happened?

I mean, is it possible? That he…actually forgets? We forget dreams all the time, but the dream state… it’s different, right? I, for one, remember everything.

But it was my dream – Alphas, they’re just the guest stars. Could he really have forgotten…

– –

I groan, and shake my head, realizing that I’ll never know.

But that tonight, it’s my turn to corner him and make demands of my own. I absolutely need to know what he knows, and what he’s got planned if, indeed, he has figured out the secret that I’m a girl.

And not just a girl – the nation’s Princess, and his mate.