Ch. 86..90: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 86-90

Chapter 86

presses a

I usher Daphne into the room then, where she’s warmly greeted first by Rafe, who brotherly kiss to her cheek – making her blush and then by Jesse, who kisses her hand like a Duchess, making her laugh.

“Hi,” Luca says, stepping forward with his hand out, his dimples on full display as he greets. my friend. “I’m Luca Gra-”

“Oh, no need,” Daphne interrupts, smiling at him as she presses his hand. “I know who you all are –

Luca Grant, Ben Ternicki,” she peers around Rafe to where Jackson is hiding, “Jackson McClintock.”

“Impressive,” Rafe says, raising his eyebrows at her. “How do you know all that?”

“Well,” she says, grinning at my brother, “your dad pays me a lot of money to keep all of this information ready in my mind,” she says, tapping her temple with her forefinger and making me grin. “Honestly, I could probably rattle off all of your measurements, too.”

“Oh really,” Jesse says, a wicked grin on his lips as he leans forward. “And who amongst us has the largest…inseam.”

–

I groan, tilting my head back, wrapping my arm around Daphne’s honestly, that’s precisely the kind of joke I told him not to make –

“Oh, Jesse,” Daphne says, tilting her head and pouting her lips a little in mock pity as she steps forward, patting him consolingly on the shoulder. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

The entire room bursts into laughter, Jesse laughing especially hard with delight at my clever friend. I tug Daphne away to the couch, glancing at Jackson to see him smiling as well, though I can tell that he’s still uncomfortable.

“Did you bring us wine?” Rafe asks, taking the bottle from Daphne like a gracious host and raising his eyebrow at it. “You trying to get us kicked out, ma’am?”

“Oh, I figured,” she says, laughing just a little, “perhaps for later? For a little toast, just to say thanks for having me over?” She shrugs, anxious. “I mean, one bottle split between…” she

takes a second to count, “seven? Honestly, no one’s getting drunk off of that.”

Rafe concedes the point and thanks her graciously for the gift, placing it on the side table of his own little chair as the dumbwaiter’s bell rings. He and Jesse go off to get the food while Luca settles in on Daphne’s other side, chatting with her while I take a second to glance over at Ben and Jackson, who settle onto the floor on the other side of the coffee table.

Ben. I’m pleased to see, is being very warm to Jackson, as I knew he would be. A little thrill of happiness passes through me because Ben he’s really wonderful, isn’t he?

We’re so lucky to have him here with us.

Hope he makes it through the Examination, my wolf says suddenly, pacing anxiously in soul.

I go still at the thought.

my

The Examination – it’s scheduled for next week, and even though we all know it’s coming inevitably along, we’re all anxious about it. There have been no hints – absolutely none- about what it will entail.

But Ben – even beyond the Examination – is he even doing well in his studies? He’s been working out alongside Jesse and Rafe just like me but…has it been enough?

Is there more I could have done?

“Right, Ari?” Luca asks, and I turn, suddenly distracted.

“Hmm?” I say, glancing once more towards Ben, still worried, but my Princess instincts take over and I turn my mind towards my guest, wanting her to feel at home.

“I was telling Daphne she should come to the City for midwinter,” Luca says, smiling at me, and I burst into a grin as I look between them.

“You should!” I say instantly. “I would love it – I can introduce you to so many people, and we can go shopping –”

“Excuse me,” Luca says, pretending to be offended as he presses his hand to his chest, “I invited Daphne to come see me at midwinter, at my fight. Not to hang out with you.”

Emergency calls only

* .096%

D96% 15:38

“Oh, boring fights aside,” I say, flapping a hand at him, “she’s my friend, Luca.”

“The fight’s not going to be boring,” a voice says, and I turn in surprise to see Jackson sitting with his arms looped around his knees, clearly listening in on our conversation with Ben at his side. The room

falls quiet even as Rafe and Jesse come back, laying plates on the table as we all give Jackson our full attention.

“No?” I ask, raising an eyebrow, perhaps the most shocked of us all Luca, of course.

–

except for maybe

“No way.” Jackson says, shaking his head and meeting Luca’s eyes. “It’s going to be the show of the century there hasn’t been a fight against the Atalaxians in decades. Not only do we get to kick their ass, but we get to see what fighting techniques they’re developing over there.”

I turn to Luca then, a little swell of pleasure running through me to see his lips starting to curl into a smile on one side. “Do you like boxing, Jackson?”

“Of course,” Jackson says, his eyebrows going up like it’s obvious.

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” Luca’s curiosity has a hint of suspicion to it, though I wonder if only I can hear it since we’ve gotten so close recently.

“Did you give me much of a chance?” Jackson aska, his voice quiet, a little curl in the corner. of his own lip.

I burst into a grin, turning back to Luca, who just laughs. “Well, then you’ll have to come too,” he says, nodding quickly before turning back to Daphne and chatting with her more. I grin at him over her shoulder, grateful that he’s come to what feels like a bit of a truce with Jacks.

When I I turn to my other mate, I to find his eyes already on me.

can come, you know,” I say softly to Jackson, though I know his Alpha hearing picks up on it despite the fuss in the rest of the room.

“We’ll see,” he replies, quiet. Jackson nods once, and then turns his attention back to Ben as Jesse hands him a plate of food.

Dinner and the rest of the evening passes beautifully, just as I hoped it would. I’m replete with happiness as the hours pass, as everyone begins to relax into casual conversation and a great deal of laughter. Daphne, I note, blushes every time Rafe talks to her at first. But as the evening goes by, she calms, letting her personality show more and more.

in a way

Jesse, to my surprise, brings it out of her the most. He teases her at all the right times, never

that makes her feel self–conscious but always in a way that makes her laugh. Then, Jesse very casually opens about a thousand conversational doors for Daphne to tease him right back. He takes each and every one of her ribs with a great deal of genuine pleasure, beaming at her, and I can’t help it as I smile between them.

all Jesse he wants everyone to think him the heartless playboy, doesn’t he? But in the end, he really wants tonight is for Daphne to feel warm and happy. I sigh, considering that my cousin really is a good guy. I wonder, passively, why he tries to hide it.

As the evening progresses, Daphne finds a moment to lean hard against my side, taking a deep breath as Rafe gets up and crosses to the fireplace, joining in the boxing chat with the rest of the boys.

“I’m having so much fun,” she breathes, glancing at me before looking back at all of them. “Also, well done here, Ari!”

“Hmm?” I ask, pleased by the compliment but having no real idea what she’s talking about.

“Your collection,” she says, gesturing towards all the boys by the fire. “Seriously, some cuties here a lot of girls would pay a great deal of money to be a fly on this wall –

–

“And here you are, on my couch,” I say, laughing and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze.

“Very glad to be on this couch,” she says, and then she wrinkles her nose at me, lowering her voice. “How are things going with Luca?”

I bite my lip, grinning at her, which is apparently all she needs. Daphne squeals lightly with pleasure, grabbing my hand. Ben laughs when he hears her, though the other boys don’t respond. He grins, shaking his head at me, but darts his eyes towards Jackson. I nod, letting him know I understand.

“Ben says

we’re being too girly,” I whisper, dropping Daphne’s hand and giving her a little

Emergency calls only

push on the shoulder so that she scoots away a bit.

D96%

15:26

“Oh,” she says, her face falling a little. But then she glances back towards Ben. “So, what’s his deal, anyway?”

“Ben?” I ask, glancing towards him with a grin. “Why, are you interested?”

“No,” she says, coking her head to the side and considering him. “He’s not my type, but… well, Luca, I understand why he hasn’t hit on me. And Jackson seems very shy but…Ben….”

I tilt my own head to the side, considering it and realizing that she’s right.

And I consider, perhaps for the first time, that Ben has never hit on me either. I mean, I get that he’s not going to like every girl that walks into the room but…

What, really, is Ben’s deal?

Chapter 87

I study Ben for a long moment, really paying attention to him for the first time in a long time. At my side, I can feel Daphne do the same. And as I watch I notice…

the

Well, I notice the way that he looks at Rafe. The way that he tilts his head back to look up at my brother, the way he laughs at Rafe’s joke – which is not very funny, to be honest way his eyes don’t leave him even as Luca begins to talk.

And my spine stiffens just a little bit as I realize…

But I glance at Daphne, wondering if she sees what I see, but not wanting to bring it up because, I mean, Ben’s never brought it up. And who am I to speculate on something that he might very well want to keep to himself?

But as I glance Daphne, I realize that she’s actually not looking at Ben at all. Instead, her eyes are fixed on Jackson, of all people, as he stands with his hands in his pockets, listening intently but not adding to the conversation.

My little wolf jumps to her feet inside me, her teeth bared. But I brush a hand over her fur, even though I, too, am jealous. Because Daphne – she doesn’t know about my claim on Jackson, does she?

And even if she did who the hell am I to say anything at all about her liking him? After all, I’m basically in a relationship with Luca, who is standing two feet from the man I’m getting all jealous over.

Who the hell am I to scold anyone for looking with interest at someone else?

“So,” I say, leaning closer to bump my shoulder against Daphne’s. “You like ‘em big, hmm?”

She starts a little and glances at me, but then she bursts into laughter as she realizes that she’s been caught staring at Jackson. “Yeah, Ari,” she says, stretching her arms over her head as she grimaces a little in embarrassment. “I guess between Rafe Sinclair and that other one over there, you’ve figured out my type. I like a big boy.”

I grin. “I mean, they’re all big,” I say, shrugging.

“I know, we’re just spoiled,” she sighs, propping her chin in her hand and gazing over at all of the eye candy. Even Ben, the smallest of the group, is well–muscled and over six feet tall. Rafe and Jackson… they’re just something else.

Jesse, maybe overhearing us, suddenly separates himself from the group and comes to flop down on Daphne’s other side. “Did I hear you two talking about me?” he asks, too casual, trying to keep the smirk from his face. “Something about dreamboats? Celebrity crushes? Undying love?”

“Sorry, Jess,” I say, laughing at him and standing up, wanting to give him a minute alone with Daphne to shoot his shot. “As much as I love you, cousins are not my type.”

“I knew you were wise, Ari,” he says, grinning at me as I step away. Then, he turns his attention back to Daphne. “So,” he says, smiling gently at her. “Let me down easy, Daph. Which one of them has stolen you away from me?”

She grins, shaking her head at him, but she doesn’t say a word.

Jesse groans, tilting his head back. “Oh no,” he murmurs, devastation in every line of his face.

“What!?” Daphne laughs.

“You’re not saying anyone,” Jesse says, his eyes shut, shaking his head. “Which means…it’s

Rafe.”

Daphne just laughs again, harder now, and Jesse opens his eyes, peeking at her. “It’s always Rafe. Do you know how many loves of my life I’ve lost to that man? If he wasn’t my cousin, I’d toss him straight off a cliff.”

Daphne grins. “Sorry to break it to you, your Grace, but don’t bother killing your cousin thinking that would fix anything. I’m not even sure you’d be my second choice.”

Jesse gapes at her and then glances over at the group of men. He gasps then, turning back, “McClintock!?”

Daphne grimaces and Jesse groans again. “Cruel woman,” he mutters, dragging a hand.

down his face.

“You’ll always be a dear friend, Jesse Sinclair, Daphine sighs, still laughing, enjoying the hell out of herself.

“The words of death.” Jesse sighs, still smiling at her. “Friendzoned. But I accept it. I’m at good friend, if you’ll let me be it.” He offers his hand to her, ready to shake on it. “I’ll even put in a good word for you with my good–looking cousin.”

Daphne smirks, looking at Jesse askance with some suspicion in her eyes. “This isn’t just a ploy to trick me into falling in love with you, is it?” she asks. “Oldest trick in the book, you know – pretending to be a girl’s friend, get her laughing, console her when she cries, and then BOOM! Before she knows it, she wakes up in your bed.”

“Well, as amazing as that sounds,” Jesse says, tilting his head to the side and giving her a significant look that makes Daphne laugh again. “No, I mean it,” he says, still offering hist hand. “If you want me to

be your friend, I’ll be your friend. No tricks, no strings attached.”

“Hmm,” Daphne says, narrowing her eyes a little as she slips her hand into his, accepting his offer. “Honestly, Jesse Sinclair, I think I was hoping you’d try for me a little harder than

that.”

“Daphne,” he says, her name a sigh on his lips as he shakes his head and raises her hand to his mouth, “if you ever really want me to stop being your friend and try Instead?…just say the word.” And then he presses a kiss to her knuckles – a real one this time, not a joke like it was before.

And Daphne? She finds herself smiling at Jesse now, a little intrigued despite herself.

I walk away as Jesse and Daphne talk, letting them have a minute to themselves, trusting Jesse to be the gentleman that I know he can be. I’m not very surprised, though, when Jackson loosens himself from the group at the fire and steps over towards me.

I also don’t miss the fact that Luca watches him go and meets my eyes, clenching his jaw and looking not very pleased. But I smile at him and he nods before turning back to my brother and Ben, continuing whatever it is they were chatting about.

“So, are you surviving?” I ask, smiling up at Jackson and giving him my full attention for the first time since others started arriving. “It’s not so bad, right?”

“It’s not,” Jackson says, hesitating as he runs a hand through his hair and looks around. “Although, honestly, it’s a little exhausting you guys do this every night?”

–

“Yes, Jacks,” I say, grinning at him, unable to take my eyes away. “It’s called having friends.”

He turns back to me and scrunches his face a little bit, like he doesn’t like the idea very much, which makes me burst out laughing.

“And how are you handling the girl,” I say, turning a little to tilt my head towards Daphne, who is talking pretty intently with Jesse on the couch.

Jackson scowls a little. “How’d you know I was nervous about that?”

“Oh, just all the blood rushing from your face, and the look like a deer ready to bolt from the road when it faces down a sixteen–wheeler,” I say, giving a casual shrug. Jackson smirks, glancing at me and shaking his head.

“I just don’t know a lot of girls,” he murmurs, his voice so low I can barely hear it.

“Really?” I ask, frowning at him. “Did you go to like, an all–boys school or something? Don’t

have any girls in your family?

you

Jackson turns to me for a second, studying my face like I’ve said something a little ridiculous. And then he just laughs a little. “No, Ari.”

“No to what?” I ask, confused suddenly. “No cousins? No…boys school?”

“No to all of it,” he says with a sigh. “I never went to school. I don’t have cousins.”

“You never went to school!?” I ask, kind of appalled. I stare at him, my mouth open. I’m shocked first that he was homeschooled, which is so rare these days, and second that I didn’t know

any of this after months of getting closer to him. “Are you like…an only child?”

“Ari,” Jackson says, turning his head at me like he’s surprised, too, that I don’t know. “I don’t have parents.”

My mouth just hangs open as I stare at him, frozen, because…

Because what the hell!?

I had no idea! I mean, he never mentioned anyone, but he never mentions anything –

1 step closer to my mate, a thousand questions flooding my mind, but before I can ask Daphne stands up and clears her throat, immediately drawing all of the boys‘ attention to her. I’m the last to look, distracted as 1 am by this bombshell that Jackson just dropped.

“Actually.” Daphne says, suddenly awkward as she looks around. “Shall we have that…toast?”

Rafe, ever considerate, immediately moves to her side and begins to open the bottle of wine as Jesse grabs some paper cups from the bathroom, apologizing for the lack of glassware even though he knows none of us care.

I sigh, glancing up at Jackson with a frown to let him know that this is not the end of this conversation. He ignores me, though, watching the action and accepting his little glass of wine as Rafe and Jesse come around.

I accept mine too, Luca moving to my other side and toasting my little paper cup with his.

“Thank you so much for having me tonight,” Daphne says, smiling around at us and raising her own little paper cup in the air after Rafe has filled it with the last of the bottle. “To…new friendships, yes?”

She smiles around at us and I smile back, but I hesitate when I see that…

That Daphne, she’s more nervous than she usually is, especially after a night of laughing with us. Something’s not quite right, is it?

I’m frowning at her as she catches my eye, but then she lifts her cup again, saluting me in particular, and I don’t want to be rude so I raise my own cup in her direction and then drink it down.

I make a little face, though, because the wine – it’s more saccharine than I’m used to. I glance up at Jackson, who is likewise frowning at his empty cup, and then over at Luca, who glances around before his eyes land on me.

“That’s…” he says, studying his glass. “Is something…wrong with it?”

“I’m sorry,” Daphne whispers, and all of our eyes snap to her, my own going to the still–full cup of wine in her hand. “I’m so, so sorry, everyone,” she says.

And as soon as she says it, I feel the exhaustion overtake me. I give a little gasp as Jackson crumples to the ground at my side, and then Luca and Rafe and Jesse and Ben all fall

I catch Daphne’s eye, guilt and devastation on her face as 1, too, collapse to the ground.

Chapter 88

I gasp when my eyes fly open, hauling breath into my lungs as if I’ve just broken out of a pool of water.

I immediately it up. panting, staring around at my unfamiliar surroundings. And my

thought, absurdly, is that I’m in the dream state-

Because this – this is not the dorm room that I was in with my friends ten seconds ago.

first

No, as I look around I realize that I’m in the woods now. But it takes me a few moments and blinks to realize that these are not the dream woods in which I meet Luca – but real woods. And it’s dusk, which is absurd, because it was just night time, but why…

My instincts come back to me in bits and pieces and I curl my legs beneath me, ready to get to my feet as I look warily around, trying to figure out what the hell is going on here. My body feels sluggish and tired, but I would swear that moments ago I was drinking a toast with Daphne

Daphne, who I suddenly remember betrayed us. But why!?

I dart my eyes around, trying to figure out my surroundings, how I got here, why I’m all alone, and I almost jump when I turn to see a wooden box behind me.

Ari Clark, it says, my name written onto a piece of paper nailed to the top. I just stare at it for a long moment, putting together the clues.

I’m here, alone, in the woods, with a long box with my fake name on it.

And the only ones who use my fake name are…the Academy…

Suddenly, as I move my hands to the box and flip open the lid, I figure it out.

The Examination. This is the damn Examination – they lied to us, telling us it was next week so that we wouldn’t suspect or prepare. And Daphne didn’t betray us – she was just doing her damn job, drugging us with the wine so that they could get us here to be…to be examined, I guess.

I glance around in the box, which doesn’t hold much, though I admit that the contents are fascinating. For a moment I ignore the long crossbow and the set of six vials, opting instead for the little folded piece of paper, which surely has the thing I want most in the world right now: information.

My hands shaking a little, I sink back onto the ground with my legs underneath me, my eyes flying over the note as I unfold it.

Cadet Clark, it begins.

Your Examination begins the moment you wake and read this note. In order to continue at the Academy in the spring term, you are required to be amongst the top 60% of cadets in your year who pass the Examination.

The Examination ends when you reach the Final Destination, noted on the included map.

I take my eyes away from the letter just for a moment, glancing into the box to see that there is indeed a map inside along with a small compass.

All cadets have been given the same map and compass, though yours has been marked with your unique starting point. The other supplies in the bin have been given to you by the professors in your specific discipline in order to aid you on your mission to reach the Final Destination quickly and ahead of your fellow cadets. Please note that only the first 60% of cadets to reach the finish line will be invited back in the Spring term; even if you do reach the Final Destination, if you cross the finish line too late, you will not be invited back.

your

The supplies included have been designed by your professors to aid you to slow any of fellow candidates on their own way to the Destination, should that be part of your tactics. However, be aware that these supplies are not designed to kill. While this is a war simulation at a military academy, your fellow candidates are your countrymen. Any blatant acts designed specifically to kill will be met with strict discipline.

My eyes go wide at this warning because….well, I mean, they’ve given me a cross bow, haven’t they? What do they want me to do with it, make friends?

I return my attention back to the page, finishing the letter in a quick glance.

You have thirty–six hours to reach the Final Destination. Any candidate who takes longer than that will not pass. We wish you the best of luck.

I glance through the note one more time, my mind coming fully back to me now adrenaline starts to pump through my veins. Once I’m sure that I’ve committed it all to memory. I crumple it and toss it into the corner of the box, sorting quickly through my supplies as I glance around the forest, eager to get on the move.

1

Because it’s not only that I’m on a short timeline here, but I’m also newly aware that the vast majority of my fellow cadets are now my enemies, seeking to slow me down. And considering who I am, and how small I am?

I’m easy pickings, all alone like this. No, I’ve got to move, and fast.

My hands shake a little as I strap the crossbow to my back, examining the quiver full of arrows lightening fast before I attach their little belt to my hip. All their points, I noted, are suitably dulled – not designed to rip through flesh, just, as the note suggested, to do enough damage to slow someone down.

Unless you get someone in the eye, my wolf says, her hackles raised, all of her instincts on high alert as she turns around, examining the forest as I pick up the set of vials at the bottom of the box.

1 smirk a little at her comment, because – quite frankly – I’m good enough with a crossbow now that I could sink an arrow into someone’s eye. Not that I’d do that, I don’t think, but….

I mean, would I?

If I were pushed to it, could I kill someone, even a countryman, as the note says?

My wolf hesitates alongside me, but I brush the thought away, forcing myself to concentrate on the supplies after another quick glance around the quiet forest.

I immediately recognize the chemicals as those from Neumann’s collection and, considering my expertise, I know precisely what to do with them. The collection, as the note suggests, includes enough ingredients for me to make a moderately toxic poison that will definitely stop a cadet in their tracks but won’t kill them. The kit also cleverly contains a series of decoy chemicals, designed to trick an espionage–track cadet who hasn’t properly studied our textbook.

But me? I studied.

Lightening fast, I quickly mix the correct toxin and then hurl the remaining vials into the forest, wanting them out of sight. Then I grab the canteen of water from the back of the box, quickly chugging as much

as I can from it before dumping the toxin in it, making sure that I get in every last drop. Then this vial, too, I throw into the woods.

1

Finally, I grab my map and an apple from the bottom of the box, leaving the rest of the food behind, knowing that on my small frame I won’t be able to carry it. Thirty–six hours I can go that long without food and water, and I need to be fast.

So 1 chew the apple as I go, consulting my compass and then moving north in the direction that the map indicates the Final Destination lays. As I pass out of my little starting grove, I casually drop my water canteen behind, almost like I did it by mistake as I ran.

I’m not going to get a chance, after all, to get close enough to any of my fellow cadets to press the toxin directly to their skin or their faces. Getting close enough to do that would mean that I got knocked out before I even had a chance.

So my best chance? A scavenger cadet who is loading up on lost supplies.

I clench my teeth as I move away from the canteen, glancing at my map and the landscape around me, trying to figure out my best route.

All the while wondering desperately how the hell I’m going to get through this in time.

And where the hell my family and friends are.

As I plunge into the woods, I hope desperately that they, too, are safe and on the move.

Chapter 89

My feet carry me quickly through the woods as I survey the map, swiftly making sense of it and matching physical landmarks with the points on the page. Inwardly, I think gratefully of my dad and my uncle Roger, who brought me along on those early camping trips and showed me how to do this sort of work, not leaving me out. I mean, Rafe and Jesse certainly got more training in this than me as we got older – they could find their way home in the dark, just by looking at the stars.

But me? I’m confident in my map reading skills, and I bless them now.

When I identify a ridge running along my right and realize that I simply have to follow this until I reach a man–made bridge – which seems, honestly, a little too easy

I fold the map and shove it deep into my back pocket. Then I set my sights ahead and hurry my steps, keeping my ears open for any other movement in the forest around me.

My wolf, inside me, has her hackles raised and her instincts trained on everything around us. Shift into me, she commands, her teeth bared even at the sound of the wind rustling through the branches. I’m faster, stronger. I can bite and tear anyone who comes near…

For a long moment I consider it, but then I shake my head and carry on in my human form. Too much risk, unfortunately, of being identified as female if I’m spotted as my rose- gold wolf. Not to mention my natural scent will be on full display, meaning that pretty much everyone would be well aware that there’s a girl running around the Examination.

Plus, my instincts will be that of an animal. It’s not that you lose your human thoughts as a wolf, just that they become…secondary.

And I really, really need to keep my wits about me.

My wolf growls, displeased with my choice, and mentally I bury my fingers thick into her hair. I will if I have to, I promise her, the feel of her fur against my hand bringing us both comfort and strength.

I continue forward, my mind set on our trek.

As I move into a clearer space along the ridge my eyes move, inevitably, to the jagged mountain that rises before me, slightly north–east from my current position. I swear,

lightly, as my eyes take it in and 1 slip the map out of my back pocket, consulting it to confirm what I already know.

Yup – there, right at the top. That’s our Final Destination.

I curse the stupid map, which makes the trek look ridiculously simplistic and short. Just cross the river! Then the plane! Up the hill, and to the end!

But the reality of it?

The mountain is sheer cliff–face at some points, rocky shale just begging to crack and bring you crashing down to your death. I swallow heavily, missing my canteen suddenly, but simultaneously grateful that Rafe and Jesse made me do so much upper–body work. I’m going to need it, at some points, to do some quite literal bouldering. God, am I going to have to like…dangle out over open air? Surely there’s an easier path, perhaps around the side of the mountain where I can’t currently see-

My head whips suddenly to the left and I freeze, hearing voices in the distance.

Voices, plural. Shit.

Unlike me, some cadets have found their friends or at least some temporary allies and are moving in a pack.

I curse under my breath, quickly scanning the ridgeline and darting directly for a set of bushes. I don’t have a chance, I know, caught alone like this. I’m such easy pickings, and knocking any candidate out is a win at this point.

I tuck myself behind the bushes and slightly under them, pulling the crossbow down over my back and silently loading an arrow even as I keep my eyes trained ahead, towards the voices. Passively, I thank the captain for making me load a crossbow so many times I could do it in my sleep.

It takes longer than I thought it would for the cadets to appear, and while this is half a blessing – giving my scent time to disperse in the air – it certainly makes me scowl, because every minute gone is a minute wasted. Speed, I know, is the only thing I’ve got on my side here but if I have to duck under a bush every five minutes?

Being fast on my feet isn’t going to help me, is it?

“Come on,” a cadet 1 don’t recognize says, pointing left towards the ridge I was following. “This way – we follow to the bridge.

I nod slightly, my own plan confirmed in his.

“A fucking bridge?” another says, shaking his head, even as he turns in that direction. “It has to be a trap if everyone’s heading for the bridge…”

“Well then we’ll have to be the first ones to get there, won’t we?” says a third, his voice a little wicked. The first two turn to stare at him, and then they all laugh together – a dark sound.

I scowl again as I figure out the import of their words, their laughter.

If they get there first, they can be the ones to set the

trap.

A seemingly endless string of curses forms itself in my mind because…what the hell am I going to do? If cadets spring a trap at the bridge, using it to harm or slow others….

How the hell am I going to get across? I certainly don’t have the brawn to muscle through…

I’m itching to reach into my back pocket for my map, to reconsider my route, my plan, but I force myself to stay still and not do anything to draw attention to myself as the three cadets prepare to move forward. I’m working out my plan about how closely to follow when suddenly a fourth and a fifth cadet emerge from the woods.

I go even stiller, if possible. Because while I didn’t know the first three…these two?

I know these two..

“Peace,” Alan Wright says, raising his hands to shoulder height to show he doesn’t mean any harm, even though he’s got a sturdy staff held in his left hand. “We’ve got no trouble with

if you don’t have any with us.”

you

I scowl a little, displeased to see that warrior–track students like Wright have been given weapons. Like they need them, when their bodies themselves are already weapons on their

own.

My eyes shift to Perry Gibson at his side, who I assume is ambassador track. He doesn’t have anything on him given to him by his professors – at least not that I can see. But what

would an ambassador student even be given in a situation like this?

I put the question out of my mind, focusing instead on the response from the first three cadets.

The other three cadets look over Wright and Perry anxiously, backing away but agreeing to a truce. None of them, I see, are truly interested in attacking each other if it means they could be hurt so early in the Examination.

I exhale in relief as I see the first three cadets turn and move forward, clearly eager to get to the bridge first to either cross it or set their trap. Or both.

Perry takes the map from his back pocket and he and Alan consult it together, noting alternate tracks to the Final Destination as I had considered doing, though their murmurs indicate that they, too, see the bridge as the fastest route.

Perry shoves the map back into his pocket before taking a step forward, his jaw set, his feet eager to continue when suddenly Wright reaches out and grabs him by the arm.

I go still even stiller than before when I see Wright raise his nose, scenting the air.

My wolf snarls within me, her hackles raising, because by the smirk on his lips I know that I’ve been caught.

My finger tenses on the trigger of my crossbow and I shift it slightly, taking aim.

“What?” Perry snaps, turning to glare at Wright. “Let go of me we need to get a move on!”

“Wait just a second, Perry.” Wright murmurs, slowly turning to look directly at my bush. “I think I smell… a rat.”

I make an impulsive decision, hoping to my grandmother the Goddess that it saves my life.

Baring my teeth with a vicious snarl, I take aim with my crossbow and pull the trigger.

Chapter 90My bolt flies as Wright charges directly for me, his eyes focusing on my exact location either by dint of my scent or my snarl. He dodges, though, at the last second, when he sees the crossbow bolt flying directly for his chest

His quick movement works and the bolt glances off his arm, ripping through the fabric of his uniform and spraying blood into the air. Wright roars, turning to survey the damage even as he stumbles towards me. Perry’s face is the picture of shock and confusion, but I don’t bother to give him more than a glance as I spin, leaping to my feet even as I load another quarrel.

As fast as I am, it’s too slow. Just as I get the bolt into place and spin on my feet to shoot. again, Wright’s full weight hits me like a freight train, knocking me to the ground. I shout in pain and fear as he lands on top of me, but the sound leaves me in a rush along with the rest of my breath..

“Fucking bastard,” Wright snarls, and even as I gasp, trying to get more breath into my lungs, I can smell the scent of his blood on the air.

Even in my pain and panic, something is satisfied at that.

But Wright grabs my face, whipping it towards him, my cheeks pressed between his fingers. as he pins me down with his weight, snarling down into my face. “What, little Shrimp,” he snaps, using my nickname like the dirty word he probably imagines it to be, “got no recourse without your prince, or your

duke, or your boxer to save you!?

I snarl, but Wright shakes my head viciously, addling my thoughts. He releases me for a second, but I groan when I feel him plants his hand on the side of my face and press, hard, so that the whole left side of my head is pressed into the dirt.

that

“This is for Graham,” Wright whispers, violent and cruel as he begins to press down. I gasp in pain and fear as I realize that he’s going to crush my whole head under his hand he could probably do it, if he puts his whole weight into the act –

“Wright!” Perry shouts from behind. “Come on, there’s no time for this!”

“He’s the reason my brother’s life is nothing now!” Wright shouts, his voice frantic in the

killing rage in which he’s caught.

“Don’t fucking kill him!” Perry shrieks, and I feel a disturbance in Wright’s weight, even as [ thrash uselessly in my panic, trying to get him off of me, to save my life. “You read the note

heard what it said you’ll be kicked out, even if you make it!”

you

“He – ”

–

But Wright doesn’t get to finish his words because there’s a sudden earth–shattering roar behind him.

Perry shrieks first a shrill, terrified noise that ends suddenly in a cry of pain.

And then Wright goes still, turning, and I see his eyes go wide as the roar sounds again and he’s whipped off of me, a huge paw connecting with his chest and tossing him through the air like a ragdoll.

My eyes go wide as I stare at the huge wolf standing above me, one leg over my laid–out body-

Because, I mean, I’ve seen my dad’s wolf form before, so I am used to big wolves. So, when I say this one is huge….

God, he could give a polar bear a run for his

money.

But there’s no time to think on it as the wolf standing above me snarls at the cadets in front of him, his teeth fully bared in warning and malice. For an instant – just barely – I’m terrified that I’m next that this is just some rogue cadet who is taking out everyone in his path so that he can get to the Destination first-

–

But then, I catch his scent. And my fear drops from me in a second.

Because it’s… it’s Jackson, standing across me, just begging Wright and his little crony to challenge him to a fight.

I lift myself to my elbows, looking to my left where Perry is holding his hands up and Wright is moaning, rubbing his back where it clearly hit a tree.

“We’ll

go, all right!?” Perry shouts, glaring at Jackson and edging towards the ridge line.

“Call it even!”

In an instant, Jackson shifts, his breath heaving in him as he shrinks in on himself and takes. his human form again, one leg still spread on either side of my body. “Even!?” he snaps, clearly livid. “You

want to call this fucking even!? You were going to kill him!”

“Well, we didn’t,” Wright snarls, getting to his feet. “Come on, Perry, let’s go.”

As I watch, Wright turns, heading fast towards the edge of the ridge, through the brush and away from the clearer path. Jackson moves to follow, to chase to do what, I don’t know, maybe kill him for wanting to kill me?

–

cheek But quickly I grab his ankle. “Just let them go, Jacks,” I murmur, lifting a hand to my and rubbing it, wondering if Wright has done some real damage there. God, he tried to crush my skull, and it aches-

“What are you even doing here?” Jackson snaps, and I look up at him, confused. And then I scowl, getting pissed myself.

“Oh, you know, just laying out, enjoying the sun,” I quip, angry, dropping my hand from his ankle and leaning back on my elbows. When Jackson narrows his eyes at me, I do the same. “I’m doing the same thing you are, Jacks! Trying to get to the top of the fucking mountain!”

“Well obviously, Clark,” he snaps, continuing to glare even as he steps away from me and offers a hand to help me up. “What are you doing here!?” he asks, gesturing at the grove.

around us.

I stare at him as he pulls me to my feet, confused. “I’m not doing anything here,” I murmur, looking around. “I was just hiding because I heard voices I was on my way to the bridge. Why? Is there…is there something special about…here?”

–

Jackson sighs, turning away from me and confusing me more when he lifts his nose to the air, moving around, sniffing eagerly like he’s on the hunt. “Of course you’re fucking here,” he mutters, shaking his head, angry.

I just stare at him, wondering if he’s snapped or something, mentally. “What?”

“Of course!” he shouts, whirling on me, glaring harder now. “Of course you’re here, where her scent leads! Like you always fucking are!”

I groan, realizing what happened that somehow he caught a whiff of my girl scent, hist mate’s scent, and came running. That he wasn’t here to help me, Ari Clark, he was here to help his mate.

Who, of course, I realize is also me.

God, this is just going to cause trouble.

“She’s not fucking here, Jackson,” I sigh, rolling my eyes, wondering how fast I can get through the speech this time. “Come on, we have to go

–

Η

I start towards the ridge again, eager to get to the bridge, well aware that I’ve already wasted way too much time, when suddenly a huge hand grabs my shirt, pulling me close.

“She is here, Clark!” Jackson shouts, shaking me and shouting down into my face. “I can smell her I can smell hear fear!”

“Her her fear?” I ask, my voice softer now in its confusion.

“Yes!” he snaps, dropping me and turning in a frantic circle, scanning the trees. “I can smell. her – I know she’s scared she’s here, and she’s scared, and I’m not leaving until I find her! I-”

I groan, putting my face in my hands, shaking my head, realizing that this is a horrible trap. for Jackson to have fallen into. Because it’s his mate he’ll spend all thirty–six hours of this Examination in these woods looking for her, looking for me, if he seriously thinks she’s here and in trouble.

Which, of course, I was.

But Jackson doesn’t realize that he already did his job and saved his mate’s life! He’s still all worked up, thinking he has to find her!

Honestly, what the hell am I supposed to do with this!?

“Jackson!” I shout, whipping my hands down from my face and taking three short steps towards him, grabbing his arm and pulling hard so that he half turns towards me. “She’s not here!”

“She is here!” his eyes still frantically scan the treeline, ignoring me.

Making a snap decision I jump, whipping my hand forward and smacking him on the side of the head.