The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 13

I sigh and drop my head back on my pillow as I finish my sandwich, curling up tight and pressing my eyes shut, going over every moment of my conversation with Luca in my

head.

Thinking about his handsome face, the way his eyes fell to my mouth, the ran down his spine —

The fact that I did that to him…

This is…

I sigh, feeling suddenly overwhelmed.

Because this is getting into some dangerous grounds, isn’t it?

way

the shiver

Some wonderful grounds, my wolf corrects, curling into a little crescent and tucking her nose warmly beneath the edge of her tail. Sneak back over – let’s see if we can make him go all shivery again!

No, I growl inwardly, shaking my head. Because as much as I’m completely distracted and fascinated by my new connections, I have to resist the urge to explore them right now. There’s far too much at stake –

If I let Luca or Jackson in too much, I could get caught and then I risk losing my shot at trying myself in the Academy and I’ll risk having to go home and fulfill my promise to marry Prince Edward. As much as I’m intrigued…

I have to keep my distance. Which means doing my best to avoid my mates during the two weeks of candidacy.

I can do that, right? Mates are forever – I will have time to explore my connections with them later, and right now I need to turn my mind to other things.

I can do this, I tell myself with a steady nod, my eyes still pressed shut.

No you can’t, my wolf sighs sleepily, closing her eyes.

But I just ignore her, determined, and steady my breathing, willing myself to fall asleep.

When a hand shakes my arm the next morning, I gasp awake out of a much–needed deep.

in

Chapter 13

dreamless sleep.

me from his perch

mutter, confused because it’s so quiet. Usually the mornings here are a mess of noise, all the candidates getting ready at once. I sit up and look around, realizing that

silently down from the side of the

single finger pressed to Jesse’s lips as he glances towards the still–sleeping Rafe. I grimace, realizing that if we’re going without my brother…

going

them before Jesse and I sneak quietly to the bathroom for our morning ablutions and then out the door of the

wasn’t much choice but to be able to sleep through a

slips a friendly arm around my shoulders as we walk out into the dawn light, the fresh morning air bracing as the door shuts behind us. But as we start to walk, I glance back at

“Like, why are we able to just walk in and out of

leads towards the hills. “Candidates are all here voluntarily and they’re all determined to hold themselves to the rules. Because the school is going to cut the bottom 20% anyway, there’s

and

run. Which is what we’re doing.” He gives me a wink and a little squeeze around the shoulders before dropping his arm and

drops open before I scowl at him. “You

starting off on the track at a gentle

some coffee before this, and then I hurry to catch up with my cousin, who I know is only doing this for my benefit anyway. I

he, infuriatingly, barely breaks a sweat. When we get to the top of a hill he signals to me to take a break and I put my hands on my knees, catching my

me,” I gasp, glaring at him. “I do…ballet.

have been prepping Rafe and I for this since we were kids.” He takes a deep breath, looking out over the gorgeous, hazy countryside with a smile. I follow his gaze as my breathing comes easier, likewise admiring the

become bastions of athletic prowess and I got to train to be a perfect wife and

my bitterness while still pointing out the truth. “That was all you. Mom was pissed as hell when Aunt

I ask, my eyes

“Yeah, she said that she had seen your future at your moonlight baptism and that guy was not your mate – so why the hell would we let you go into a marriage that we knew would fail? But Aunt Ella said you had

you knew the whole time too? And wait – they had this

little and runs his hand through his hair. “I may have been eavesdropping. Just

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a little bit.”

him but laughing as I do. Jesse – he’s always been

at me. “You trained your whole life to be a Queen, and it didn’t work out in that way, but the fact that your mate is here? Training for the Academy at the same time you are?” he shrugs and grins at me, a little baffled. “Honestly, I think it sounds a little bit like fate

“It feels like…grandma has a hand in

shaking his head a little at our inside

little surprised to hear him use my full name in such serious tones. I raise my eyebrows,

and puts a warm hand on my shoulder. “I get that you’re a big girl now, and that I have no right to tell you what to do, and that you’ve already got an overprotective big brother to play this role. But…”

I ask, a

figured