The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 31

Jackson takes a long moment to size up Luca, I think feeling more comfortable with direct confrontation than small talk. “No secrets, Grant,” he says quietly. “Just genuinely f**king good at it.”

Luca’s smirk deepens. “At least you’re good for the grunt work,” he says quietly, and my spine straightens at the cruel edge to his words. “Even the military needs its brutes on the front line.”

The table goes quiet at the clear implication in Luca’s words. My eyes flick over Luca again, unsettled by this aggression.

“I seem to recall,” Jackson says slowly, carefully, “that I beat you out on the intelligence exam too, Grant.”

Jesse’s mouth forms into a scandalized, delighted little “o” as he looks eagerly between Jackson and Luca, and a scandalized little laugh stumbles from Ben’s mouth. Rafe and I are completely silent.

Luca just leans back in his chair and grins, flicking his eyes over Jackson like he knows he could take him.

Even though…honestly, he might be the only person at the table who believes that.

“Thanks for breakfast,” Jackson says, smoothly breaking the awkward silence and standing up from his chair.

“Stay,” I say, leaning forward, the word popping from my lips before I realize it.

“Nah, I’m finished, and I want to warm up,” Jackson says, pushing his chair in and looking towards the tray–bussing station. But before he goes, he flicks his blue gaze back to me and holds my eyes seriously. “But thank you for the invitation. No one…no one has asked me to eat with them yet. It means a lot.”

I stay still for a moment, captivated by his gaze, but then he just nods to me.

And I nod back.

And then he’s walking away.

“Ari, why the hell did you ask him to eat with us?” Rafe growls, leaning across the table to yell at me once Jackson’s out of earshot.

“Because I felt bad for him, Rafe,” I say, gesturing in Jackson’s direction. “Didn’t

– no one, for two whole weeks you hear what he just said

“And did you ever imagine,” Luca says, his voice dry, “that maybe there’s a reason why no one asked him to eat with them? Because he’s a dangerous jerk?”

idiot, Luca,” I say, my voice low. He blinks at me in surprise. “Don’t try to pretend I’m silly enough to not have bothered imagining why people might not like Jackson. But I also don’t imagine that most people have your particular reason for disliking him, okay?

he just stares at me, I think a little shocked to see the funny little Shrimp he’s gotten to know push back like this.

on earth are you two talking about?” Jesse asks,

up with his own tray and nodding up towards the clock. “No one’s talking about anything anymore. It’s

little as I grab my tray. Rafe waits patiently for Luca, Jesse, and Ben to move ahead, falling in

this,” he says quietly, glaring down at me, “the moment we get into the Academy. All right?”

at him, words on my lips ready

instead, my eyes crinkling as I look up at my brother. “Does

does,” he says, his voice sure. “I believe in you, Ari. Even if I’m going to kick your ass for that stunt the moment we get inside,” he sighs, slinging an arm around my shoulders as we head for the gym, “I do think you’re going to pull it out. You’re a Sinclair, after all. We don’t fail at shit like

in me at my brother’s confidence, and

think it’s precisely what I needed to hear as I head into the

Chapter 31

my fate.

and Rafe are invited in way before Ben and I. I give Jesse and Rafe both hugs and wish them good luck, knowing that I won’t see them again until the ceremony in which the final rankings are announced. We’ll be allowed back in the barracks after the obstacle course, but

ranked in the middle of the pack a status which will surely change after this obstacle run – I don’t have too long to

me a wink and a salute of good luck. I grin as I turn away from him, hoping to hell he makes it too – Ben, he’s

do my best to stand far away from him. As we pass through the door, I’m surprised to see a small group of Academy professors

him further, I do a bit of a double–take,

start line of the obstacle course, kneeling down and messing with the tie of his boot of all the things. What the

line. Once I’m there, the professors begin to move slowly down the line, the handsome professor at the center handing the orb to each of us in turn and observing us carefully for a few seconds before

looks any worse for the wear. So I attempt to

turn comes.

notes on a clip board as the professor comes to stand in front

looks me seriously in

hands, Clark. Nothing else is required of you.”

But no one answers me. As I stare at the orb, I realize that it’s not a solid ball of obsidian glass, but instead…clear glass, in which shadows swirl and pulse. I go still with surprise as I watch the black clouds, and as I stare I even see…little pulses of purple lightening flash through them,

you.

I jump a little before handing

mean, I didn’t actually do him any favors. He smirks at me, looking me up

when someone barks my name

I realize that all of the other candidates are lined up at the start of the course

L

a runners stance, ready to make a break for it when the