The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



"You're the only sniper, Ariel," Rafe says, dry. "And your specialization was noted on the form, which I wasn't happy about. I had hoped you would be a low-level candidate for picking as your specialization was a secret. We had to make...serious concessions to ensure that we got you."

"So you got me?" I gasp.

"It's unlikely that we didn't," Jackson says with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly not happy about it. "Like Rafe said, we made one hell of an offer for you."

"Awwww," I sigh, clasping my hands under my chin, looking at my brother and my mate with clear love all over my face.

"If you could...just pretend to be a boy," Ben laughs, reaching up and gently tugging on my wrists, begging me silently to drop my hands.

I laugh again, giving him a grin and slumping back in my chair in what I hope is a more manly position. The way Rafe smirks and rolls his eyes at me lets me know I've completely failed.

"Okay, so,” Ben says, leaning forward, wanting more details.

But on my other side, Luca stands up, looking towards the front of the room. "Results are out," he murmurs, starting towards the desk where a Lieutenant lays a few half-sheets of paper as Cadets all over the room likewise start to stand up. "You guys stay here, I'll bring them back."

None of the rest of us move, everyone just watching tensely as Luca makes his way to the table, grabs a few sheets, and hurries back before most of the other Cadets have even made their way to the table.noveldrama

"He's fast," I murmur with a frown, watching him.

"Luca's faster than most of us," Jesse murmurs. "Just be glad he doesn't come to morning run," he finishes, smirking at me and making me scowl, all of my smug joy at being on everyone's draft wish-list fading as I remember how damn slow I am.

Before we can get any further with that particular conversation, Luca comes back to the table with three sheets. I bend over the one that Ben and I share, scanning the lists.

"Oh no!" I say after a moment, my head whipping up. "You guys didn't get Ben!"

"Sorry, man," Rafe says, putting the sheet down and looking seriously at our friend. "You were our top ambassador seat, but..."

"It's cool, I was probably everyone's top ambassador seat," Ben says, pretending to be smug to hide his disappointment. "And I get it - you were prioritizing military prowess."

Rafe nods, his face betraying his clear regret at making Ben feel left out.

"I'm off too," Luca says with a sigh, and I gasp, spinning towards him.

"What!?"

He sighs as he lays the sheet out on the table in front of us, tapping his name where it's listed on...

My eyes go wide as I see the name of Luca's captains at the top of the sheet. Redman Blythe, whom I don't know, and...

“Alan Wright?" I breathe, staring first at Luca and then over at my brother and Jacks. "He's a captain!?"

"He unfortunately has a fine military mind," Rafe says with a scowl. "And has been working his ass off since his relative...disgrace. We protested it," Rafe says, gesturing between himself and Jackson while holding my gaze. "But...the Captain told us to back off."

"And Luca has to take his orders!?" I gasp, looking down at the sheet again.

"Your pet Tony, too," Luca says, tapping the list again and showing me that Tony's name is on the list somewhere below his own.

"You didn't get Tony either!?" I gasp, appalled, smacking my hands down on the table as I glare across it. "Rafe!"

"Why are you not blaming Jackson for this too?" Rafe asks, putting his own hands on the table and glaring at me right back.

"Because Jackson likes Tony," I counter, narrowing my eyes even further. "You don't."

"I was my call, Ari,” Jackson says, making me spin towards him. He shakes his head slowly. "We don't even know his specialization, and it was not listed. I'm not picking a guy for the team just because I like him - not when we were trying to hard to Keep Luca and Ben."

"Which clearly backfired!"

"We got three of the highest-ranked Cadets in the warrior track, Clark," Jackson says, holding my gaze sternly, not backing down as he points over at Jesse, clearly

including him in that group. "Abel

the

only sniper on the field. And to do that, we have the smallest number of Cadets on the team."

I glance down at the page, seeing that he's right - that there are at least five less Cadets on our team than anyone else's. And that this was largely a concession that they made to keep me.

I scowl a little, slumping back in my chair. "Okay, I'm sorry," I say a bit through my teeth, knowing I owe them the apology even if I'm not too happy about it. "I just...wanted us all together."

"In a real war situation, we will be,

ne

okay?" Rafe says, leaning forward towards me, willing to make peace I think because he knew that apology cost me a bit of pride. "But in these games, we have to see how we play with others, see if..there's anyone worth including on that eventual real-life team."

Jackson, besides him, nods his support to Rafe's claims.