The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 41

Jesse and I quietly pack our rucksacks over the next half hour while Rafe pitches a fit with the Lieutenants, insisting that he be allowed to transfer to my team or me to his. Jesse grimaces at me, shaking his head to let me know that he doesn’t think that it’s going to work.

I just sigh and roll my eyes at my cousin, communicating that I don’t even want it to work. I mean, it would be different if I was being sent out in the forest with Jackson – but I’m not. As far as I know? No one on my little team of five people wants me dead.

Eventually the Captain is called over and he has about four short words to say to Rafe before my brother scowls and stalks back to our bunks, grabbing Luca along the way and dragging him with us.

“You,” Rafe snaps, shoving Luca to a stumbling stop before our bunks. “Are responsible for him.” He points a stark finger right at my face, his eyes still on Luca’s. “If Ari dies, you die. If he even gets a papercut, you get a papercut. Am I perfectly fucking clear?”

“Geeze,” Luca says, looking Rafe over with surprise and a little distaste as he runs a hand through his mussed hair. “Message taken, your Highness. I’d have done it anyway, all right? We’re friends.”

“You’d better fucking take this seriously –“ Rafe leans in, just getting started, but Jesse cuts in smoothly.

“It’s so nice to have friends,” he says, looping an arm around Luca’s shoulders and grinning broadly at my brother. “Let’s not try to drive them all away today, right? Rafe?”

Rafe scowls, leaning back and realizing that he’s going a little overboard.

I sigh and shove Rafe’s pack into his arms. Jesse and I prepared it while he had his meltdown at the front of the barracks.

Rafe sighs and slings it over his shoulder, glancing at all of the candidates who are starting to filter to the front of the room. “Fine,” he snaps, turning to me. “You take care of yourself, all right? You know how to do this shit. Don’t let anyone boss you around or take advantage of you.”

“Right back at you, cousin,” I say, giving him a little glare – because as much as I love my brother, it’s getting a little embarrassing at this point.

Rafe shakes his head at me as I pull my own pack on my shoulders and turn towards the front door. And then as a foursome, we start to walk forward.

“Good luck out there,” Jesse says, his voice calm as he gives me a harmless little punch on my shoulder. “You’re going to kill it.”

“Don’t be too jealous when I take first,” I say, grinning at him. And then we reach the door, and Jesse and Rafe start towards their groups – Rafe giving me another anxious look before Jesse drags him away.

And then, quite suddenly, it’s just me and Luca. Alone.

“What’s his deal with him?” Luca asks, frowning after Rafe. “He treats you like you’re made of glass or something.”

“It’s always been like that,” I sigh, staring after my big Alpha brother. “I’m the baby. I’ve always been kind of…a mascot.”

Luca laughs and turns his eyes to me, and I can’t help but burst into a grin when the full force of his smile hits me. “A mascot?”

“Sure,” I say, wrinkling my nose a little. “I’m the little spunky one. I get them all full of spirit and then send them out to kick ass while I cheer on the sidelines. All of the victory, none of the work.”

Luca laughs again, slinging his arm around my shoulders, and I know we both ignore the tingles that run through us like…god, I don’t know, like twinkling starlight under my skin, or fresh winter air blowing in the first snow, or something equally dramatic and wonderful.

“Well,” Luca sighs, starting to walk towards our numbered van and taking me with him, “no sitting on the sidelines today. Do you know how to do any of this survival shit?”

“A little bit,” I say, underplaying my knowledge in case it turns out that I forget it all when we’re out there.

“Good,” Luca sighs. “You teach me to start a fire, I’ll punch anyone who comes at you. Deal?”

“Deal,” I say, grinning. But my face falls when we reach out van and the rest of our group turns to us with cold expressions. I blink, surprised – because while I don’t know any of their names? They certainly know ours, and they’re not happy to see us.

“Well, look who it is,” says the tallest – a broadly built guy with dark hair and pale, pale skin. Next to him stand his shorter twin and another who looks unrelated, with dusky brown hair and freckles. “The Prince’s pet, and his pretty boy bodyguard.”