The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 76

Jesse groans, covering his face with his hands and falling back in his chair, but Rafe just leans forward, his tone still dangerous even if Jesse and I have given it up.

“Who the fuck have you told, Ben?”

Ben is silent for a second, the picture of shock. But then he leans forward, staring into Rafe’s face a little angrily. “No one, Rafe! Obviously, I haven’t told anyone, or else she wouldn’t be here!”

“I think he’s telling the truth, Rafe,” I say, turning to my brother with a grimace. “They wouldn’t have let me in if they knew who I am.”

Rafe glares at me for a second before turning his eyes back to Ben. “That doesn’t mean he didn’t tell any of the other cadets.”

“Who the hell else would I have told,” Ben says, leaning forward with his open palms out, “I only hang out with you guys –“

Rafe sneers. “You could have told anyone for the leverage.”

“Oh my god,” Ben says, exhaling and shocking me because he actually has the nerve to roll his eyes. “Whatever, Rafe – I mean, I get that you’re protective, but honestly if you trust me this little after everything then maybe I should just go –“

Ben starts to push himself to his knees.

“You’re not going anywhere!” Rafe shouts, leaping to his feet.

“Well, what the fuck am I supposed to do!” Ben shouts back at Rafe, genuinely pissed. “Do you want me to just sit here all day so you can glare at me and accuse me of selling your sister’s secrets for leverage? Honestly, like that’s something I’d even do.”

“He has a point, Rafe,” Jesse says, his voice tentative. I shift my eyes to him now. “If Ben was going to tell…he’d probably have done it by now. And he’s met you, he knows that any leverage he got from spilling the secret is probably not going to outweigh the risk of you ripping out his throat.”

“Or,” Ben says, turning his anger on Jesse now, “one of you could just consider that maybe I’m not holding Ariel’s secret because I’m scared, but because I like you guys and we’re friends.”

“Aw, Ben,” I say, genuinely touched now. “That’s sweet! I believe you.”

“Thank you, Ari,” he says, sighing hard and relaxing a little bit. “Can we seriously take the murderous tension in the room down a notch? I’m not going to tell anyone. Nothing has changed. You guys just…know that I know now. Okay?”

Rafe and Jesse look at each other for a long moment, but then Rafe scowls and sits back on the couch, folding his arms over his chest, glaring at Ben even as he gives in. “You’re sworn to secrecy, Ben,” he snaps, still mad. “All right? You tell anyone, and you’ll pay for it. Big time. Like, your sons and heirs for generations will pay for it.”

“I swear,” Ben says seriously, holding Rafe’s eyes and then mine, which I appreciate. And then he turns, picking my little ribbon up off the floor and handing it over to me. “Your ribbon, Princess. It’s pretty!”

“Thanks!” I say, taking it from him cheerfully and tracing my finger over the soft velvet. “It is, isn’t it?”

I lean close to Ben, bumping his shoulder with mine, letting him know that as far as I’m concerned, he’s good. And I grin, because honestly – I don’t mind Ben knowing. Over the past two weeks I’ve really come to trust him without, I think, even realizing it. He gets my experience here more than the others, after all – they didn’t have to worry about being cut like the two of us did.

“All right,” Rafe says, cutting through our buddy-buddy atmosphere. “Tell us how you knew, Ben, so that we can prevent others from figuring it out.”

“And also,” Jesse adds, getting in on the interrogation now, “do you think anyone else has guessed as well?”

“I really don’t,” Ben says, smiling now, I think glad to have his knowledge of our secret out in the open. “You guys do a really good job of sticking together as a trio, not really letting anyone else in. Though I can’t believe Luca hasn’t figured it out yet.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Jesse says, shooting his eyes to me with a clever little smirk that makes me want to punch him. God, he’s being so obvious – Rafe’s going to figure it out if he keeps smirking at me like that.