The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 47

Chapter 47

My eyes immediately dart to Rafe and Jesse across the room, but they’re caught up in theirconversations with Jackson and Tony.

“No no,” Aivez says, his voice soft and pleased. “Don’t shout for your brother, Ariel. That would be apoor choice.”

I turn my eyes back to the professor as, inside me, my wolf’s hackles raise.

“Don’t misunderstand – I am excited that you are here, highness,” Alvez murmurs, giving my hand alittle squeeze. “I’m looking forward to working with you, developing your powers. But, of course, ifanyone were to discover that I knew that a young woman had infiltrated the academy…I would lose myjob.”

I stare at him, instantly realizing the trap that he’s laid for me here. If I reveal to anyone that he knowswho I am even my brothers – he’ll have me expelled, even

if it means he goes too.

“Mutually assured destruction,” he murmurs, seeing me process the consequences. “So, I think it’s bestthat the two of us work together, don’t you? Trust, after all,” he says, his voice low and luxurious, “is thefoundation of any great relationship.”

“Fine,” I say, my word hardly a whisper as I nod. “Please just…don’t…”

“Ariel,” he murmurs, moving closer, his eyes slowly drifting over my face. “Your secret is safe with me.”

I exhale slowly.

“But,” he continues, “you could thank me for my generosity.”

“Thank you,” I say instantly, the words falling from my mouth, and the way that he grins…

Instantly I realize how under his thumb I am.

How much he likes forcing my hand, making me his little puppet.

“You are welcome, my Princess,” he purrs. Alvez takes another moment to stare into my eyes beforeturning to look at the marble, his entire demeanor changing in an instant. I stare at him, shocked a littleto see that he is again the mind- mannered professor. “Now,” he says, grinning. “I’ll do my best to pushmy power

Chapter 47

towards you. What do you think, should we try to levitate it? Or push?”

“Um,” I reply, still staring at him, a little shocked.

“Let’s try push.” he says, glancing at me with a friendly grin. “Concentrate now, Clark. See what youcan do.”

I stare at him for a moment longer, still rattled by his revelation and the way that he took control. Butthen I loose my breath and concentrate because…what else am I going to do?

Any way this turns, if I do anything at all beyond what he says, I’m kicked out of school. So…I complyand focus on the marble in front of me.

To my surprise, my hand where it’s clasped in Alvez’s begins to heat – and more than the usual bodyheat produced by two people holding hands. I flinch a little, turning towards him.

“Nooo,” he murmurs, giving my hand a squeeze. “It’s totally normal – don’t get distracted. Concentrate,Clark.”

I turn my attention back to the marble, and I do willing it first to lift, and then to move, and then to…Idon’t know, do anything.

My whole body is sweating after about fifteen minutes of concentration, but then Alvez sighs and dropsmy hand. “It was good work, Clark,” he says, smiling at me with encouragement as he claps me on theshoulder. “It may just be that our particular magics do not speak to each other. Shall we switch it up?”

Alvez claps his hands in the air and asks for results, but when no one reports any ability to make themarble do anything at all, he just sighs and puts us in new couples.

I’m with Tony this time, who gives me a friendly nod. “Hands okay?” he asks, offering his.

“Sure,” I say, taking it. It’s completely different this time, and a coolness rushes through me as Tony andI stand for a long, long time looking at the marble before me. After awhile I replace myself almost in a…meditative state. I’m calm, and relaxed, and honestly I feel like I’m almost…floating. All of the heatwhich resulted from my experience with Alvez is wiped from me, replaced by utter calm.

I jump when Alvez again claps his hands – because, how long was that? It felt like

Chapter 47

about three minutes….

But as I glance at the clock, I realize that about half an hour has passed. I gape.

“Any results?” Alvez calls out to us, and Rafe begins to murmur something about. the marble maybemoving a little bit as I look up at Tony in surprise.

He blinks down at me, a smile on his lips, and I instantly grin as I realize that his experience, somehow,matched my own. “I kind of forgot about the marble,” I say, smiling up at him.

Tony laughs. “Me too, but…”

“That was cool wasn’t it!?”

“I feel like I’ve been at the spa all day,” he whispers back, laughing more now with the joy of it. “I’m socozy, warm in my soul. I’m so fucking relaxed.”

“I know! I –”

“Results?” Alvez says, pitching his voice louder to interrupt us. Tony and I both turn to him and whenAlvez flicks his eyes down to our still–joined hands, I blush a little and pull my hand away.

“The marble didn’t move,” I say, my voice solid. Tony looks down at me, perhaps wondering why I’m notsharing more, but I just stand straight and don’t look at him, hoping he holds his tongue.

Good, my wolf says, though she’s laying languidly in my soul now, her eyes half- lidded in herrelaxation. Let’s not tell the professor anything until we know more about what he wants.

I nod, agreeing with her.

“Shame,” Alvez says, quirking his head to the side. Then he looks up at the clock. “We are out of time,”he says with a little chagrin. “For homework, I’d like each of you to get into your last pairing and tryagain for longer this time. At least a full hour. Come to our class in two days ready to report yourresults. Sinclair? Please come over here to arrange a time to meet with me privately.”

Alvez nods around to us before moving to his desk, starting to pack up his bag as Rafe approaches toarrange a time.

My eyes immediately move to Jackson, who turns to me.

Because he’s the only one who’s left.

Tony leaves my side, heading for Jesse as Jackson slowly moves over. I have to crane my head backon my neck to look up at him as he moves close.

“I’m glad to see you made it into the Academy,” Jackson says quietly, his voice gruff as he stares downat me, his expression stony and unkind.

I can’t help it, I burst into a grin and laugh, just a little bit.

“What?” he asks, frowning now, confused.

“You just said something really nice,” I answer quietly, shrugging one shoulder, “even though your toneand your expression still say you want to rip me to shreds.”

Jackson flinches back a little and stares at me. “Wait, really?” he asks.

4. 4.

“Yeah,” I say, laughing a little more now. “Are you now aware of it? The fact that you’ve got like, murderin your eyes pretty much all the time?”

“Oh my god,” he murmurs, dropping his head and scraping a calloused hand down the length of hisface. “No, I guess I wasn’t.”

“Well, I’m glad I’m here too,” I say quietly, more serious now. “And thank you for

“Don’t mention it,” he murmurs, and as he glances around I realize that it’s as much a desire forsecrecy as it is a downplaying of his generosity in the obstacle course. “So, we have to…”

“Yeah,” I say, clearing my throat a little awkwardly. “Um, do you want to come up to our room fordinner? You could eat with us and then…” I reach out and grab the little marble still sitting on the desk.“Try to blow this to smithereens, or whatever.”

Jackson smirks at me and glances over his shoulder towards Jesse and Rafe.“Yeah, Jackson,” Jessesays, and I smile as he appears at Jackson’s side, holding my

Chemistry textbook out to me. “Come to dinner – you can have your food sent up with ours.”

From the other side of the room, I hear Rafe groan as he hears the invitation.

“Ignore him,” I say, stepping closer to Jackson and shaking my head as I look up into his face. “He’sbeing a dick. Seriously, come!”

“I’ll think about it,” Jackson says, glancing over his shoulder at the crown Prince who so clearly doesn’twant him to do that. “If not, I’ll send word about my schedule. See if we can’t make a time to meet.”

“Okay,” I say with a shrug, taking my books from Jesse and smiling up at my mate, kind of unable tohelp it. Because…honestly, I’m not scared of him at all anymore, even if I probably should be. After hisapology in the bathroom, and then how he helped me?

I don’t know. I’m starting to realize that there’s more to Jackson than just his gruff surface.

For a second, my mind flashes to Luca –

But I push it away, not letting myself go there.

Jackson nods to me and Jesse, not bothering to say any other words of goodbye as he grabs hissatchel and heads from the door.

“He’s not all bad, that one,” Jesse says, considering Jackson as he disappears. “Even if he is mildlyterrifying even at the best of times.”

“I agree,” I say, contemplative. Jesse just grins at me and nods towards the door, where Rafe is waitingat Alvez’s side, Alvez patiently holding the key to the classroom in his hands.

“Good luck!” Alvez says to the three of us cheerfully as we move through the door. “Rafe, I’ll see youtomorrow afternoon. Jesse, Ari, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need anything.”

–

We murmur our thanks to our professor, turning away –

And honestly, I thought it was all finished, until I feel fingers trace down the length of my spine as I turnaway.