Chapter 2 — A Boy Named Ari
“You two,” Rafe mutters, and I glance over to see him pressing the bridge of his
nose between his fingers, just like dad does. “This is going to cause a damn
firestorm that I am going to have to sort out.”
“But you’re the best at solving our problems!” Jesse points out, laughing. “Come
on, cousin,” he says, giving Rafe a little punch in the arm. “It’s an adventure.”
Two hours later we’re in the boxcar of a train headed east, towards the war front
where the Academy is located.
It was shockingly easy to smuggle me out of the palace once I got rid of the
wedding gown. Jesse just gave me some of the clothes he had packed, and after
I had rolled the hem of the pants about a dozen times and tied the waist with
some ribbon torn off of my gown…honestly, the clothes don’t fit so bad.
“Okay,” Rafe murmurs, leaning back into the hay that fills the boxcar, grimacing
as he types out messages on his phone. “Mom and Dad are on board.”
“They are?” I ask, wide-eyed with surprise.
“I mean,” Rafe says, flicking his eyes at me, “I didn’t give them any details about
where we are or where we’re going, and mom is completely flipping out about
you being gone from the palace without a guard for the first time in your life.
But…she gets it. And they trust us.”
We were always inseparable. I didn’t even really figure out that I was a girl — or
that being a girl meant something different than being a boy — until I was around
eight years old and I had to go to ballet class when Rafe and Jesse went to
martial arts. I was devastated when I figured out that being different genders
meant we had different futures in store for us.
But, well. I figured out pretty quickly that being a Princess means I have my own
responsibilities. Even though I loved running wild with Rafe and Jesse, I learned
how to be pretty, quaint, and sweet because I knew it would help mom and dad.
Plus, it kind of came natural to me.
Rafe and Jesse, they secretly taught me everything they learned in their fighting
lessons because they didn’t want me to feel left out. But I’m mom’s tiny twin —
petite with long rose-gold hair and a heart-shaped face. I’m not built for hand-to-
hand combat the way Rafe and Jesse are, but things like ballet come naturally to
me.And while I thought that I was eager to do my duties as a Princess, to marry a
Prince to save our nation from war?
Honestly, I don’t think my heart has ever been as happy as it is right now, running
away from those duties and hopping a train with my two best friends. I’m so
excited that I can barely catch my breath.
Of course, Rafe throws a wet blanket on my excitement. “Okay,” he sighs, tossing
his phone into his backpack, finished talking to mom and dad. “What the hell are
we going to do with Ariel when we get to the Academy?”
“Seriously, why don’t we just take her along with us?” Jesse asks, wrapping his
arms around his knees.
“What?” Rafe asks, frowning at him. “You mean like, into Alpha Academy?”
“Sure,” Jesse says, glancing over at me. “I mean, you promised our moms that
we’d keep her safe, right? If we have to keep an eye on her, what’s easier than
keeping her by our side?”
I gape at the audacity of Jesse’s plan. I’ve been hearing about Alpha Academy all
my life and always dreamed about going — but, of course, it only accepts male
students. And while Rafe and Jesse will certainly take the warrior track, I
fantasized about taking up some of the other things you can study — like
espionage, or becoming a master poison maker. There’s even a rumor that you
can study battle magic if you have an affinity for it.
But honestly — no one really knows what goes on inside of the Academy, it’s all
top secret and shrouded in mystery. But whenever one of the Alpha graduates
came to the palace to consult with dad or report on the amazing advances they
made for our nation? They always had this air about them — like they could take
on the world.
And damn, did I envy that.
Still — my dreams never got far. While we always knew Rafe and Jesse would go,
I had to make other plans.“Well, I’m definitely not letting her out of our sight,”
Rafe grumbles, his voice growing deeper at the mere idea of it. He shifts his
eyes, studying me.
1 sigh a little, hanging my head, knowing it’s impossible.
“It’s not that I don’t want you there, Ariel,” Rafe sighs, guilty. “It’s just not a safe
place for girls —
My head whips up and I open my mouth, ready to protest that I can take care of
myself, but my brother is already waving a hand, dismissing the idea.
“It’s over a hundred testosterone-fueled Alpha males in their early twenties, Ariel,”
Rafe says, frowning, “with no female attention for months. You’ll get eaten alive.
There are going to be guys there like Luca Grant —
“Luca Grant’s going to be there?” I ask, my eyes going wide as my head snaps
up. Grant’s a minor celebrity — he’s the junior heavyweight boxing champion of
our nation as well as a rather notorious ladies’ man. But he just retired from
boxing to join the military in a show of national pride. His story has been
plastered all over the news.
And it doesn’t hurt that he is…insanely good looking. He’s got these dimples
that…
Well. His dimples are beside the point. But I had no idea he was going to the
Academy or that he’d be part of Rafe and Jesse’s class.
“Isn’t the simplest thing just to just keep plans the same?” Jesse asks,
interrupting my thoughts. “Ariel just…comes with us.”
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
I , . ye »
You’re being ridiculous,” Rafe scoffs,
glaring at Jesse and starting to lose
. a ) :
his temper a bit. “What, we’re just
going to waltz into the candidate
barracks filled with a bunch of
: “
hormonal Alphas like “oh hey, we
5 5 Pp
brought our little sister! Don’t touch
m :
her! Hands off!” The content is on
Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
« » .
No,” Jesse says, his eyes bright and
“ P . .
eager. “We don’t waltz in with your
x » 2 :
sister,” he says, pulling his backpack
over and rustling around in it, pulling
out a grey camo-print patrol cap,
standard issue for all Academy
candidates. He plops it on my head.
Iz . : »
We waltz in with your brother.” The
content is on Novelxo.org! Read
the latest chapter there!
“What!?” Rafe seethes, appalled.
Visit Novelxo.org to read full content.
“ sy) ” : .
No, it’ll work!” Jesse says, grinning
now as he scoots next to me and
begins to tuck my rose-gold hair up
under the cap. I grin right back at
him, realizing where this is going.
« f » :
Rafe,” Jesse says, turning to my
: : — 5 5
brother with a wide grin, “meet Ari. Ari
3 Nw 3
Sinclair.” The content is on
Novelxo.org! Read the latest
chapter there!
Rafe’s mouth drops open as I laugh and then rearrange my face, trying to look
tough and do my best impression of a dude.
“Oh my god,” Rafe groans, allowing himself to fall back into the welcoming
softness of the hay. “No, absolutely not — this will never work —*
“No, it will!” I insist, excited now. “It will work, I can do it! I’m Ari!”
“No, you’re not,” Rafe mutters, his voice further muffled by the hands still pressed
over his face. “You’re Ariel — you do ballet, and you arrange flowers, and you like
making seating charts —*
“Not anymore,” I say, turning and grinning at Jesse, who nods eagerly at me.
“Now, I’m Ari. And I’m a boy.”