Chapter 3 — The Barracks
Now I’m Ari Clark, a family cousin on Aunt Cora’s side.
But things start to get immediately real as Rafe and Jesse sling their backpacks
over their shoulders and we start to walk towards Alpha Academy, a rugged
castle built on top of the cliffs that rise before us. I gulp as I stare up at the castle,
a little shiver running through me. “It’s cold here,” I murmur, even though it’s just
towards the end of summer right now.
“You’ll warm up,” Jesse assures me with a wink. “Besides, see that hill?” he says,
and I look where he points. “There are apparently some hot springs over there. If
you get too cold, we’ll just dunk you.”
I move to elbow Jesse in the stomach for this suggestion but he neatly dodges
me, laughing.
Anxiety twists in my stomach we continue to walk, though. Can I really do this?
“Stop stressing about it,” Jesse murmurs, leaning close and bumping his
shoulder against me, knocking me a bit sideways. I scowl, wishing I was taller.
“You’re trying to solve problems you haven’t even come across yet. Just chill
out.”
“Classic Jesse advice,” Rafe mutters, shooting him a little glare as we start to
climb the hill, “which doesn’t make any sense right now because we actually
have very real problems to solve. Like the fact that Ari Clark doesn’t have any
ID? And is also in possession of — you know, girl parts? And is tiny, and about to
get his ass beat by a bunch of gigantic wolves?”
“Hey!” I protest, giving Rafe a shove that…well, proves his point more than it
does mine, because he doesn’t budge at all. “I can stand up in a fight against
both of you! Don’t doubt me now!”
“Are you serious, Ariel?” he asks, stopping in his tracks, his shoulders slumping.
“Seriously think about this — about everything that you’re suggesting here. Are
you just trying to get away from your asshole fiancé? Or do you actually want to
train at Alpha Academy?”
My face falls a bit as I realize that his question is a good one — that so far, I’ve
basically been running on adrenaline.
I take a second to think about it, tilting my head back and looking up at the castle
on the cliff. And as I think about it…my mind flashes to all the things I wanted to
do but was discouraged from because I’m a Princess and a girl — hockey
lessons, and weapons training, and long chats with dad and Uncle Roger about
war strategy. It was all boy stuff, but it means a thousand memories of doors
closed in my face, a constant reminder that I had to learn a completely different
set of skills.
Because I’m a girl.
Because I’m…a Princess.
But I can’t be a Princess right now. I need to hide at least until this all blows over
and Edward and his family leave our nation with a treaty intact. That’s all going to
take some serious time.
And quite suddenly, without the weight of my Princess title for the first time since I
was eight… realize how completely free I feel. I can do…whatever I want.
And I know, instinctually, deep in my heart, precisely what I want. My wolf lifts her
rose-gold snout to the sky, giving me a little howl of courage.
Tell them, she urges.
So, I bring my gaze back to my brother and my cousin. “I want to do this,” I say
quietly determined. “If it had ever been an option for me, this is what I’d have
chosen for myself. And now that it is?” I nod steadily. “I want it, Rafe. I want to be
here.”
1 look around the room while I finish rolling up the wrists and the ankles of my
uniform, my hair tucked discreetly up under my cap. And I can’t help but stare
open-mouthed at all of the boys wandering around the barracks.
I mean, it’s not that I haven’t been around guys before — but the sight of boy after
boy flooding through the door? I mean…it’s pretty great.
I mean, I’ve flirted a little — and Edward, he kissed me a few times before the
wedding, mostly chaste stuff for press, but in general…
Well, I’m a Princess.
It sort of makes sense that I’ve lived a pretty sheltered life, right? Any guy who
wanted to date me had to get through my gigantic overprotective dad, the King,
and not many were very willing to do that.
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I blush now as I look around at all of
these guys in front of me. Because
, Ble ,
they’re all so fit, like they’ve been
training for weeks before submitting
themselves as candidates for Alpha
Academy so that they can hit the
ground running. The content is on
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And I have to admit…it’s kind of a buffet.
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A few guys in particular catch my
)
eye. There’s a tall blonde one who
has set up shop in the bed almost
diagonal from us, with a jaw so
precisely molded it looks like it was
cut with a diamond. And nobody can
miss Luca Grant at the center of the
, ; o
room — god, he’s actually signing
Ws
autographs. But he’s just as good
looking as he is on TV — maybe even
hotter. The content is on
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And then there’s a sort of shy, slim boy with dark hair that falls into his eyes who
looks moody and watches everyone. I mean, I never thought that was my type
before, but now? I have to admit, I find my eyes drawn to him.
Rafe slings his own supplies onto the bed next to Jesse’s and then smacks my
arm as he points to the bunk above his. “Up,” he commands, interrupting my
reverie.
“What?” I ask, confused.
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I , » .
You’re up here,” he says, patting the
upper bunk and giving me a big fake
B al
grin that lets me know it’s not a
“
request. “Where I can watch you. All
the time. And smack you when you
stare too openly at all of the guys
who are now your comrades, not
» :
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