Chapter 32
I’m gasping for breath by the time I get to the sand pit through which I have to
army crawl under a heavy cargo net. This obstacle marks the final third of the
course, which means that I’m almost done but it’s also the part that always slows
me down the most.
I dive in without hesitation, trying to push myself as hard as I can, not giving
myself any time to hesitate or take a break even though my heart is pounding
with the exertion.
Rafe is right. I’m a Sinclair. We don’t fail at shit like this.
And the chain climb, which is next?
Well, I’m just going to have to handle that when I get there, aren’t I?
In the meantime, I use my legs to propel me forward, my thighs burning as I use
my stomach muscles to hold my body in the air as much as I can, my forearms
moving fast to take my weight as I move towards the edge.
By the time I get to the end of the sand pit I’m red and panting, my tongue sticky
with sand kicked up into the air by the sixty—some cadets who are already ahead
of
like me in line, including Jackson, who has already overlapped me. As usual, he
Rafe, Jesse, and Luca — goes through the course twice in the time it takes the
rest of us to do it once, earning a completion bonus.
But, considering that he didn’t even look my way when he passed me…I’m
counting my blessings.
I roll out from under the cargo rope, giving myself ten seconds to lay on the
ground and catch my breath, as Rafe advised I do, before I try to magically
levitate myself up this chain or something —
But as I lay stay still, carefully counting my breaths, suddenly a heap of sand hits
me in the face —
And I gasp, sputtering and roiling over onto my stomach as I frantically wipe at
my face, hacking sand from my throat. I finally shake the majority of the sand
away and get a glimpse of f**king Graham Wright smirking over his shoulder at
me as he starts to pull himself up the chain
God, what an asshole-
He puts a further thirty second dent in my time as I work to spit the sand our of
my mouth and ensure that it doesn’t get in my lungs. Then I pull myself to my feer
and start to jog towards the chains, cursing the Wright family and passively
plotting their deaths when suddenly 1 stumble in surprise, because
Because f**king Jackson is right there, kneeling at the corner of the chain
obstacle, again tying his damn shor
I slow my pace but keep moving, trying to figure out what the hell is going on with
him —
I mean, honestly, if his boots are messing with him that much, why doesn’t he just
take them off and go? This is going to put a severe dent in his time he’ll still get
the completion bonus, but this will be the worst time he’s ever recorded, and he’ll
certainly have given the title for this course to Rafe, who…
But as I jog towards the chains, my mind working fast, Jackson raises his head.
And looks directly into my eyes.
I slow further and he scowls at me, glancing down at my feet, clearly telling me to
get a move on.
I hesitate for a second but then start to run, faster now. He lifts his eyes again to
mine and nods, one, solidly. And then, shocking me, he returns his gaze to his
shoe, his body curled over, his shoulders flat above him almost like…
Like…a table.
Or a platform.
1 gasp as I suddenly realize what the hell is happening.
And that…that I have one shot to take advantage of this gift Jackson has laid at
my feet —
And I don’t know why he did it — maybe as an apology for trying to choke me?
Maybe as a thanks for the simple act of inviting him to breakfast?
But for whatever reason he did it — Jackson has opened a door for me to f**king
make it into the academy.
His words at the start of the obstacle come back to me as I pick up speed
“There isn’t any language that prevents you from using other candidates“ bodies
as leverage.”
And as my focus lands on the flat expanse of his wide shoulders?
see exactly how he’s positioned them for me.
As leverage.
With a final burst of speed, I launch myself into the air over Jackson’s head, my
right foot landing on flat of his back between his shoulders, and I shout as I
straighten my knee and push
Jackson lets out a yell and stands, acting for anyone who is watching like I did
this without his consent — shouting after me and cursing like a damn sailor at the
little Shrimp who used him like a damn step stool.
But the leverage, and the fact that Jackson shouted and stood just as my foot hit
his back — it only pushed me up higher.
And the boost is everything I need.
I grab the chain about eight feet off the ground, and I grit my teeth, putting every
ounce of effort and will into my biceps as I haul myself the final two feet onto the
platform at the top.
But two feet? Two feet I can do.
I ignore Graham’s shouts behind me as he calls me a cheater, and Jackson’s
pretend curses, grinning like an idiot as I sprint forward on to the next obstacle.
But the rest is cake -And as I cross the finish line ten minutes later, my coming in
short pants, and glance up at the time?
1 grin, because it’s absolutely the best time I’ve ever made minutes faster than
I’ve ever made it before.
Which means…
breath
a whole fifteen
it’s not a good time, the
I start to laugh a little hysterically now. Because I mean obstacle course is still by
far my weakest test, and it counts for so much in the final
ranking
But I think…1 think it just might be good enough
And as Jackson crosses the finish line a second after me, I swear there’s a little
smile on his lips as he glances my way.
I fall in at Jackson’s side as the Lieutenants nod to us, letting us know they’ve got
our times, my breath coming pathetically short in comparison to Jackson’s even.
controlled breathing.
But neither of us acknowledge it or even say a word as we pass through to the
barracks.
Because whatever is done is done.
And only the rankings truly matter now.
Inside the barracks, Jackson still doesn’t speak to me as he moves to his bunk
and I go to mine. I glance around, looking for Jesse and Luca and Rafe — Ben
won’t have come out yet — but none of them are here. Lieutenants move around
the room, barking at us to hurry, and as much as I’d like a second to run to the
bathroom and clean up, there’s just no time.
So, I gather my pack, which really just has my spare blanket and my toothbrush
kit in it I didn’t come with any personal belongings, like everyone else did — and
head anxiously for the front door and out into the sunlight.
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Like everyone else, I head
immediately for the line of
candidates who already stand in
formation, organized according to
our ranking yesterday. Everyone
stands looking forward, their hands
clasped behind their backs like the
soldiers they hope to become, their
feet shoulder—width apart.A
Lieutenant directs me to my spot, a
little black dot with a small number
70 painted on it. I exhale, tucking my
hands behind my back and lacing my
fingers together, assuming the
position. As soon as I do, though, I
start to peer around, looking for my
family and my friends, hoping to hell
that everything went okay for them.
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)
We’re all pretty spread out on the
wide lawn at the base of the cliff on
which the Academy castle is built, the
entrance just a black door built into
the wall of rock directly ahead of us. I
curse my short stature again as I try
to see between shoulders and torsos,
: )

but luckily we’re far enough apart that

: )
I get a glimpse of Rafe’s dark head
rising high above pretty much

7 5
everyone else’s. Near him at the The
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front is Jesse, and down the line to their right is Jackson
spare a glance for 1 ucx, and consider looking behind me to see if Ben has
emerged yet, but then my eyes return to Jackson and I consider, again, why he
helped me today
But then my stomach sinks as I wonder god, did he help me today?
1 go over the events again in my mind.
Jackson waiting for me at the starting line.
Jackson telling me about a vague rule in the handbook — a handbook I’ve never
heard of before.
Jackson kneeling at the base of the chains, which he must know is my worst
obstacle —
And then the way he looked at me before setting his shoulders flat, basically
inviting me to use him as leverage.
But…was it even real?
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If it was — Jackson just gave me the
boost I needed to get into the
opie ’ 5
academy. But if it wasn’t… go white
as I realize that Jackson — who
basically tried to kill me twice — he
may have just gotten me disqualified
from candidacy. If it is actually illegal
f )

to use another candidate’s body as
leverage, which seems like it should
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chapter therel
Then Jackson just fooled me into breaking the rules during the last test.
My face goes white as I realize the risk I just took, and I curse myself heartily as
a fool as I realize that I trusted him because he’s my mate-
But Jackson — he has no idea that I’m his mate. As far as he knows, I’m just the
shrimp who is somehow keeping his mate from him- precisely the person he’d
want to eliminate, precisely the person who he’d want to lure into complacency
with an awkward apology and by accepting an invitation to eat at breakfast.
I press my eyes shut, stifling a moan, realizing just how stupid I’ve been today.
God, I shouldn’t have trusted him I should have just tried to do it on my own,
taken the penalty for being so slow…
Chapter 32
Unless…
I mean, isn’t it just as possible that Jackson, like Luca, does sense a connection
between us? That he might want to help?
“Candidates,” the Captain’s voice booms out, artificially amplified this time so that
we’re all sure to hear him. “Congratulations on your completion of these two
rigorous weeks. It is now time to announce the names of the 96 newest cadets at
Alpha Academy. In order, those who have been accepted are as follows…”
And as the Captain pauses, reaching behind him for the official list of final
rankings, I gulp dry air down around the lump in my throat.
Because in just a few minutes I’ll learn the truth: whether my mate truly saved
me, or if he intentionally ruined my dream of becoming a cadet at the Alpha
Academy,