Chapter 36
I hurry along with my brother and my cousin, staring around at the stone hallway
that meets in gothic arches above our heads, at the windows scattered along the
right-hand wall that look out over the landscape.
1 grin, because I thought I’d gotten used to the view from the barracks — but this
high? I feel like I can see everything, and the wide grey landscape around the
castle is desolate and gorgeous in its own way. My steps slow despite me as I
wander over to one of the windows, which looks north towards the palace,
towards home, where mom and dad are —
And Mark and Junic too — god, how long as it been since I thought about them
I’m a bad big sister-
“Ari!” I jump a little at Rafe’s frustrated bark and then laugh and hurry along to
catch up.
We wind our way up the staircase at the far end of the hall, two stories which I’m
pleased to see takes my breath away less than I thought it would. I guess two
weeks of workouts really has helped me out in regards to my fitness, at least a
little bit.
But when we get to the top of the staircase — which must be the highest level of
the
Rafe strides eagerly down the hall, leading us to a broad wooden door at the
center. I glance around, but don’t see many other doors on this level.
castle
“Are we, like, alone up here?” I ask, curious.
“It’s a more private floor,” Rafe answers, inserting the key in the lock and deftly
twisting it. “But, the suites are meant to accommodate more than one Cadet, so
they’re a little larger.”
The lock clicks and Rafe grins at me before opening the door.
“Jesse, Ari,” he says, proud and eager, “welcome home.”
And then he pushes the door open, and my jaw feels like it hits the floor.
“Oh my god,” I breathe as I step into what has to be the most gorgeous room I’ve
ever seen.
I drop my box immediately on the floor along with my pack as I step in, spinning
around to take it all in.
Chapter 96
“Whoaaa,” Jesse says, laughing with his own joy. “This is amazing!”
Rafe just grins with pride, striding in like he planned it all. Which, I mean, he
probably did.
I cover my mouth with my hands as I stare around the gorgeous room, which has
high steepled ceilings like the arches outside. At the center of the room is a lovely
little living area set before a huge hearth where the logs are already laid out for a
fire, ready to keep us warm. A set of worn furniture couches and chairs before the
fireplace, mismatched but looking well-loved and comfortable.
sits
Beyond that, in the two far corners of the room, are two huge beds to
accommodate the two huge Alphas for which this room was designed. I grin as
Jesse folds back the ornate wooden screen that sets his little bedroom area apart
and then leaps onto the plush bed that lays behind it.
“Oh yeah, this one’s mine!” he shouts, already snuggling into the wealth of
blankets and pillows waiting there.
“Fine by me.” Rafe says, grinning and tossing his box down on the bed in the
other corner, which has rich velvet drapes all around it that he can draw together
for his own privacy. Between the beds are two bureaus, and then two desks,
presumably for homework —
I mean, if there even is homework. I have no idea what the coursework will be
like here or will everything we do be physical? I honestly don’t know
But as I consider it, I turn, frowning a little.
Because where do I…
I mean, Jesse joked about a match box, but…I turn to the corner looking for it.
“Over here, little sister,” Rafe says, grinning at me as he strides across the room.
1 go alittle still to hear him refer to me as his sister, but he just shakes his head
and smiles at me.
“It’s just us in here,” he says, passing me and moving towards the hearth. “We
can
be a bit freer with our words.”
“And our gendered identities,” Jesse adds helpfully from his place snuggled in his
blankets.
Before I can add any comment, though, Rafe moves to a little alcove next to the
fireplace and pulls back a red velvet curtain, looping it behind an ornate brass
hook to hold it back. “You’re in here, Ariel,” he says, stepping back with a smile.
I walk forward, fascinated, and I gasp softly as I peer into what is just….the
sweetest little nook I’ve ever seen.
There’s a bed squeezed in — smaller than the boys, as is necessary to fit in the
space, but just as plush with pillows and blankets. And at the foot of the bed
there’s a small chest of drawers and the world’s tiniest, prettiest iron—and-wood
desk situated neatly in the corner with an oil lamp attached to the wall above it for
light. It’s simple, but it’s so cute, and so plush, and so cozy —
I am instantly at home, and instantly in love.
“I mean, I know it’s small,” Rafe says, running a hand anxiously through his hair,
“but we thought you’d want to room with us, and we wanted to give you a little
more privacy —”
“I love it!” I shout, hurling myself at my brother and wrapping my arms around his
waist. He stumbles back in surprise, but laughs and puts his arms around me
too. “I love it, Rafe, it’s perfect.”
head
My big brother hugs me back, rocking me a little in his arms, and I rest my on his
broad chest as we both study my nook. “Only takes two weeks in the barracks to
be impressed with a little alcove, after a lifetime in the palace,” he
murmurs.
“Nah, this is way better than the palace,” I whisper, meaning it. “It’s mine.”
I mean, we’re not kids anymore, but it’s not like Rafe or Jesse or I ever really left
home and got our own apartments or anything. For all of us? This is our first taste
of independence, and I know we all feel excited about it, even if it doesn’t match
the luxury we grew up with.
Or, well, some of it. The amount of pillows and linens heaped on each of our
beds that just screams mom’s motherly touch, wanting us to be cozy and
comfortable in our own little nests.
nook “Very swanky spot, little Shrimp cousin,” Jesse says, coming over to see my
and looping an arm around Rafe’s shoulder. I wiggle my way between them — my
habitual spot — and wrap an arm around Jesse’s waist too. “Perfect little
matchbox
bed, just like I said.”
“We tried to get you a bigger one,” Rafe murmurs, looking down at me with a
little. guilt in his eyes, “but they said this is the only one that would fit
“It’s great!” I say, laughing and wrinkling my nose up at him, not wanting him to
feel bad about it for even a moment. “I’m not a gigantic Alpha like you no chance
of my feet hanging off the edge of a standard-sized bed.”
“I think I need to commandeer some of these pillows, though,” Jesse says,
moving forward into my nook and reaching for my bed, “far too fluffy, there won’t
even be room for you —”
“Hands off!” I snap, jumping forward and swatting at his arm. He laughs, backing
away, and I turn around again, looking for another door.
“So, do we share a bathroom with everyone else, like in the barracks, or
something?” I ask, curious. My heart drops a little at the idea it would be so great
to be able to have some privacy, not to mention control over how filthy the
shower gets.
“Nah.” Rafe says, smiling again and walking over to a bookcase in the corner.
“Are you ready for the best part?”
I frown at him, not getting it yet, but then my jaw drops again — god, I’m going to
wake up with sore cheeks tomorrow, after all of these surprises — when he pulls
on a book and the case itself swings open — revealing a huge bathroom beyond.
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“ ” . .
Oh my god,” I gasp, darting in and
spinning as I stare around in the
BY)
room. Honestly I mean, it’s a
bathroom that rivals even mom and
, : e
dad’s at home. A wide tiled shower
with a rainfall shower head at the top
and multiple jets along the wall — and
two wide sinks, even a little vanity in
the corner next to an ornate full-
length mirror. God — why would boys
need a vanity — why would they need
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mirror —
But the true triumph is the huge soaking tub sunk into the floor, probably about
five feet deep by the looks of it, to accommodate Rafe and Jesse’s huge Alpha
bodies.
“Wow,” Jesse says, looking at the tub with wide eyes. “God, you could do laps in
that thing.”
“Dad had it put in for us,” Rafe says, a little smug. “You can turn it into an ice bath
too, for when your muscles get sore-“
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« » .
Out!” I say suddenly, knowing
5 – ’ : «
immediately that I’m getting first dips
on this. The boys stare over at me in
: « ” : ore
surprise. “Out!” I say again, striding
back across the room and shoving
them both on the chests to back
wp 5
them out of the room. “I’m taking
thirty minutes in here, and I do not
5 » 2
want to be disturbed.” The content is
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My brother and my cousin start to
laugh, pretending to put up a fight,
but eventually they allow themselves
to be shoved from the room. They
call their farewells after them as they
), q i
go, but I don’t even listen, pulling the
door shut and immediately moving to
the soaking tub, flicking on the
industrial faucet and starting to strip
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