— two really good-
Chapter 8
“Would you get up!?”
I start awake to see Rafe’s face peering over the edge of the bunk, frowning at
me. “Seriously, Ari! The bell rang like ten minutes ago — I have no idea how
you’re still asleep!”
I glare at my brother a little, already in a bad mood, wondering how he’d feel if he
got about two hours of sleep after getting the crap beat out of him the day before.
Rafe rolls his eyes at me and hops down, getting ready for the day.
I was up for hours after I got back in bed last night, trying to figure out how I feel
about all of this. At the core of me, I know that keeping my secret is the most
important thing. But still…
Two mates, in the same place, at the same time! And me here by what feels like
chance —
God, it’s almost like…fate or something.
I mean, our family does have a history of this sort of thing happening — mom and
Aunt Cora’s mother is the Goddess, after all, and she definitely threw some twists
into their lives. But still – it’s all just so…bizarre.
had almost drifted off to sleep again last night when the barrack door opened and
a tall figure came in — his shoulders almost wide enough to fill the doorway itself.
He’d moved slowly across the room in complete silence, but when he laid down
in his bed his body language was…miserable.
Luca came in a little later, not bothering to be stealthy. He too had moved to his
bed, but had paused for a second, looking towards my corner of the room.
I had hastily whipped my covers over my head, holding my breath, desperately
praying that he wouldn’t come over to me.
Because even though my wolf howls for him — for them? I am so not ready to
face this. Not with everything that’s at stake — and not with my enrollment at the
Academy at risk, and certainly not with how…
Well, I blush to think of it, but how naive I am about all of this boy stuff. I mean, I
know that I was supposed to get married, but part of what I had thought was so
appealing about Edward was that he didn’t push me for anything more than a
chaste kiss. Even though he revealed that he had other plans once we were
married, I had thought that he would give
me the slow-burn romance I need.
But mate stuff?
From everything I’ve heard, it’s like lightening.
And I am…not ready to be struck. I mean…am 1?
“Seriously, Ari!” Rafe shouts, reaching out and grabbing the front of my uniform. I
gasp as he hauls me off my pillow. “Get up! We have to get to breakfast in two
minutes!”
“I’m already dressed, Rafe!” I snarl, batting his hand away and throwing my legs
over the side of the bed. “I just have to put my shoes on
feel
Rafe’s eyes go wide and he grabs me again, hauling me down off the bed and
bumping my body hard against the metal rails as he does. I give a shriek as I go
down.
“Ari,” my brother growls, holding me tight against him. “Where the f**k is your
hat!?”
1 gasp, my hand going to my head as I realize that my hair is still tied in a bun at
the base of my head
not exactly spilling around my shoulders in a way that screams girl but certainly
visible —
“It’s on my bunk!” I squeak. Rafe glares at me and takes his own cap off, shoving
it hard on my head before jumping up to grab my cap. Then he grabs my boots
off the floor, shoving them against my chest. “Put your shoes on, you idiot,” he
growls, “and learn to be more careful!”
I’m blushing hard now as he pulls my cap onto his own head. I pull on my boots,
not bothering to tie them before beginning to tuck my hair up beneath the brim of
my cap.
“Heyyy cousinnnns,” Jesse says, coming over to beam at us way too cheerfully,
clearly aware that there’s drama but ignoring it. “Did you guys sleep well?” He
turns his wicked grin on me. “I had a really weird dream.”
“No time,” Rafe snaps, grabbing my arm the second I finish tucking my hair in
and hauling me to my feet. “We go now or we miss breakfast. And if we miss
breakfast, we miss rankings, which we desperately need to know. So, let’s
move!”
Jesse still smirks at me as we both hurry along behind my brother, raising an
eyebrow and clearly demanding an explanation for my midnight assault. But I just
hastily shake my head and glance at Rafe, silently begging Jesse to keep it a
secret. Jesse shrugs, tacitly agreeing but letting me know he’s not happy about it.
The three of us barely skirt through the door before it closes. A few candidates
call out behind us and bang on the door, but the Captain clearly wasn’t kidding
about getting to breakfast on time. I move through the line with my brother and
my cousin, filling my tray with food, but being last through means slim pickings. I
get a sausage, two cartons of apple juice, and a very sad little orange.
When we take the final three seats at the edge of a long table, Rafe rolls his eyes
at me and shoves two biscuits onto my plate.
“Hey!” I protest. “I don’t even like biscuits —*
“It isn’t about like, Ari,” Rafe mutters, tucking into what looks like a bowl of cold
oatmeal. “It’s about calories, and you need them, so eat up.”
I do as I’m told, forcing myself to chew the dry biscuits and washing them down
with apple juice. Passively, I hope that the food at the Academy is way better
than this. As I eat, I look around, and as much as I pretend that I’m not looking for
them…
Right over there, my wolf cheerfully points out, focusing my eyes immediately on
Luca, who laughs at the center of a group of guys two tables down, and then the
other one, who sits by himself, moodily eating a gigantic plate of food.
I quietly peel my orange, letting my eyes drift between both of them, studying
their movements, wondering why on earth my grandmother the Goddess picked
them out for
me
When Rafe stands up to get a napkin, Jesse elbows me, making me jump.
“What the hell is going on with you?” Jesse hisses, and I blush, shaking my head.
“Nothing,” I murmur, concentrating on my orange. God, I can’t believe I just let
myself stare at my mates
what was I thinking —
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« . ) sn
I know something’s up Ariel,” Jesse
growls, and I spin to look at him
wide—eyed, not only because he used
my real name but because my
sweet—tempered cousin never
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chapter there!
“Jesse,” I say, my eyes pleading. “Look, I’ll tell you, all right? But…” I nod hastily
at my brother, who is on his way back.
Jesse sighs, clenching his jaw. “You promise you’re all right? And you’d tell me if
you weren’t?”
“I promise,” I say, my voice pleading. Jesse sighs, nods once, and then turns
back to his
nearly empty tray. Rafe sits down with a fist full of napkins, looking suspiciously
between
1. us. But before he can say anything, all heads in the room turn towards the
Captain, who has just stood up at the head table.
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« . ” .
Candidates,” he says, his voice
5 “ 5
booming out over us. “Today we will
: 5 » v
post the first ranking.” He points
above his head at a giant black
screen, indicating where the ranking
5 7 “ : 5
will be listed. “Rankings will be
calculated according to your
performance in all training activities,
as well as aspects like adherence to
the rules, prompt attendance, and
decorum. At the end of the first two
0, :
weeks, the bottom 20% of candidates
will be dismissed from the academy.
As this is an entering class of 120,
that is the bottom 24 candidates. I
suggest you take your rank
. » 5
seriously.” The content is on
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chapter there!
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The Captain glares around at all of us
“ oe ie
and then nods once. “Agility training
is next. You have five more minutes
for breakfast, and then will report to
; ” .
the gym at 08:00.” The content is on
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Without another word the Captain leaves his place at the head of the table and,
as if on cue, the screen flashes on, our names already arranged.
My eyes fly over the board and my heart sinks to find my name exactly where I
thought it would be.
Spot 120. Ari Clark.