The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 5

“Time for the ranking,” the Captain growls, looking around at us with distaste. “You’re dressed in your grey candidate fatigues because you have not yet earned your Academy black. The bottom twenty percent of candidates will be cut at the end of the second week of candidacy. I suggest you take this seriously.” 

The Captain surveys us, his eyes cold. “Today’s test,” he barks out, “measures what you won’t survive without at the Academy: physical prowess. Rafe Sinclair! Kenny Dextrin! You’re up – first blood wins!” 

The Academy is famous for teaching its students the most cutting-edge methods and technologies – but first ranking is determined by a fist fight!? 

The match is over shockingly fast. Rafe knocks Kenny down and bloodies his nose within thirty seconds. 

When Luca Grant is called, I smirk a little. Luca dances around his opponent and taunts him for a while before whipping out a swift uppercut that knocks the other boy clean over. I bite my lip a little, admiring his technique – and the spread of his muscled shoulders – when to my horror I hear my own name. 

Or at least, my pretend name. 

“Ari Clark! Robert Brown!” 

My jaw just drops open because – god, I’m such an idiot – but as long as I’ve been standing here watching, I’ve never thought about how I was going to have to do this! 

I groan as I realize that I slipped into my Princess identity – I’m used to standing on the sidelines, watching Rafe and Jesse fight – 

“Let’s go, Clark!” The Sergeant snaps when he sees that I haven’t stepped forward. 

Rafe, next to me, sighs and puts a hand on my back, shoving me forward. I look back at him in shock but he just shrugs, his eyes clearly saying you wanted to join the Academy, kid. 

Frantic, I turn to Robert, who is already stepping into a fighting stance. As he puts his fists up and I finally realize that I’m actually supposed to punch him, the candidates all around us start to shout and whistle. 

“Come on!” Robert shouts, urging me forward. “Let’s do it!” 

But I just stand there, shocked. 

Someone starts to laugh uproariously and then bellows, “The shrimp’s scared!” 

Others start to laugh too, and then they pick up a call: “Shrimp! Shrimp! Shrimp!” 

This, somehow, spurs me on – and finally gets my wolf to pay attention to something besides that insane thing that happened this afternoon – two boys – two scents – 

Kill him, she growls, stalking forward within me. Show ‘em all… 

And so I start to step forward, my lips curling back, raising my own fists the way Rafe and Jesse taught me to, moving fast towards the other boy – 

Everything goes black. 

When I open my eyes I see Jesse staring right at me, peering again over the edge of my bunk. “Hey there, Shrimp,” he says, smirking at me, but not without sympathy. “How you feeling? He got you good.” 

I open my mouth to say something but pain instantly flares over my entire face. 

“Ith it…” I say, my voice all stuffy from my poor injured nose, which I raise a hand to gingerly touch, “Ith it broken?” 

Jesse takes a moment to press my nose between his thumbs, pushing at it experimentally, which hurts like hell. I gasp and wince, but he shakes his head. “Nah, cousin, you’ll be all right in a few days. You’ll have one hell of a black eye, though.” 

Well, also, I can’t smell anything with my nose all messed up, can I? 

“You beat him?” I ask, turning shocked eyes on my brother. 

“Don’t act so surprised,” Rafe snaps, frowning at me, offended. 

I laugh a little and lean over to give him a shove on the shoulder. “You’re right,” I say in an overly-girly voice, like a deranged cheerleader, teasing him. “No one can beat Rafe Sinclair!” 

Jesse laughs with me, turning to watch Rafe turn red as he scowls. 

“Eat up,” Rafe mutters as he hops down from the bed, “and take the painkillers.” Then he hesitates, looking over his shoulder, and leans in to whisper. “There are some closed shower stalls, but…I don’t think you should go in there anytime soon. All right?” 

“I’ll do it in the morning,” I say with a yawn, reaching out to grab the cold water bottle and press it to my face, moaning a little at the instant relief. “I’ll get up at 3, before anyone else.” 

“Okay. Wake me up too. I’ll come with you.” 

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “You need sleep. It’ll be okay.” 

“Just wake me,” my brother growls. 

I nod to appease him and lean back against my pillow with a groan. 

Fine, my wolf growls as I drift of, displeased. But tomorrow, we’re finding them! 

Unfortunately, as fate would have it, tomorrow is too long of a wait.