The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



I stare at my name's spot on the list, alone under Redman Blythe's, completely shocked, as our entire table erupts in protest - just like every other table in the breakfast hall.

"Jacks!" I hiss, turning to him. "You didn't pick me!?"

"Of course I picked you, Ariel," he snarls, his voice low, leaning close. "I made deep cuts across my entire draft lift- and Rafe didn't try to draft you at all, to give me the best chance of -"

“Rafe!” I gasp, turning towards him, my eyes wide. "You didn't even pick me!?" My voice is squeaky with my betrayal.

"Don't even start with me, Ari," Rafe snarls, holding a hand out towards me with a single finger held up. “It was part of the plan.”

"The plan that went wrong," Jesse growls, turning to glare at Rafe. "Seriously, what kind of shit plan was it that it ended up with Ari completey unprotected by any of us -"

Rafe and Jesse begin to bicker, their words getting lost in the noise of the room.

Ben glances at me, anxious, as Luca comes around to my other side. "There has to be something we can do," Ben says, turning to look around at the chaos of the breakfast room. "Some sort of negotiation."

Everyone bursts out with ideas then - going to the Captain to protest this, demanding a re-draft, offering Blythe a private trade, even pulling a Daphne and giving him some poisoned wine tonight to eliminate him completely from the Game. And as everyone spins out ideas I go very still, my breath coming short in my chest because...

Because as far as I've come in this Academy, and despite everything I have learned, I am definitely, definitely not ready to be alone in the woods with a stranger without any of my Alphas by my side.

What - what on earth could Blythe want with me?

Does Blythe - like Wright - want me dead?

"Hello Team Sinclair," a smug voice says behind me. As one, each of my boys goes silent and turns towards that voice, snarls breaking from between their teeth.

Slowly I turn to look up at Redman Blythe. At my Captain.

"Hey, Clark," Blythe says, ignoring all the murderous glares from the Alphas all around me, smirking down at my face. "I'm excited to work with you tomorrow."

I stare at him for a long moment, and then I bare my teeth.

"This is fucking bullshit, Blythe," Rafe growls, taking a step towards my Captain and making all of our heads turn to him. "It's not going to stand."

"Sure it is," Blythe says, still smug, casually re-adjusting the book satchel stung at his side as he gives Rafe a pretty grin. "I didn't do

anything illegal at the draft. It's not my fault you guys didn't think of it first."

I stare up at Blythe as he speaks, taking in the fact that he's tall and well-built, like most of the Warrior cadets atthis Academy. But his chiseled, nearly perfect face - god, he's almost as pretty as Luca, He has none of Rafe or Jackson's

power and maism but... noveldrama

I mean. Objectively, he's a very handsome guy.

Luca snarls down our bond, sensing the direction of my thoughts, but I just give him a little mental shove - we have bigger things to worry about. "How the hell did you manage to get one Cadet on your team?" Jackson growls, standing up to loom over Blythe, snarling down at him.

"Whoa, big boy," Blythe says, laughing derisively at Jacks and taking a step back. "Give me some breathing room."

Jacks just closes the distance, keeping the pressure on.

"I got one Cadet - the only Cadet that matters," he shots me a grin here, "because I only drafted one."

My mouth falls open - one? He only drafted me? But - why? What the hell is he thinking?

"You're not going to win," Jackson growls, taking a step closer. Blythe works hard not to give up his position, but he falls back another step when Jacks doesn't stop.

"I am going to win," Blythe snaps, glaring up at Jackson. “Because what, you're going to have it in you to kill your pet?” He smirks now, looking around at everyone at the table. "Any of you are?"

My heart sinks when I realize that he's right - that even if we're all recognizing that this is a game, every single person here is going to have a hard time pointing a gun at me and pulling the trigger.

"You put yourself in a fine position, Blythe, but we're calling your bluff," Rafe snaps, striding to Jackson's side and likewise glaring down at the smaller man. "Name your price to get Clark back."

Blythe takes a deep breath, pursing

his lips, making a big show of thinking about it. "Actually," he says turning to me with a smirk. "I think I'm good. I think me and Clark are going to have a lot of fun in our little team of two."

I snarl at him, hating him at this moment. Because I know that this is about way more than just wanting the best sniper on your team.

Blythe - he wants something, and he wants it from me.

"We'll go to the Captain," Rafe snaps. "We'll -"

"Do whatever you want," Blythe snarls back, whipping his head to glare first at Rafe and then Jackson. "The Captain set the teams. He already approved this. I'm not trading anyone."