Chapter 11

“Cut the crap, Rafe,” dad snaps, and my eyes go immediately wide because dad only uses that tone when he’s really mad. “What the hell are you doing at the Academy when you told us two nights ago that you were taking your sister somewhere safe?!”

Jesse visibly gulps while Rafe struggles to keep his composure under what is probably dad’s most menacing glare. While the three of us obviously know that he loves us, he’s still probably the scariest man on the planet. Only mom is completely immune to him.

“Rafe, you look so cute!” My face bursts into a smile when I hear mom’s voice coming through the video call. “Show me Jesse! Oh my god, your little uniforms!”

“Ella -” Dad says on a sigh, reminding her that they called for a reason.

“Oh right. Yes! Boys, where is your sister!?”

“It’s fine, mom,” Rafe says, and I know that he feels more secure now, talking to her. Rafe

we’ve got and mom have always had a special bond, just like me and dad. “I promise you everything under control, Ariel’s doing great

–

“How is that possible,” dad grumbles, cutting him off, “when you are at a military Academy and she is – Rafe! Where the hell is she?!”

I wrap my arms around my legs and stare up at my brother, wondering if he’s going to break under the pressure of dad’s glare. Deep down I desperately hope he doesn’t – I’m not done here, not nearly.

“We’ve got

it all under control, Uncle Dom,” Jesse says, reaching out and turning the tablet so that my parents can see him. “We promise – we’d never let her be in any danger, and it’s actually safer if we’re the only ones who know!”

“You have to trust us, dad,” Rafe snaps, turning the tablet back to him, starting to glare back at our parents now. “You know that we would both rather die than let anything bad happen to Ariel. So, either you call us all back right now, or you trust the three of us together.”

The other line is silent for a moment and I go tense with hope.

“We trust you, Rafe,” mom says, her voice thick with emotion. “If you promise that she’s safe and that you’re taking care of her? I believe you.”

Rafe and Jesse shift their eyes, clearly looking at dad now. His answer takes longer.

–

“She’s my little girl, Rafe,” dad says, his voice cracking on the words in a way that makes my entire stomach tie in knots. “I know she’s growing up – you all are but god damn it, if you let anything happen to her “

“I won’t,” Rafe says, giving a single nod and looking steadily into the camera. Jesse nods too, sealing his promise as well.

“All right,” dad growls, clearly unhappy with how this went but determined to trust his kids.

“Good luck, babies!” mom calls. “Don’t let them beat you up too much! And don’t

–

But then I hear dad sigh, and mom laughs, and a little smile pulls at my lips because I can almost see him shaking his head at her. Rafe and Jesse smile now too, saying their final goodbyes before Rafe turns the tablet off, tossing it on the bed before looking around to see if any of the other candidates have been listening in or figured anything out. When he decides they haven’t, he slips his hands in his pockets and turns his glare on me.

“You’d better not make a liar out of me, Ari,” he growls, shaking his head.

“What did I do!?” I gasp, sitting up straight and glaring right back. “I’m just going along with the plan!”

–

“What I mean,” Rafe growls, stepping towards me now and glowering over me – an act that just makes me roll my eyes because he’s been doing that to me since we were six – “that you’d better not do anything stupid that makes dad tear me to pieces because you got hurt, or killed, or pregnant.” He delivers the last word in a vicious whisper–hiss.

“Oh my god, Rafe,” I snap, jumping to my feet from Jesse’s bunk and glaring back at him. “I’m not doing anything but trying to get into the academy just like you

“I wasn’t the one staring at the other candidates like they were prime cuts of meat –”

“Ew!” I shout, slapping my hands onto his chest and shoving him, hard. “Rafe, you’re being ridiculous –”

Behind my brother, Jesse just raises an eyebrow at me, his face unusually grave. Because now…well, he’s probably figured out what, precisely, I was looking at.

God, can he have already guessed who?

I burst into a vivid blush for what feels like the hundredth time tonight, and before either of them can say anything else I grab my toothbrush kit from the edge of my bed and start to storm off to the bathroom, needing a moment alone.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going!?” Rafe shouts, storming after me.

“To brush my teeth, Rafe,” I growl, turning stop so abruptly that he smacks into me and makes me stumble a few steps back. His mouth pops open in surprise and I see the apology on his tongue for almost knocking me over, but I wave a hand in his face, dismissing it. “What, I can’t even do this alone!?” I snap, shaking my head at him as I step closer enough, close enough for him to hear my whisper. “Or is the risk of me getting pregnant, and ruining my entire life, too high!?”

He glares at me again, but I can see him processing my words, realizing that he has perhaps. stepped a little over the line between protective big brother and complete asshole tonight. So I nod curtly once more and turn on my heel, storming into the bathroom alone.

I pointedly refrain from looking towards the showers, where a few cadets are catching the final now–icy showers, and instead stalk right to the row of sinks where I furiously squeeze toothpaste onto my brush and stare blankly at the wall while I scrub my teeth. noveldrama

Stupid idiot brother, I think to myself, anger still pulsing through me.

He just loves you, my contrary little wolf says, brushing her warm fur up against my soul and making me sigh in defeat, because I know she’s right.

Can’t you just let me be mad? I ask, leaning over to spit my toothpaste into the sink with a scowl. Sometimes a little anger can be very therapeutic.

Nope! She replies, suddenly standing up straight and swishing her tail. Cheer better things to concentrate on!

up

–

we’ve got

What? I ask, standing up straight, but before I can even fully consider her words, a hand grabs the fabric at the back of my uniform and begins to haul me along, away from the sinks. I drop my toothbrush in surprise.

“Come on, Shrimp,” Luca says, smirking down at me as he pulls me towards the door. “You and I are going to have a little talk.”

“What!?” I gasp, and then as the surprise fades I snarl, putting my weight back into and trying to get out of his grasp. “Let go of me! I’m not going anywhere with you!”

my heels

Go! My wolf howls, prancing around inside of me, maybe he’ll kiss you – maybe he’ll take his shirt off! But I hastily shove her away, glaring up into my mate’s face. He doesn’t let of me at all, instead grabbing the front of my uniform now and leaning closer to whisper to

1. me.

go

“You either come willingly,” he says, raising his eyebrows, “or we go have this little conversation about what you were really doing out last night in front of your over- protective cousins, who I’m starting to realize don’t know anything about your midnight. bath and would probably not be thrilled to hear of it.”

crap – if he’s figured out that

My eyes narrow at Luca even as I inwardly shriek, because Rafe and Jesse are overprotective, that means he’s been watching me.

And he’s right. After Jesse and Rafe’s little chat with mom and dad? They definitely don’t need any more information about my midnight adventure not tonight.

But Luca – he’s not letting me out of this either.

I take a moment to assess before I lift my chin at him. “Fine,” I snap, stepping back and jerking my uniform out of his hand. To my surprise, he lets me go. “But let me get my toothbrush,” I insist, pointing to where it clattered into the sink.

To my surprise, Luca laughs. “They’ll give you a new toothbrush, Shrimp

“That’s wasteful,” I murmur, sending him a nasty glare over my shoulder as I go to retrieve my kit and come back to his side.

Still smirking, he nods to me and wraps his hand again around my arm –

The moment he touches me, even with fabric between us, a tingle runs through me, spreading from his hand all up and down my arm. My eyes widen and I look up to find him frowning down at me.

He feels it too! This is so great! My wolf spins in a thrilled circle within me.

Luca stares at me for a long moment, but he doesn’t drop my arm. Instead, quite gently, he guides me from the bathroom, putting himself between me and my family so that they can’t see where I go. My heart starts to pound for a thousand reasons

Rafe’s going to kill me –

Jesse’s going to figure out Luca’s my mate

My whole body is tingling –

–

And crap – where is he taking me?

–

I’m going somewhere alone with my mate, what if he smells my scent!?

Chapter II

I’m basically panting with anxiety by the time I realize that Luca’s walking me over to his bed – my wolf lifts her nose with joy, howling a single high note to the sky as her toes tap in a skittering dance.