Chapter 20

Jackson raises his left arm, bending it and pressing his forearm tight against my neck.

The moment our bodies touch – he only had his hand fisted in my uniform before it happens. again.

My eyes fly open as the pulse pounds through the air, almost audible this time. Jackson’s eyes go wide as he stares down at his arm. Desperate, I snap my hands up, pulling at his arm – but, f**k, they do it again my hands start to heat immediately when they come into contact with him –

“What the f**k!” Jackson shouts, but he doesn’t run this time, he leans in closer, cutting off my air with the pressure of his arm against my windpipe. “What the f**k is happening!? What – what are you!?”

I cry out in pain and fear as Jackson realizes again what he must have dismissed as his imagination before-

That there’s something about me about us – that’s that’s different –

I scrabble at his arm, desperate to get away, but he’s so much bigger than me –

Suddenly there’s a sound like the crack of thunder in the air and I gasp as my breath comes back. My eyes fly open and I gasp as Jackson falls away from me, clutching the side of his head.

“Get the f**k away from him!” Rafe roars, his voice louder than I’ve ever heard it before, the Alpha command thick in his voice.

Jackson stumbles back and almost falls to the ground, but regains his footing as Rafe strides towards him, pulling his fist back and cracking Jackson against the jaw once – twice –

Jackson moans the second time and falls to the ground, his hands going to his face. Rafe pulls his leg back and delivers a kick to Jackson’s ribs and I swear I hear something crack.

“Stay the f**k away from him,” Rafe shouts, his voice desperate and afraid. “You touch him again, and I will kill you!” He kicks Jackson again and something in me breaks when I hear Jackson groan and then cough into the dust.

“Rafe!” I shout, stumbling forward. “Rafe, stop!”

My brother doesn’t listen, continuing to kick, and then he kneels down on the ground next to Jackson and cocks his elbow, ready to punch him in the face again while it’s pressed against the ground.

“Rafe!” I scream, running forward and grabbing his arm, putting my whole weight into it and knocking Rafe off balance so that he and I both fall into the dust.

Jackson pushes himself away from us, gasping for air and scrambling to his feet. Rafe turns to him in a rush, pushing to his own feet, and I let him go, covering my head, terrified suddenly that

Jackson will retaliate-

But my mate just stares at us for a moment before stumbling away into the fog, working himself into a run and getting heading back to the barracks.

I spin to my brother, calling his name, my voice choked

And I burst into tears when I see blood on Rafe’s knuckles, because I have no idea if it’s Jackson’s, or if Rafe busted his hands when he hit him–1 reach for my brother, wanting to see, wanting to help.

But I gasp when Rafe pushes me away, making me fall flat on my ass in the dirt.

“What the f**k, Ariel!?” he gasps, his shoulders shaking, and my eyes go wide in horror when I see that there are tears in his eyes. noveldrama

“Rafe.” I gasp, desperate –

“No!” he shouts, shaking his head at me as he gets to his knees. “I have been begging you to be careful – what the f**k were you thinking going out here alone –”

“I was just – I wanted to let Jesse sleep –”

“You are so f**king stupid,” he growls, using the heels of his hands to wipe bruskly at the tears that fall from his eyes. My eyes go wide and my heart sinks, because – I mean, I know he doesn’t think that – but f**k, it hurts to hear him say it –

Rafe shakes his head, using his sleeve now, but the tears keep coming. “I told you it was a bad idea for you to come here –” he growls, his voice shaking and desperate, “I told you it would be dangerous – but you and f**king Jesse just laughed and pretended it was a game – but then you almost get killed by that f**king asshole – because you wanted to go for a stupid run by yourself – because you think you’re tough

“Rafe,” I groan, trying to interrupt, desperate, getting to my own knees now and crawling towards

him.

“Do you know what dad would do to me if you got hurt!?” he shouts, his voice breaking now as he grabs my shoulders and shakes me. “Do you –” his lip trembles now, and he completely gives up on trying not to cry – “do you know what it would do to me if you got hurt? F**k, Ariel, it would kill me -” his hands move to my face now, cupping my cheeks, “you’re my f**king little sister

t of my being.”

I’m sobbing now too, shaking my head at him, guilt filling every sorry,” I cry, shaking my head.

“F**k, Ariel,” Rafe gasps, and then he pulls me to him, his arms around me tight. “I love you so much I’ve always loved you, even when you’re so f**king annoying I want to throw you off the palace roof –”

A hysterical little laugh breaks from me and I bury my head against his chest.

“If anyone ever hurt you,” he gasps, and I can feel his rage passing a little, his breaths coming slower in his chest, “I would I would f**king burn the world down, Ari – ”

–

“I’m sorry.” I say again, hiccupping against him as I press my eyes shut and lean my cheek against his chest. “You’re right it was stupid I should have woken one of you up

–

“It was stupid,” he mutters, still shaking a little, but I can’t help the smile that comes back to my face, because I can tell that he’s…he’s merely pissed now, instead of in a full–on dad–style Alpha rage. Rafe raises a shaking hand to stroke my head, almost as if he’d run it over my hair, if I weren’t wearing this stupid ever–present cap. “For a smart girl, Ari, you can be real f**king stupid.”

“Stop calling me a girl,” I mutter, laughing a little. “Someone’s going to hear you and figure it out.”

He laughs a little too and loosens his hold on me, looking down into my face and shaking his head. at me like I’m the most agitating thing he’s ever seen. “When mom and dad called you baby trouble,” he murmurs, “they were…sincerely underestimating you.”

Then, almost like he’s exhausted, he falls back on his ass in the middle of the trail, clearly not caring if someone comes by and finds us.

I sit across from him, hunching over, emotionally and physically exhausted even though it’s not even seven in the morning.

“What the hell is going on, Ari,” Rafe whispers, still shaking his head a me like he’s trying to figure it out. “That guy he’s got it out for you it’s like he’s trying to kill you every time he’s alone.”

–

Instinctually, I bite my lip, because….well, because I have an answer to that question, don’t I?

Rafe’s eyes immediately move to my mouth and his eyes flare, flicking back up to mine. “What is it?” he instantly demands, because, damn it, he’s known me my entire life – he knows all my tells.

Instantly I release my lip, my own eyes going wide.

“Ari,” Rafe growls, leaning forward, glaring at me. “You tell me – right f**king now

“It’s nothing!” I gasp, leaning away.

“Ariel Cora Sinclair,” Rafe growls, starting to crawl towards me like he’s going to kill me now-

God, all these f**king Alphas around, threatening my life –

“Stop!” I hiss, kicking out a foot at him, starting to get mad myself.

“Tell me!” he insists, almost shouts, grabbing me by the arm. “Or I swear to god, I’m going to kill you, and then bring you back to life, and then tell everyone you’re a girl, and get you kicked out of this

school, and get me and Jesse kicked out for lying about you – and then I’ll make and marry that horrible prince jerk-”

you go

home

“Fine!” I shout, kicking him again when he moves closer. Rafe narrows his eyes, but he moves back just a little, knowing he’s got me cornered.

12:37 Sun, 10 Mar 01

“Rafe.” I sigh, hanging my head a little. “Jackson – he’s just confused-”

“About what –”

“About.” I growl, snapping my eyes up to him, pissed that he won’t just let me get it out, “the fact that I smell like a girl underneath Jesse’s scent marking, and when he gets close to me…he can sense

it.”

Rafe screws his face up in confusion. “Why the f**k would that matter to him? Like, a lot of guys would be pissed if they found out a girl was trying to infiltrate the academy. But this? Enough for him to want to, like, rip you to shreds –

“Because.” I sigh, knowing that I could lie but…honestly, I’m not going to get away with it, because Rafe is on the scent now, and he knows all of my tells. “Because he’s my f**king mate, Rafe.”

I blurt it out, and lift my chin, because…I mean, I have nothing to be embarrassed about. He’s my mate, and it’s supposed to be a good thing. Right?

But as I watch, every single drop of blood drains from my brother’s face.