Chapter 21

1 stare wide–eyed at my brother, waiting for him to react.

But Rafe just…stares at me, his face ghostly–white, until I start to get seriously worried.

“Rafe,” I murmur, leaning forward a little, starting to reach out a hand to touch him.

“What the f**k Ariel,” Rafe whispers, so fast that the words all bleed together into one, so low that I can barely hear him. But the sentiment…is perfectly clear.

“Well it’s not like I asked for it,” I say, spreading my hands out, my eyebrows going up. “I didn’t do anything. Rafe!”

“We’re getting you out of here,” he says, his head snapping back towards the barracks, coming back to himself now and just like dad – immediately springing into action. “We’re calling mom – this

is over

“What!?” I gasp, and then I dart forward, smacking him as hard as I can on the arm,

“Rafe! No!”

He turns his head to me and growls, ready to retort, but I hit him again, which makes him pause.

“Rafe! You are not taking this from me just because that idiot doesn’t know how to handle himself! I want to be here I want to train as part of the Academy! This isn’t up to you anymore, you asshole!”

Rafe blinks at me in surprise – probably because I don’t think I’ve ever in my life sincerely called him an asshole. But I bare my teeth at him now, meaning it, because he kind of is being one. Rafe is not in charge of my future even if he thinks he is.

“He is going to kill you, Ariel,” Rafe growls, leaning forward and staring at me, making me see what’s at risk here.

“He’s known something was up since the first night, Rafe,” I counter, stubbornly crossing my arms. and glaring at him. “We’ve gotten through almost two weeks of him having no opportunity to hurt me – we can get through a few more days!”

“And then once you’re in the Academy?” he says, raising his eyebrows. “Because he’s f**king good, Ari he’s definitely getting in too.”

“When we’re in the Academy we’re allowed to carry weapons,” I say, speaking my ideas aloud as I think them because honestly I haven’t planned this far ahead

– – “I’ll learn how to protect myself!”

Rafe groans and buries his face in his hands, realizing that he’s not talking me out of here without a big fight – and also realizing, I think, that as much as I’m his little sister I’m grown now it’s

actually not his job to decide whether I stay or I go.

And damn it? I’m staying until they make me leave.

–

Mar

Rafe takes a few deep breaths, his face tucked away against his palms, clearly putting the pieces of his reality back together. I press my hands against my thighs, waiting, working to slow my own breathing.

Slowly, Rafe starts to look up at me. “Seriously,” he whispers, his green eyes peeking over hist fingertips. “He’s your mate?”

I nod seriously.

“You’re sure?”

I nod again.

“How do you know?”

I shrug. “It’s like people say. My wolf she knew instantly when I smelled him.”

“And Jackson…he don’t know?” Rafe asks, exhaling deeply and dropping his hands from his face, resting them on his knees.

– he’s I shake my head. “Jesse’s scent marking is enough to confuse my scent, I think. Jackson figured out his mate is here, and that I have something to do with it. But he hasn’t figured out it’s

me.”

you

“So,” Rafe cocks his head to the side. “That’s why he’s trying to kill you – because he thinks have something to do with keeping his mate away. But you know it’s him…so…” My brother studies me carefully, narrowing his eyes. “What? Are you like…in love with him?”

“Rafe!” I gasp, an instant blush coming to my cheeks. “What!? No! I don’t even know him! And!” I fling a hand out in the direction in which Jackson disappeared, “He keeps trying to murder me!”

“But he’s your mate!” Rafe’s face screws up in confusion. “Doesn’t that mean

“I don’t know what it means!” I say, throwing my hands in the air. “But do not mistake my being mated to him for any like affection! I have no idea what’s going on! I am brand new to this as well!”

Rafe sighs, looking off into the distance. “Maybe we should call mom,” he murmurs. “She has a mate. She knows more than we do.”

“We’re not calling mom,” I sigh, and then I push myself to my feet, holding out my hand to my brother. “Let’s just…get through the week, all right? And then we’ll figure out this stupid mate stuff when we’re enrolled in the Academy and have a second to think it through.”

Rafe takes my hand – not because I can actually pull him up, he weighs way too much, but certainly as a sign of solidarity. When he’s on his feet, Rafe uses his grip on my hand to pull me

close.

“All right, Shrimp,” he growls, and I smirk a little to hear him use my barrack nickname. “But we’re doing this on my terms now, okay? Which means you don’t go anywhere alone, and you stick to my god damn side like glue. Do you hear me?”

Slowly I nod, looking earnestly up into his face.

“And,” he

forbid it.”

, narrowing his eyes at me again. “You don’t say another damn word to your mate. I

“Fine, Rafe,” I sigh, scowling and pulling away from him, knowing it’s logical but hating the way he pulls his big brother card and bosses me around. “Can we get to breakfast? Jesse’s going to start to freak out.”

“Fine.” Rafe growls, grabbing my jacket and tugging me close to his side.

1

“Let me go,” I groan, pulling away, but he doesn’t let me go.

“Like glue. Ariel,” he snaps, glaring down at me. “Glue.”

“Glue, Rafe,” I agree, rolling my eyes up at him. But when he lets my jacket go, I stay close, hardly a hand’s breadth between us as we walk the short distance back to the barracks and inside for

breakfast.

As I predicted, Jesse is indeed freaking out. He’s watching the door like a hawk when we come in. Ben and Luca at the table with him. Jesse throws his hands up in the air like we can’t believe what we’ve cut it this close, but Rafe just waves a hand at him and pushes me over to the food line.

Overprotective barely begins to describe it as Rafe fills his own tray and mine with whatever’s left, a random assortment of cereal and breakfast meats and granola. When another candidate leans over me to grab a yogurt, Rafe literally growls and snaps his teeth at him, making both of us jump.

The candidate jumps almost out of his boots before muttering his apologies and darting away, wide– eyed.

“You need to cool it, Rafe,” I say, looking up at him in shock as I pick up my tray.

“F**king mates,” Rafe growls, shoving me between the shoulder blades and making me stumble towards our table. I just heave a sigh and ignore him, sitting next to Ben when I get to the table as far away from my other mate as I can get.

Because I absolutely do not need Rafe finding out the other half of my secret – not seeing how he reacted to the first bit.

“Where were you,” Jesse snaps, glaring at us. “I wake up and you’re both gone? And you almost missed breakfast!”

“Ari decided to go for a run on his own,” Rafe growls, glaring at me but not saying anything else.

Ben studies his breakfast and doesn’t get involved, but Luca lifts a spoonful of cereal to his mouth, blatantly watching our little cousin drama with interest.

“Ari,” Jesse breathes, staring at me. “You know you’re not allowed to –”

“Rafe already schooled me, all right?” I growl, flicking my eyes in Luca’s direction

– an action he

catches, of course, because he’s starting at me. Jesse looks over at Luca and realizes that he’s perhaps saying too much. “Just let’s let it go.”

Jesse heaves a big sigh as Rafe starts to shovel food into his mouth and we all sit in stubborn silence I pour some dry sugary cereal into my hand and shove it into my mouth, crunching on it, not having much stomach for anything else. Luca smirks at me, somehow entertained by that

I glare at him. His smirk just deepens.

But before we can get any further, the Captain stands at the front of the room.

“All right.” he says, gathering everyone’s attention to him differently. “This year, we’re changing things up for the final few days of candidacy.”

Everyone sits up straight at this and Rafe looks around at all of us in surprise. Luca and Ben shrug. letting him know they have no idea what’s coming.

“Academy officials have reported a level of discontent with our candidates‘ survival skills. Apparently, we’ve been sending them a bunch of cadets who can beat each other bloody but who fall apart after a single night in the wild. So, over the next forty–eight hours we’re splitting you up and sending you out into the woods in teams to test your survival skills as part of your candidacy ranking.” noveldrama

He continues speaking, laying out the rules as our little group looks anxiously around at each other.Luca curses under his breath, tossing his spoon down on his tray.

“No survival skills?” Jesse asks him, a little pity in his voice because he and Rafe, at least and me, to an extent – have been camping with our dads for years.

“I’m a city kid,” Luca mutters, shaking his head.

“Same,” says Ben, his voice filled with dread.

“You’re staying with me,” Rafe mutters, glaring at me across the table and looking around. “I’ll find a way to pull some strings.

“You can’t do that, Rafe,” I grumble, sitting back and crossing my arms.

“You are not going into the woods with that maniac,” he growls, glaring hard at me.

“What maniac?” Luca asks, frowning.

We all ignore him.

“No,” I say, my eyebrows going up as I look past my brother at the leadership board, which has changed now to show the groups with which we’ll be headed into the wild. I point at it. “I’m not going into the woods with him- but I’m not going with you either.”

Everyone’s head whips towards the board, Rafe going pale as he realizes that Jesse, Rafe and I have

for the first time – been completely split up. And I’m right – Jackson is in a totally different group

as well

But after he stuches the board for a second, Luca turns to grin at me

Because be and Our names are on the same.