Chapter 35

My breathe freezes in my lungs as the young tailor and I stare at each other, neither of us blinking.

I mean, I am not someone who can claim anything close to the dangerous curves of a temptress, but I am decidedly a girl. Like my mom, I have smaller breasts, but my waist is small and my hips are far from narrow.

The seamstress stares at me for another second before she blinks rapidly, clarity suddenly coming to her face, studying me as she puts the pieces together. “Please,” I say, lifting my hands up and shaking my head vehemently, “please, I am begging you…”

And then a grin bursts onto her mouth.

My stomach absolutely sinks to the floor in relief.

The girl’s smile widens and she nods once, glancing over at the other tailors, who have not looked our way. “I’ll fudge the measurements,” she whispers, nodding to me again, more eagerly this time. “Give you a little extra room for…..mystery. And I’ll send along some stretchy fabric for…”

She quickly gestures towards her own breasts, just subtly, and relief floods through

1. me.

“Thank you,” I whisper as she beams and finishes up measuring my arms, around my neck, and finally my inseam. “Thank you, I owe you everything.”

“You’re welcome,” she says, looking up at me as if she genuinely means it. “I’m…I’m really excited for you, Cadet Clark. I think it’s great.”

And as we grin at each other, I quite suddenly wish we had more time-

Because she seems like the kind of girl that I could really talk to. And, all in a rush, I suddenly miss girl time with a vehemence that surprises me. I mean, I love my brother and my cousin and all my new friends here

But if I could just have ten minutes to sit and talk to a girl who is my friend and confidant, who I can laugh with and spill my heart to…

“Go ahead,” she says, nodding her head to the side and giving me a wink. “You’re all finished. Uniforms will be delivered tomorrow. Good luck!”

I grin my thanks to her again and, while I probably should be worried that she’s lying and is going to tell her superiors the moment I get out of the room, somehow as I watch her finish up her notes, I am not nervous at all.

But I admit, I am a little jealous when I notice that Luca is the next one to step on her pedestal as I sling on my pack and pick up my boxed temporary uniform. And as she greets him, he’s already smiling that too–charming smile.

When the nice tailer looks up at him, her eyes widen with surprise and pleasure, and I can see that his charm and his dimples are already doing their work.

“Come on, jealous,” Jesse whispers to me. He’s already out in the hall, and he laughs as he pulls me away from the doorway. “Time to go to the dorms. She’s not going to steal your man in the next two minutes.”

I scowl at the thought because I mean, she is pretty and clearly very nice.

But Jesse is right – I have other things to wonder about right now.

“The dorms?” I ask, sufficiently distracted by the thought of it. And suddenly I laugh at myself, because how can this not be the first thing I checked? I balance my box on one arm, lifting open the top and reaching my hand in, searching for the little piece of paper that I know has my dorm assignment written on it

I mean, where will I be living? Will it even be close to Rafe and Jesse? What will the bathrooms be like –

“Don’t worry about that,” Rafe says, grinning at me and putting a hand on my arm as I search. “We made sure you’re in with us.”

“With…with you?” I ask, looking between them. “I’m rooming with you?”

“It’s a big suite,” Jesse says, slipping an arm around my shoulders. “We had them add a little matchbox bed in the corner for our pet shrimp. Wasn’t a problem.”

“How do you – how did you already pull strings and make changes?” I breathe, shocked and suddenly very excited. “Did you already know your room before today?”

“Mom and dad….might have pulled some strings before we enrolled as candidates,” Rafe says, “just in case we got admitted as cadets.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, which just makes me burst out laughing.

“Nepotism!?” I chide, shaking my head at him. “You used nepotism to get the best suite in the place!?”

“Hey, we rarely use our royal privilege for anything.” Rafe says, slinging an arm around my

as he starts walking down the hall, taking me with him. “Just

this once-

“Just this once,” I scoff, laughing at him, “how about the fact that we grew up in a palace, and had world–class educations by the time we were sixteen –” noveldrama

“Or these looks,” Jesse says, gesturing to his admittedly gorgeous face, “completely inherited. I did nothing to earn this.”

“And our titles,” I continue, making Rafe laugh even more at his understatement.

“Really, Rafe,” Jessie considers, nodding, “being a duke has gotten me a serious amount of tail, and your Prince status ”

I gasp, spinning to Jesse, fascinated and dying to know more.

“Enough!” Rafe booms, interrupting and dropping his arm from my shoulder so he can give Jesse a shove. “Fine, you both got me, we’re spoiled rotten, and mommy and daddy got us the nice room. I admit it! But…you’re not going to guilt me into giving it up!” He grins at me. “It’s a really nice room.”

“Who cares about that anymore,” I breathe, rapt, “tell me about the tail!”

But Rafe just groans, shaking his head and striding ahead. “Drop it, Ari!” he calls back. “We’re not having this conversation! Ever!”

I step closer to Jesse as we hurry along.

“Tell me tell me tell me,” I whisper, looking up at him, my face all eagerness.

“It all starts five years ago,” he says, his voice very wise voice as he slides his arm Rafe’s place around my shoulder, “when Rafe met this very nice foreign exchange student named Theresa

“Jesse!” Rafe barks out, spinning in the hall, his expression appalled. “If you say one more word I will tell her everything about you – and there’s way more of that

Jesse and I burst out laughing as we catch up with Rafe. “I love this,” I say as we

reach the doors of a gorgeous brass elevator that will take us…honestly, I have no idea where it will take me. “I love Alpha Academy – who knew there was so much gossip involved –”

“There is no gossip.” Rafe growls, glaring at me. But then he smirks and raises an eyebrow. “Unless…” he says, his voice slow, “you want there to be. Ari.”

And I gasp, remembering that he does know parts of my mate drama that Jesse doesn’t and vice versa – and I glare back at him.

“Wait what?” Jesse says, grinning and looking between us. “Rafe has gossip about you?”

“Why don’t we all just declare a stalemate!” I say all in a rush, grinning up at my family. “Full stop on all dramatic news for the time being. Yes?”

And as the elevator doors open with a pleasant little ding, we all step inside and agree to the terms, even though Jesse gives me a wink, letting me know that he’ll spill at the first opportunity. I grin and lean in to nudge him with my shoulder, letting him know I’m ready when he is.

if that’s

The elevator whooshes us up into the air, faster than I thought would be possible for an ancient castle like this. And as it does, I feel my spirits rise too even possible.

–

Because I’ve certainly got secrets to keep, but right now? For the time being, at least for the next twelve hours, through my first evening and night at Alpha Academy?

It seems like those secrets are going to hold.

And right now, that’s all I can ask for.

When the elevator dings and the doors open again, a little fascinated noise spills from my mouth. Because this – this really looks like a castle.

“Come on,” Rafe says, grinning at me and striding forward, pulling a little iron key from his box.