Chapter 36

I hurry along with my brother and my cousin, staring around at the stone hallway that meets in gothic arches above our heads, at the windows scattered along the right–hand wall that look out over the landscape.

I grin, because I thought I’d gotten used to the view from the barracks – but this high? I feel like I can see everything, and the wide grey landscape around the castle is desolate and gorgeous in its own way. My steps slow despite me as I wander over to one of the windows, which looks north towards the palace, towards home, where mom and dad are –

And Mark and Junic too – god, how long as it been since I thought about them I’m a bad big sister-

“Ari!” I jump a little at Rafe’s frustrated bark and then laugh and hurry along to catch up.

We wind our way up the staircase at the far end of the hall, two stories which I’m pleased to see takes my breath away less than I thought it would. I guess two weeks of workouts really has helped me out in regards to my fitness, at least a little bit.

But when we get to the top of the staircase – which must be the highest level of the

Rafe strides eagerly down the hall, leading us to a broad wooden door at the center. I glance around, but don’t see many other doors on this level.

castle

—

“Are we, like, alone up here?” I ask, curious.

“It’s a more private floor,” Rafe answers, inserting the key in the lock and deftly twisting it. “But, the suites are meant to accommodate more than one Cadet, so they’re a little larger.”

The lock clicks and Rafe grins at me before opening the door.

“Jesse, Ari,” he says, proud and eager, “welcome home.”

And then he pushes the door open, and my jaw feels like it hits the floor.

“Oh my god,” I breathe as I step into what has to be the most gorgeous room I’ve

ever seen.

I drop my box immediately on the floor along with my pack as I step in, spinning around to take it all in.

“Whoaaa,” Jesse says, laughing with his own joy. “This is amazing!”

Rafe just grins with pride, striding in like he planned it all. Which, I mean, he probably did.

I cover my mouth with my hands as I stare around the gorgeous room, which has high steepled ceilings like the arches outside. At the center of the room is a lovely little living area set before a huge hearth where the logs are already laid out for a fire, ready to keep us warm. A set of worn furniture couches and chairs before the fireplace, mismatched but looking well–loved and comfortable.

sits

Beyond that, in the two far corners of the room, are two huge beds to accommodate the two huge Alphas for which this room was designed. I grin as Jesse folds back the ornate wooden screen that sets his little bedroom area apart and then leaps onto the plush bed that lays behind it.

“Oh yeah, this one’s mine!” he shouts, already snuggling into the wealth of blankets and pillows waiting there.

“Fine by me.” Rafe says, grinning and tossing his box down on the bed in the other corner, which has rich velvet drapes all around it that he can draw together for his own privacy. Between the beds are two bureaus, and then two desks, presumably for homework –

I mean, if there even is homework. I have no idea what the coursework will be like here or will everything we do be physical? I honestly don’t know

But as I consider it, I turn, frowning a little.

Because where do I…

I mean, Jesse joked about a match box, but…I turn to the corner looking for it. “Over here, little sister,” Rafe says, grinning at me as he strides across the room.

I go a little still to hear him refer to me as his sister, but he just shakes his head and smiles at me.

“It’s just us in here,” he says, passing me and moving towards the hearth. “We can

be a bit freer with our words.”

“And our gendered identities,” Jesse adds helpfully from his place snuggled in his

blankets.

Before I can add any comment, though, Rafe moves to a little alcove next to the fireplace and pulls back a red velvet curtain, looping it behind an ornate brass hook to hold it back. “You’re in here, Ariel,” he says, stepping back with a smile.

I walk forward, fascinated, and I gasp softly as I peer into what is just….the sweetest little nook I’ve ever seen.

There’s a bed squeezed in – smaller than the boys, as is necessary to fit in the space, but just as plush with pillows and blankets. And at the foot of the bed there’s a small chest of drawers and the world’s tiniest, prettiest iron–and–wood desk situated neatly in the corner with an oil lamp attached to the wall above it for light. It’s simple, but it’s so cute, and so plush, and so cozy –

I am instantly at home, and instantly in love.

“I mean, I know it’s small,” Rafe says, running a hand anxiously through his hair, “but we thought you’d want to room with us, and we wanted to give you a little more privacy –”

“I love it!” I shout, hurling myself at my brother and wrapping my arms around his waist. He stumbles back in surprise, but laughs and puts his arms around me too. “I love it, Rafe, it’s perfect.”

head

My big brother hugs me back, rocking me a little in his arms, and I rest my on his broad chest as we both study my nook. “Only takes two weeks in the barracks to be impressed with a little alcove, after a lifetime in the palace,” he

murmurs.

“Nah, this is way better than the palace,” I whisper, meaning it. “It’s mine.”

I mean, we’re not kids anymore, but it’s not like Rafe or Jesse or I ever really left home and got our own apartments or anything. For all of us? This is our first taste of independence, and I know we all feel excited about it, even if it doesn’t match the luxury we grew up with.

Or, well, some of it. The amount of pillows and linens heaped on each of our beds that just screams mom’s motherly touch, wanting us to be cozy and comfortable in our own little nests.

nook “Very swanky spot, little Shrimp cousin,” Jesse says, coming over to see my and looping an arm around Rafe’s shoulder. I wiggle my way between them – my habitual spot – and wrap an arm around Jesse’s waist too. “Perfect little matchbox

bed, just like I said.”

“We tried to get you a bigger one,” Rafe murmurs, looking down at me with a little. guilt in his eyes, “but they said this is the only one that would fit

“It’s great!” I say, laughing and wrinkling my nose up at him, not wanting him to feel bad about it for even a moment. “I’m not a gigantic Alpha like you по chance of my feet hanging off the edge of a standard–sized bed.”

“I think I need to commandeer some of these pillows, though,” Jesse says, moving forward into my nook and reaching for my bed, “far too fluffy, there won’t even be room for you –”

“Hands off!” I snap, jumping forward and swatting at his arm. He laughs, backing away, and I turn around again, looking for another door.

“So, do we share a bathroom with everyone else, like in the barracks, or something?” I ask, curious. My heart drops a little at the idea it would be so great to be able to have some privacy, not to mention control over how filthy the shower gets.

“Nah.” Rafe says, smiling again and walking over to a bookcase in the corner. “Are you ready for the best part?”

I frown at him, not getting it yet, but then my jaw drops again – god, I’m going to wake up with sore cheeks tomorrow, after all of these surprises – when he pulls on a book and the case itself swings open – revealing a huge bathroom beyond. noveldrama

“Oh my god,” I gasp, darting in and spinning as I stare around in the room. Honestly I mean, it’s a bathroom that rivals even mom and dad’s at home. A wide tiled shower with a rainfall shower head at the top and multiple jets along the wall – and two wide sinks, even a little vanity in the corner next to an ornate full- length mirror. God – why would boys need a vanity – why would they need a

mirror –

But the true triumph is the huge soaking tub sunk into the floor, probably about five feet deep by the looks of it, to accommodate Rafe and Jesse’s huge Alpha

bodies.

“Wow,” Jesse says, looking at the tub with wide eyes. “God, you could do laps in that thing.”

“Dad had it put in for us,” Rafe says, a little smug. “You can turn it into an ice bath too, for when your muscles get sore-”

“Out!” I say suddenly, knowing immediately that I’m getting first dips on this. The boys stare over at me in surprise. “Out!” I say again, striding back across the room and shoving them both on the chests to back them out of the room. “I’m taking thirty minutes in here, and I do not want to be disturbed.”

My brother and my cousin start to laugh, pretending to put up a fight, but eventually they allow themselves to be shoved from the room. They call their farewells after them as they go, but I don’t even listen, pulling the door shut and immediately moving to the soaking tub, flicking on the industrial faucet and starting to strip off my clothes.