Chapter 7

“Wait a second,” Luca says, cocking his head and looking the larger candidate up and down. “How do we even know we’re looking for the same girl?”

I snap my attention to the other guy as I subtly move further back into the pool, seeking shadow. God, if the moon could just slip back behind the Academy…

“Don’t be an idiot, Grant,” the taller one growls, advancing on Luca another step. “Do you seriously think that there are two girls wandering around the candidate barracks of Alpha Academy?”

“Point taken,” Luca says with a shrug, not giving any ground even though the larger

candidate looks like he outweighs him by at least thirty pounds of solid muscle. “But let’s be sure – what’s your girl smell like?”

My eyes flick between them as they share notes on my scent, coming to the conclusion that they are indeed both chasing the same girl who smells of smoke and cloves and honey. Is that seriously what I smell like? I wonder absently as my mind focuses on the more important thing: coming up with a plan to get the hell out of here.

Yes, my

wolf replies, preening as she prances, we smell very nice.

And suddenly, as the boys again begin to argue about whose mate she is, I realize exactly what I need to do.

“Um,” I say, pitching my voice louder to be heard over their argument. The boys stop talking and snap their gazes immediately to me, which makes me sink deeper into the water, even though my wolf nips

me internally, urging me ridiculously to just climb n*ked out of the pool and go to them. “You’re looking for the person who smells like cloves and honey?”

“What do you know about it,” the big guy snarls, stepping towards me with narrowed eyes as if he’ll leap into the pool and beat me to a pulp if I say anything out of line.

“Nothing!” I protest, putting my hands up, even though just my fingertips stick out of the water. “Um, sorry – I didn’t get a good look – I didn’t even realize it was a girl – I only saw like, a silhouette.”

“Well, where did she go,” the larger cadet growls, and as I look up into his face I’m suddenly shaken by… noveldrama

Well, by how incredibly gorgeous he is beneath his scars and his snarl. Besides being so large that he could toss me around like a rag doll, his face is shaped by a square jaw and a long, straight nose beneath dark brows. And his eyes…

Despite myself, I take a step forward, peering closer –

Because I think they’re blue – the darkest, most gorgeous shade of sapphire blue, such an unusual contrast with his chestnut hair….

“Is something wrong with you?” he spits out, looking at me in shock and rage.

I flinch back, realizing that – oh my god – I was just gazing into his eyes when he’s ready to kill me –

“Nope!” I squeak, shaking my head and backing up again into the shadow. “Sorry, yeah, she went that way!” I point out into the distance, away from the barracks.

“What did she look like?” he growls.

Opposite of me, I think, frantic. “Um, really tall! With like, lots and lots of long curly black hair.”

Luca keeps his eyes on me, curious, but the other snaps his head in the direction I indicated. He shoots a glare at Luca but sets off at a run, clearly eager to get to this mystery girl first.

Shit, shit, I think, staring unblinking at Luca now as he studies me. Why isn’t he going too!?

“Seriously, Shrimp,” Luca says, leaning forward and narrowing his eyes, trying to get a better look at me. “Why are you out here?”

“I…needed a bath,” I say, sputtering out the truth because I can’t think of anything else to say. Besides, maybe if I answer his questions quickly he’ll go –

“Why didn’t you just take a shower, like the rest of us?”

“Because they were gross,” I hear myself say, and then I gasp at how stupid I’m being and duck half my face under the water to hide my instant blush. Luca’s face bursts into a grin.

“You’re really weird, Shrimp,” he says, shaking his head and smiling at me, “but you’re funny. I like funny.”

My wolf sits down on her haunches and lifts her nose to the sky, howling in her grief that

I’m not hurling myself out of this spring and into his arms –

–

Because that smile oh my god, something in me melts at the sight of it. I actually have to force myself to not swim towards him.

When I don’t say anything, Luca just laughs again and shakes his head. “Anyway,” he continues, “thanks for the tip on the girl. That way, you said?”

I nod vigorously, not even looking where he points because I don’t care – I just want him to

go-

He grins again and nods to me one last time before turning and running off.

I stay in the shadows for a few minutes, casting out my hearing and making sure that it’s absolutely silent around me for a few minutes. And then, when I hear nothing in the around me – not even a single cricket-

—-

–

grasses

I spring from the pool and pull on my clothes as fast as I can – seriously, I’ve never gotten dressed faster – I have no idea if my pants are even on the right way –

Then, grabbing what’s left of my bathing kit, I sprint for the barracks.

–

My breath is ragged in my lungs, my heart pounding in my chest with more than just exertion – because any second I expect a hand to grab me by my collar, yanking me backward, demanding an explanation

—

But I know, above all things, that secrecy is still absolutely necessary. No one can find out that I’m a girl – no one can find out that my mates are here – no one can find out that the Princess is in hiding at Alpha Academy, or else I’ll be forced to marry that jerk or start a war

God, I’ve been so stupid and reckless tonight, I should have listened to Rafe

–

You should have invited them into the pool with us, my contrary wolf grumbles. Then we could have

–

But I shove her voice away as I reach the barracks, my feet stuttering to a stop as I reach the door. I force myself to take slower, softer breaths as I grab the handle and pull it open because I’ve got to be quiet in here.

And, well, I’m not precisely quiet as I dart to the back corner of the room, my feet slapping against the floor. I’m way too full of frantic energy to help that, but I hope that wakes up just thinks I’m a candidate running for the bathroom or something –

anyone who

stuff

I hurl my

up onto my bunk, grateful that it lands silently, and then leap ungracefully onto Jesse’s bed, slamming my hand over his mouth.

His eyes fly immediately open and fear, then rage, then wonder pass over his face in a series of flashes as he sees me above him, a single finger pressed to my lips, my eyes begging him to be quiet. He

shouts my name, but it’s muffled by my hand, and I glance over at Rafe’s bed, shaking my head frantically, letting Jesse see that we can’t wake Rafe up.

Because Rafe? He’ll kill me.

Or worse, he’ll be disappointed in me.

I don’t want to put this on Rafe’s shoulders anyway.

–

not yet. And Jesse – he’s the one I need

I lean close to Jesse now that he’s fully awake and move my hand away from his mouth. “Jesse,” I whisper frantically, my mouth close to his ear, “I took a bath!”

“So what, Ari!?” he hisses, pissed. “Did you seriously need to scare the shit out of me to tell me that!? Congratulations! You’re clean!”

I glare at him for a second and then roll my eyes. “No, you idiot, you have to scent mark me! I forgot – I didn’t realize that I was going to smell all girly when I washed your scent away!”

He

groans then, putting his hands over his face for a second before lifting his wrists to wipe at my neck and my own wrists.

“More,” I insist, grabbing his wrist and wiping it down my face. “I can’t smell like fricking cloves and honey anymore –“

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“Ari!” Jesse snaps, snatching his wrist away from me. “What the hell is going on!? Why are you being so weird!?”

I take a second to look around the room, scanning in particular for a wide set of shoulders under glowering eyes, or a body that falls naturally into a boxer’s stance…

But the room is…still. Silent.

I…I made it back. Unnoticed, at least for now. I take a second to make sure, but then relief rushes through me.

“It’s nothing,” I whisper, shaking my head. “I’m sorry, Jesse. Just…um, don’t tell Rafe, okay?”

“Don’t tell him what?” Jesse whisper–snaps as I jump off of his bed and start to climb up into my own bunk. “That you’ve gone insane overnight?”

“You dreamed this all!” I call back over my shoulder, keeping my voice low. “It never happened! Go back to sleep, I love you!”

And then I slip under my blankets fully dressed and put my hands over my face as I curl into a ball.

Two mates and they know I’m here! And they’re looking for me!

–

How the hell am I ever going to keep

Secret when I’ve got two guys looking guys – out there, doing everything they can to sniff me out?