The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0226
“Mom,” I say, catching her arm and stopping her before she heads to the door.
“Are you... are you mad at me?” My voice breaks a little on my question, my
eyes smarting with tears as I look at her, worried.
“Oh, baby,” she murmurs, shock and concern suddenly on her face. “Why would
you think that?”
“Because,” I say, heaving a little shrug. “We we lied to you for months. And I did
something really dangerous. And I almost died, and showed up all bloody with
two mates and it must be so weird
Mom laughs a little, taking my face between her hands and shaking her head at
me. “Oh, sweetheart,” she murmurs, and then she nods. “If 'm being honest, I
could have done without the blood and the near-death. But I'm not mad at you —
sweetie, I'm proud of you.”
My mouth twists in sudden surprise, and my eyes fill with unexpected tears.
“You're — you're what?”
“Baby,” she wraps me in a hug as she speaks, “you are doing something difficult
that nobody has done before. And it's kind of kicking your ass!” I laugh, tears
slipping down my cheeks as I nod and hug her back.
“Yeah,” I reply, my voice shaking. “It kind of is.”
“But look at you,” she says, pulling back and beaming into my face. “Look at you,
baby! You're kicking its ass too! You are finding your way, doing something you're
passionate about, and you're succeeding. Ariel, my love,” her own eyes fill with
tears now, “I'm so proud of you. I'd scream it from the rooftops for everyone to
hear if it wouldn't get you instantly kicked out.”
mu taare away
I laugh, and hug my mom again, and then we take a few moments to wipe before
we head off to breakfast. Before we go, I tuck the little notes left on my bed into
the back pocket of my Cadet uniform and prepare to go negotiate with my dad,
the King.
Breakfast goes better than I thought it would, right from the start. It's a short,
unfrilled affair — just the four of us gathered around for coffee, and some toast
and fruit, at a little folding table in the back hall. Cora isn’t here, unfortunately she
headed home after patching up some minorly-wounded cadets and sending
Jesse off with a kiss.
As I pour my coffee, I realize that my mom has probably been up all night — that
after I fell asleep she probably spent every minute rushing around from room to
room, healing all the
cadets who were injured in the Examination. I see the signs of it now that I look
for them the slight circles under her eyes, the yawn she hides with her hand.
But I just smile, and don't call her out — because even though mom is full of jokes
and would just brush it off, I know that she has the biggest heart of anyone in the
world.
I resolve, again — for the thousandth time to try to be more like her.
“So,” dad says, his voice all business as he offers me the basket of toast, which I
grab perhaps too eagerly, loading up my plate with a serving size that is more like
Rafe’s usual breakfast than mine. “We're going to strike a deal.”
“We are?” I ask, crumbs spilling from my mouth as I speak with my mouth full.
Rafe just smirks at me, and I give him a little glare before I chew and swallow,
focusing on
our dad.
“Despite what you all think,” dad says, looking evenly around the table at us, “I do
listen to you, and I am reasonable. I am not pleased with the fact that we were
lied to, and that Ariel was put into an unnecessarily risky situation.” He levels his
gaze at me now, and I sit up straighter, as I always do when I'm in trouble with
dad.
“But,” he continues, and I go very still, hope beginning to swell in me. Dad folds
his hands, continuing to look at me evenly. “l am aware that yourself at this
Academy,
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you have prov Ariel. You
have...passed the tests that weeded
out other candidates, tests that were
as much about cleverness as they
were physical prowess — about
finding out how to pass, even if your
3 ,
physical makeup didn't make that
” :

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chapter there!
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I frown a little bit here, my mind

5 . )
wandering to consider that I wouldn't
have been highly ranked enough to
enter the academy or to pass the

? 5 rat )

Examination if it hadn't been for The
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Jackson. That Jackson really did pull me through.
no wrong with th
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Is there though? Is there a rule that
every Cadet at the Academy must be
a lone island of physical strength? Is
there nothing useful about having
good friends, and the right friends?
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My dad continues talking, though, and so I push the question aside to mull over
later, uncomfortable with it but needing to concentrate.
“So here’s what we're going to do,” dad says, reaching out for an orange and
beginning to peel it as he begins to lay out our plan.