Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“Oh god,” I groan, sinking my face into my hands, my dreams of becoming an Academy cadet suddenly

slipping through my fingers.

“Don’t worry about it, Ari,” Jesse murmurs, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and giving me a

manly squeeze. “We’ll train you up good. You just had one bad day, and they didn’t measure any of the

things you’re actually good at.”

“He’s right,” Rafe says, and I raise my head to see my brother looking at me seriously. I blink a little,

emotion swelling in me because Rafe looks so much like dad when he looks at me like that, with a mix

of stern expectation and love in his eyes. “We’ll get your number up fast, Ari, you just need…a little

more training.”

“Not like you two have to worry,” I sigh, leaning into Jesse for just a second before glancing up at the

board again. “You two are…” and then I scoff a little in jealousy because their numbers are one and

four. “Seriously, guys!?” I say, pouting at them. “You had to show me up that bad?”

“Someone had to uphold the Sinclair name,” Rafe murmurs, smirking a little as he finishes off his plate,

shoveling the food into his mouth. “Seriously, Ari, eat up,” he says, gesturing towards my plate with his

fork. “You need the energy today!”

I sigh and eat the sausage in two bites, finishing up the orange as we bus our trays and head for the

door. But as I swallow the last little bit of orange, I realize that I didn’t even look –

I spin at the last minute, my eyes roving over the rankings for their names –

Luca Grant – that one’s easy. Number five, right at the top, right under Jesse. Does that mean…did

Jesse beat him in the bracket yesterday? Surely he would have mentioned

But Rafe – if he beat my other mate in the final match that means…

Number two.

My eyes dart up the chart, fastening on his name.

Jackson McClintock.

That’s him, I think, even as Rafe grabs my arm and hauls me out of the room.

Jackson. Luca and Jackson.

–

–

My mates.

And as we pass head towards the gym… I can’t help but feel a little thrill of excitement twist

my stomach. Because I know who they are.

in

But they have noooo idea who I am.

At least, not yet.

I look up at my brother and my cousin on either side of me as we walk into the gym, moving towards

the group of candidates who stand before what looks like a gigantic obstacle course. “Thanks, guys,” I

whisper, suddenly overwhelmed by a rush of gratitude. Because honestly, if anyone can get me raised

up from number 120? It’s them. “Thank you for believing in me.”

“Don’t thank us yet,” Rafe says, shaking his head down at me. “Training is about to kick your ass. You

ready for this?”

“Probably not,” I sigh, and Jesse grins at me to let me know I’m right. But I square my shoulders and

nod to them, ready to try.

By the end of the day, Rafe’s prediction turns out to be correct: I have absolutely no urge to

thank them.

–

Training today was brutal. I don’t even know why they call it training – it was just a lot of running

through obstacle courses, throwing ourselves over barriers, and climbing chains an activity at which I

completely failed. None of it had anything to do with fighting anyone, as far as I could see. And it

certainly was not an activity that played to my skill set. Thankfully, nothing today counts towards

rankings – we’ll run the obstacle course again at the end of the two weeks, which is when it will actually

affect our rank.

And I was seriously, pathetically bad at all of it. I gritted my teeth as I pulled myself through the final

obstacle – a sand pit that I had to crawl through under a set of low ropes. As I hauled myself forward

with my burning forearms, I was shocked to see Jackson passing me, barely giving me a glare as he

went.

He was close enough that I got a good whiff of his scent as he pulled ahead, an experience that made

me emit an embarrassing moan as my arms gave out so that I faceplanted in the sand, completely

overwhelmed by exhaustion and lust. God damn it, having mates while running an obstacle course

makes me look even more pathetic than I really am.

I spit out a mouthful of sand as I crawled out of the pit.“Dead last, Clark,” a Lieutenant said as I got to

my feet, raising an eyebrow at me.

“How can I be last!?” I panted, gesturing towards Jackson. “McClintock is ranked second, and he barely

made it out before me!”

“Because,” the Lieutenant said, raising a snide brow in my direction. “McClintock went through twice,

while you did it once.”

I groaned, tilting my head back, thinking longingly of the hot shower that I’d get to take

next-

But no. Rafe grabbed my arm and hauled me towards the last task of the day: a five–mile run that left

me gasping for air because Jesse and Rafe refused to let me finish last again and made me keep up

with them the whole time. Honestly, I had thought I was a good runner – I’m usually pretty fast – but my

exhaustion, combined with my lack of sleep, combined with my realization that Jesse and Rafe really

have been going easy on me all these years?

Let’s just say that when they drag me back to the barracks, each with a hand under my arm to help

hold me up, they’re not doing it for show.

“I hate this,” I grumble, glaring at them. “I hate boy stuff.”

“Yeah, well,” Jesse breathes, his words barely audible from his stupid smirking mouth, “you’re the one

that wanted to be a boy.”

Rafe just glares down at me, drawing my eyes to him. “What?” I ask, frowning. “I tried!”

“You didn’t,” he says, frowning at me in turn. “You gave up. A lot. If you’re going to make it, Ari, you’re

going to have to give it your all. You’re going to have to –”

“Oh, shut up,” I grumble, yanking my arms from theirs and willing myself to walk on my own, pushing

myself to keep up with their long strides. “I can do it. I just need more sleep.” And to not have my wolf

howling after my mates constantly.

“That’s better,” Rafe snaps, his eyes again focused forward. “Hurry up, we want to get good showers –

the hot water will be gone if we’re last.” Jesse nods eagerly and we all pick up our pace as we enter the

barracks. When we get to our bunks we all yank off our boots as fast as we can and then hurry into the

bathroom, beating the majority of the candidates there.

As we grab bathing packs off the shelf – just towels and soap again – I see Jesse and Rafe look

longingly at the tiled rows of open showers which are already spurting hot water. But then they glance

at me, sigh, and join the short line for the three curtained showers with me again standing between

them.

I scowl, hating that they’re again giving up what they really want to stand with me, and T glance at the

long row of open showers, hoping desperately that there’s still hot water by the time we have a chance

to get in – and that the shower stalls aren’t disgusting already. like they were yesterday –

་

But suddenly my mouth drops open as I realize what I probably should have noticed instantly –

Which I only didn’t notice because I’m a naïve idiot who had the sense knocked out of her in training –

But all the guys that are standing in front of the open showers?

They’re completely n*ked.

My jaw drops open with what I swear is an audible click as my eyes go wide and scan the line of n*ked

boys in front of me, some of them laughing and chatting with each other as water streams over their

bare shoulders, the skin of their backs

–

Some of them are quiet though, clearly thinking through their day as they run the bar of soap over their

muscled chests, dipping between their legs –

My eyes go even wider as one guy half turns towards me, tilting his head back and closing his eyes as

he takes the spray of water on his face. Because it’s…it’s Luca.

1. Stop. Breathing.

My entire world narrows to the sight of him before me – to the way that the water runs down his

muscled chest, and ripples along his abs, drifting like a river all the way down to the defined v–shaped

muscles alongside his hips –

Luca twists his bottom half away before my eyes can drift any lower, but this just allows my gaze drifts

over his perfect ass – god, I didn’t even know there was anything to like about a guy’s ass before today

– but then my attention moves to the swell of his biceps, and then to his hands, which run lazy strokes

through his water–darkened hair as he exhales a deep breath, water dripping down his cheeks – over

his lips –

Rafe and Jesse step forward.

I do not.

I stand transfixed, staring, practically drooling at the sight of my mate –

Rafe suddenly turns back to me and goes still, his eyes flaring. “Oh my god,” he groans, grabbing me

and yanking me forward before smacking me lightly on the back of my head. Jesse frowns at us for a

second and then, realizing what happened, bursts out laughing.

“Ari,” Rafe growls, pushing me in front of him and turning me decidedly away from the view of my

gorgeous, n*ked mate. “What is wrong with you!?”

I blush horribly and don’t answer, doing everything I can to cool the reddening of my entire face before

someone else notices.