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 greyndscape around the castle is deste 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


    pce, 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 thenugh 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 nce around,


    but don’t see many other doors on this level.


    castle


    —


    “Are we, like, alone up here?” I ask, curious.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    “It’s a more private floor,” Rafe answers, inserting the key in the lock and deftly twisting it. “But, the


    suites are meant to amodate more than one Cadet, so they’re a littlerger.”


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


    “Jesse, Ari,” he says, proud and eager, “wee 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,ughing with his own joy. “This is amazing!”


    Rafe just grins with pride, striding in like he nned 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 alreadyid out for a fire, ready to keep us warm. A set of worn furniture couches


    and chairs before the firece, mismatched but looking well–loved andfortable.


    sits


    Beyond that, in the two far corners of the room, are two huge beds to amodate 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 thatys behind it.


    “Oh yeah, this one’s mine!” he shouts, already snuggling into the wealth of nkets 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 ce snuggled in his


    nkets.


    Before I can add anyment, though, Rafe moves to a little alcove next to the firece 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 nkets. 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 oilmp 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, butughs 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 pce,” he


    murmurs.


    “Nah, this is way better than the pce,” 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 andfortable in our own little nests.


    nook “Very swanky spot, little Shrimp cousin,” Jesse says,ing 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,ughing 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 tomandeer 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. Heughs, 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.


    “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 amodate Rafe and Jesse’s huge Alpha


    bodies.


    “Wow,” Jesse says, looking at the tub with wide eyes. “God, you could dops 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 tough, 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.