The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 24

Fortunately or unfortunately for me, my wolf has a lot of ideas about how I can take advantage of a night in the woods with Luca. And every single one of them is incredibly impractical and ridiculous.

Just let down our hair and then he will know and then he will grab us and press up against a tree and kiss us and kiss us –

I grit my teeth as I make the final cut, finally freeing the long, single piece of birch bark that I’ve been peeling off the tree for hours. Seriously, it’s slow, painstaking work.

“What are you even thinking about?” Luca asks from behind me, and I gasp and jump, dropping the piece of bark to the forest floor.

“Luca!” I growl, glaring at him and bending over to scoop the bark back into my hands. “You scared me! What are you talking about?”

“I saw you.” he says, leaning back against another tree and grinning at me. “You were all growly, muttering things to your wolf, shivers running down your spine. What is going on with you?”

Youuuuu! My wolf supplies internally, howling the answer. We were thinking about you!

“Why are you being so creepy?” I ask instead of answering, working very hard to hide my terrible. blush and failing. “Spying on me like that?”

“Well, I was just coming to get you,” he says, standing up when I come near. “I didn’t realize you were going to put on a show.”

“It wasn’t for you,” I say, my voice low as I step close enough to give him a little shove with my fingertips against his chest.

Yes it was! My wolf counters, her toes tapping eagerly, but I ignore her.

“Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it,” Luca murmurs, leaning close and smirking down at me. I freeze for a second, turning my head and staring up at him.

Because I mean I don’t have a lot of experience with guys –

–

But I would swear to god that he’s…he’s flirting with me…

Luca stares down at me, holding my gaze, his smile growing incrementally as he blinks his long lashes slowly over his pretty brown eyes in a way that makes my breath catch. But I clear my throat, blushing again as I force myself to turn away, starting to stalk back to where the Lieutenant is waiting.

“Did we get any fish?” I ask over my shoulder, not taking the risk of looking at him. Because, honestly, if he looks at me like that again…

Sun, TU Mar

Chapter 24

risk of throwing myself into his arms.

Do it, my

at risk for her meddling right now. She gives a little

says, his voice cheerful. “Just one little guy,

and seeing my other three teammates sitting around the fire, the tiny fish guted and sizzling on one of the hot stones nearest to the flames. “Nice job, guys!” I say, grinning around at them cheerfully.

for all of us,” Perry murmurs, holding up a bloody finger.

about the same size and coming to sit next

took the machete, after all –

flipping open the first–aid kit. “I know how

luckily Luca stops him so I don’t have to, stepping in making sure that the finger is properly cleaned before being covered. In the meantime, I split the sticks about halfway down their centers and fold the long strip of birch bark in half, and then at the edges, wedging the ends inside the split sticks to make a sealed little pocket. It looks for all things like a pillowcase made of bark – sealed on three sides with

down to the stream and fill it with water before bringing it back.

the hell are you going to do with

with rocks,”

I don’t answer, asking Luca to hold the pocket steady and using another pair of sticks to lift the round rocks that have been heating in the embers, dropping them one by one into the pocket full

way

the sky, which is starting to grow dark. All of this took a

until the water in the pocket first steams, then

murmurs, lifting his eyes to mine with a very genuine smile

Chapter 24

asks, leaning forward to

study the slightly–cloudy water. “Like what they use in water filters. It’s not the prettiest

up,” the Lieutenant says, pushing off the side of the tree and tossing an empty canteen to

around at each other and Alan nods, scowling

us and smiling at the Lieutenant. “As much as we’d love to sit around swapping fireside stories…I think it’s best for us to head home.”

map and a compass out of his pack and tossing it our way. your fire before you go. Try not to

“Bank

and heads for the van, getting in and driving off before

Perry says, his eyebrows high. “Abrupt.”

growls, standing up.