The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 25

Luca and I chat the entire walk home.

us down

And though the walk takes us about five hours the terrains rougher than a flat road, which slows

the time passes in what feels like a blink. The three ahead of us are relatively quiet, trudging along the miles and tripping on stones in the darkness, but Luca and I get lost in latighter.

God – he’s funny, and he laughs at my jokes too, all of which just twists my heart a little because as each mile passes my crush on him grows bigger and bigger, inch by inch.

He tells me all about his childhood, raised in a big family like mine. How he was so angry as a kid after his dad left, but how his mom’s brother took him into the gym and taught him to redirect that anger into solid blows at a punching bag, teaching him the art of boxing and keeping him out of trouble. And honestly, it should be a sad story, but the way he tells it – god, my cheeks ache for laughing so hard and smiling so much.

“Honestly, Shrimp.” Luca says, smirking down at me as our final mile begins, “if any animals were thinking about taking us out, they’d certainly shy away knowing we’ve got a hyena in our group, shrieking into the night.”

“Shut up,” I laugh, swatting him in the stomach with the back of my hand. “It’s your fault –”

“It is not my fault that you keep making that shrill noise –”

I burst into laughter again as he teases me, unable to help it, shaking my head at him. “Stop making me laugh, then,” I say, grinning up at him.

Luca doesn’t say anything for a moment, staring at me, connecting with me in that quiet way we’ve been doing all day. “Stop making me want to make you laugh,” he murmurs, just the corner of his mouth turning up. “Honestly it’s….weirdly rewarding, seeing you crack up like that.”

I blush a little, biting my lip, and I look ahead, wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the goosebumps that are forming on my arms. I don’t bother to wonder if they’re a result of the growing cold or the butterflies he’s sent looping around my stomach.

“You cold?” Luca murmurs, drawing close.

“Um,” I say, not knowing what to say. Because if I say yes, I feel like he’s going to…

“Here,” he sighs, slipping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close. I sharply draw in my breath but… I don’t move away. Instead, I slowly exhale, leaning into him just a little bit.

Just for body heat, I tell myself, not letting myself consider that we’re both carrying backpacks filled with extra jackets and blankets.

WHATEVER, my wolf says on a gleeful exhale, laying on her back and letting her tongue hang out of her mouth in ecstasy.

Chapter 25

I scowl at her and turn my attention back to the task at hand: getting back to the barracks safely and ignoring the tingling sensation that passes all along the side that’s pressed close to Luca, and across my shoulders where his arm lightly rests.

We’re quiet for the rest of the walk, but when I glance up at Luca I see that there’s a smile on his face, his eyes trained on the road ahead, both of us just ignoring the fact that he’s walking with his arm draped around me. And I grin, and keep walking because…

Honestly, it should be more awkward, but it’s not. Everything in me just screams right.

come closer to the light of the barracks, letting his fingers trail down my back before he moves away. We’ve dropped back far enough where our other three teammates are unlikely to have seen us,

surprise that our group is the only one that made it back this early. “Wow,” I murmur. “I mean, I thought we were slow,

teams didn’t hate each other’s guts as much as ours did,”

I murmur, glancing towards the bathroom where the other

recipes with him anytime soon,” Luca says, his voice dry. “Not

waits for me as I grab mine. We head into the

you coming?” he calls over

my

something awkward about it being late and how I’m tired, and Luca just

buckle of his pants. I brush my teeth as fast as humanly possible then, congratulating myself for accomplishing the monumental act of personal

myself to respect

haul myself into my bed and flip back onto my pillow, pulling my cap down over my

fifteen minutes later when I hear Luca’s voice disturbingly close to my ear.

and jump a little, spinning towards him,

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Rafe’s best his arms looped over the side of my own, the way Jesse usually stands when he wants a spnet word Lanca grins instantly, laughing at me

disturb my slumber, pretty boy?” I try to inject some

very sick of and placing it by me on the bed. “I figured you forgot to

did you think I’d forget?” I say, smiling and taking the sandwich,

has to bring you food, remind

at my mouth. “Have you been watching me, Grant?”

he breathes, and my heart feels like it completely stops as he reaches out a hand, his fingers drawing dangerously close to my cheek –

lips into a tight line. “Good work today,” he says, nodding and shifting his eyes away from me. “Um. Yeah. Good job.” He hops down from his spot and

I say softly, though I know he hears me.

on my pillow, holding my sandwich against my stomach, wondering how the hell

are soon proven wrong as I hastily eat my sandwich and rest my head back on the pillow again, totally beat. I curl up in my blankets, at least content in the knowledge that I don’t have to get up early, because candidates aren’t

—

thoughts are inevitably – about Luca, wishing he’d stayed, wishing we’d had chance to talk more – even for a few minutes or for a few more

1

somehow bright even though it’s edged with fog. I turn my head, considering the pretty white trees with their leaves turning golden for autumn, pleased and surprised. And then I run my hands down over my favorite white nightgown from home – relishing the soft feel

little cap –

voice calls, and I go

who the hell

Chapter 25

I peer through the forest, I instantly recognize Luca, even though he’s standing far away. I groan a little, because of course I can’t stop thinking about him even when I’m asleep – hell.

the hell am I?” Luca mutters, his

my eyes

Because…

my mom and Aunt Cora have told me