The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 26

Luca lets out a dark laugh and shoves his hands into his pockets. “Seriously?” he says, his voice a little exhausted. “You’re here?”

I grimace a little, taking a step back behind the tree. “Is that…bad? I can…go.”

“No.” he says, tilting his head and inviting me closer. “I guess…I mean, I’m not surprised. Who the hell else would I be dreaming about.”

I bite my lip a little, smiling and moving closer to him, stopping about five feet away. “What do you mean?” I ask, tilting my head, my eyes drifting over him and noticing that he’s dressed in cotton sweatpants and a black sweatshirt probably the sort of things he wears when he’s relaxed at home.

Clothes that make him look just…ridiculously good. Like the boxer he is, about to go train for the day.

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” he says, sighing and running a hand through his hair. “You’ve been on my mind all f**king day, Shrimp. Obviously my subconscious is trying to figure this out.”

Figure what out?” I ask, my smile deepening as I stare at him, my eyes roving over him a little more freely now. Damn, he’s so deliciously tall, and the way his shoulders fill out that sweatshirt….

“Whatever the f**k this is,” he says, his voice frustrated as he gestures between us with his hands, a little smile lighting his face.

“What?” I ask, my own smile falling a little bit. Because I mean obviously I know exactly what he’s talking about, but to hear him address it so blandly

But, I mean, Luca thinks that this is a dream.

“Seriously, Shrimp,” he says, shaking his head and stepping even closer to me now, so that there’s only maybe six inches between us. “What the hell is going on – I mean, I know that s*xuality is a spectrum, but I’ve only ever been into girls – I have never, ever been into a guy like this before –”

wide to hear Luca admit his attraction. My mouth pops open just a little bit.

–

My eyes go

“What,” he says, laughing and Oh my god lifting his hands to cup my cheeks in his palms, staring down at me. “Seriously? I know you feel it too- or, wait, because you’re an illusion my subconscious created…” he frowns down at me, “are you trying to talk me out of this or something?”

Luca cocks his head to the side, trying to figure it out as I gape at him, my mouth going dry as my mind whirs, trying to figure out what to say.

But I can’t think of anything.

Instead, my body moves beyond me, my hands lifting – shaking a little – and landing on top of his as his thumbs gently stroke my cheeks. I stare up at him, just…completely without words, without thoughts as the tingles that show up whenever we touch flare again.

Except this time, they’re not just under my skin they circle in the air all around us – little silver sparks, swirling around in the wind-

“See?” Luca murmurs, shaking his head. “I knew I couldn’t deny it. What the f**k is this?”

Luca looks at me, and then all around, and then back at me, his clear brown eyes filing my entire vision as my stomach turns over. My breath quickens, my heart pounding, because all I want

My eyes drift to his perfect mouth..my whole body flooded with sparks and butterflies as I unconsciously move closer to him, our bodies brushing against each other now as I tilt my head.

his

mine, and just the tiniest little moan stumbles from my mouth, because I – I like this I like

can feel his breath against my lips

I want more.

in the distance, gives a heady

then I gasp. her howl shaking me out of this, because…

this isn’t

stumbling step away. Luca he doesn’t even know that this is real that we

as I drop my hands, as I take a

and closing the distance between us, not taking his hands from my face, “Stop,

that does

said my name.

Ari. Not Shrimp.

Ari.

whole soul groans in regret as I give this up I want him to kiss me more than I

it. I want him to kiss me, not what he thinks is some

and surprise, hurt all over his face.

Sun, 10

Chapter 26

“What

is going

into the trees, “I should not have done this- I’m so sorry Luca-

after me, his steps frustrated, a little angry.

shut, and beg the dream to end,

I’m in my bed, my heart pounding, my

and

to Luca’s bunk..

up in his bed, slowly rubbing his head, the low lights of the room highlighting his

he slowly turns, looking over at my bunk. But I don’t move, holding my hoping to hell that he can’t see me awake, staring back at

breath.

real. As much

Not yet – and I don’t know what the right time would be but…it’s

I clench

my

go too far. “Come on, Ariel,” I murmur to myself, “get yourself together.” And, despite myself, I spend the next hour or two wishing my big

late because I was up for hours trying to avoid slipping back into the dream state.

Jesse launches himself onto my bed shouting “Shrimp!” at the top of his lungs and punching me twice on the shoulder before wrapping me in a

at the start of his assault, but I start to rain blows on him when I figure out it’s just my cousin saying hello and not some kind of vicious midnight attack. “Get the hell off of

you

he’s not doing me any harm. He sits back, grinning at me.

smell like campfire. No time for a shower? When did you