The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 40

“What, you’re not going to show me!?” Luca presses, laughing and reaching again for my schedule.

my

“No way!” I shout, turning so that my back is to the arm of the couchand I’ve got feet between us, ready to kick him away if I need to. I grew up with brothers and cousins, after all I know how to do a couch war. “I didn’t even get a look at it yet!”

“Well, then just tell me what your track is –”

“I cannot,” I say, holding my paper close so that it mysteriously covers half my face. “It is…a state secret.”

Luca laughs again, leaning forward. “You spy,” he hisses, and then quick as a snake he snatches the paper from my face, immediately leaning away and holding the paper far out of my reach.

“Give it back!” I demand, laughing, and throw myself after him, landing half in his lap as I reach for it. Luca laughs hard, but holds his long arm even across Rafe’s body. Rafe, grinning and obliging, snatches the paper out of Luca’s hand and gives it to Jesse.

“Not fair!” I shout, glaring at my brother and my cousin, even though I’m still laughing. “I didn’t even get to look at it yet –”

“Well you’re a shit spy, Ari,” Jesse says, grinning at me and lining my schedule up with his and Rafe’s on his lap, “if you don’t get the information and keep it to yourself for more than ten seconds.”

“Well, I haven’t learned anything about being a spy yet, Jesse,” I say, rolling my eyes at him even as I grin. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Congrats, Ari,” Rafe says, grinning at me. “I know you wanted Espionage Track.”

“Seriously, Shrimp, congratulations,” Luca says, smiling down at me, and as I turn my face to him I realize that I’m…well, I’m kind of still sprawled over his lap, aren’t

I?

I blush beet red, mumbling something about how I’m happy too, and do my best to gracefully crawl off of my mate and back to the corner of the couch.

Chapter 40

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Luca grins at me, his smile widening as he notices my awkwardness and my blush. “You’ll be great at it at least you’ll definitely be able to squeeze into all sorts of

tiny spaces.”

I prove him right by pressing myself deep into the corner of the couch, and when I glance to my side to I see Ben grinning at me in absolute wicked delight. I give him a dirty scowl, which just makes him laugh harder.

tomorrow afternoon,” Jesse says, looking up at me and Rafe with

us?” I ask, taking my paper from Luca when he passes it to me, glad to have a minute to look

leaning back in his chair and studying his schedule. “Ben, do you have a weird unnamed class in the afternoon with the

every afternoon this week. Weird, though, that you guys have a cross–track class. I didn’t think

morning this week I’ve got Chemistry and Marksmanship, but twice this week

to peer over at his sheet. Seeing my interest, he hands his schedule to me and scooches closer so that we can study the papers together. He presses his shoulder to mine to do so, and I pretend not to notice the tingles that

like we don’t have a single thing together, Shrimp.” He sighs and sits back, studying me

you fondly,” I reply with mock seriousness, making him burst into a

time. With a sweet place like this?” Luca leans forward, grabbing his unfinished dinner off the coffee table and starting to dig in again. “I’ll be

10

Chapter 10

a little bit at the prospect, leaning down to pick up my own

fire.” Jesse says, leaning back in his chair and still studying his schedule with interest. “Let’s get

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move eagerly to the fire, starting to re–stack the logs so that they suit my

flue to the chimney with a little smirk on my mouth. But, at least some secrets have to be kept tonight,

– walking a fine line between knowing that they’re not going to be able to sleep tonight for the sake of excitement, and wanting very much to get a

giving everything a particularly comfortable glowing ambiance. The

quiet, allowing the boys take over the conversation, and instead I just…listen. As their words fade to a steady hum I drift away into my own thoughts, thinking about how much I

to tell my mom everything,

hair ribbon in my pocket, and I doze off a little while I stroke the soft velvet with my thumb.

know how long later, and my eyes slowly drift open. It takes a second for me to focus on Luca, leaning towards me a little, but then I gasp with guilt as I realize that in

Sun, 10 Mar

Chapter 40

lap. “Oh, I’m sorry.” I gasp, starting to

couch –”

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much, I relax. “I’m just leaving now.” He murmurs. “But I wanted to say goodnight.” Slowly

that he was doing. But when I move my eyes back up to his,

what

clock I startle. “Luca!” I gasp, leaning forward to smack him on the shoulder, “You have to

be all right,” he says, shrugging and ignoring my weak blow. “Besides, it was

listening to

gasp, sitting up straight. “I did