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 raised eyebrows, leaning over to pass

he passes it to

do you have a weird unnamed class in the afternoon with the three of us? What track are you, anyway?”

week. Weird, though, that you guys have a

every morning this week I’ve got Chemistry and Marksmanship, but twice this week – tomorrow included – I’ve got

scooches closer so that we can study the papers together. He presses his shoulder to mine to

like we don’t have a single thing together, Shrimp.”

I reply with mock seriousness, making him

forward, grabbing his unfinished dinner off the coffee

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Chapter 10

prospect, leaning down to pick up my

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

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box as I take my last bite and move eagerly to the fire, starting to re–stack the logs so that

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

and Luca stay late, but not too late – 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 lot of sleep tonight so that they’re fresh for

hours laughing and chatting around the fire, the oil lamps that Rafe lights around the room giving everything a particularly comfortable glowing ambiance. The coffee cake really is very good, and I think we all over–do it a little bit on the sugar and snacks after two weeks

pass I relax, wrapped up in the fuzzy green blanket Rafe gave me, warm and calm, a little unable to keep my eyes from drifting back to Luca’s laughing face. I let myself fall quiet, allowing the boys take over the conversation, and instead I just…listen. As their words

tell my

in my pocket, and I doze off a little

don’t 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,

10

Chapter 40

I gasp, starting to pull them

couch –”

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don’t have to jump away. Slowly, liking the feel of his hand on my leg a little too much, I relax. “I’m just leaving now.” He murmurs. “But

doing. But when I move my eyes back up to his, and find

He knows what

glance up at the clock I startle. “Luca!” I

he says, shrugging and ignoring my weak blow.

meditative –” very relaxing listening to you snore just

up straight.