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.

up tomorrow afternoon,” Jesse says, looking up at me and Rafe with raised eyebrows, leaning over

my paper from Luca when he passes it to me, glad to have a minute to look

you have a weird unnamed class in the afternoon with the three of us?

his schedule, “and no, I’ve got diplomacy every afternoon this week. Weird, though, that you guys

is right. Almost every morning this week I’ve got

we can study the papers together.

thing together, Shrimp.” He sighs and sits back, studying

you fondly,” I reply with mock seriousness, making

his unfinished dinner off the

10 ar

Chapter 10

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

in his chair and still studying his schedule

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

myself, opening the flue to the chimney with a little smirk on my mouth.

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

the oil lamps that Rafe lights around the room giving everything a particularly comfortable glowing ambiance. The coffee cake

the hours 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 fade to a steady hum I drift away into my own thoughts, thinking about

to tell my mom everything, all

ribbon in my pocket, and I doze off a little while

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, but then I

Sun, 10

Chapter 40

I’m sorry.” I gasp, starting to pull them back,

couch –”

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a warm hand on my calf, letting me know I 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 I wanted to say goodnight.” Slowly – almost like he

when I move my eyes back up to his, and

knows what

kind of at a loss for words, but when I glance up at the clock I startle. “Luca!” I gasp, leaning forward to smack him on the

he says, shrugging and ignoring my weak

relaxing listening to you snore just now

sitting up straight. “I