The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 42

“What, is your subconscious homophobic?” I ask, continuing to be frustrated and a little annoyed at him for not believing me even though I’m telling him the truth and spilling a serious secret for his own good.

Because honestly! I could make out with him here! And I would be the only one who knew that it was real!

I’m doing this for him, to be fair, and yet he persists in not believing me! It’s very rude.

“It might be,” Luca says with a shrug, still looking down at me. “I wouldn’t think that it was, but here you are, still not kissing me, even though I keep trying. Honestly, Ari, being shut down by the figment of my own imagination is very annoying –”

“I’m real!” I insist again, this time through my teeth.

“Prove it,” he says, shrugging.

“Ask me anything!”

“That won’t work,” he says, turning his head to the side. “Anything you say is something I already know or think I know. No way to verify that it’s true.

“Fine,” I say, crossing my arms and lifting my chin. “Ask me something tomorrow, in real life – something impossible, that you’d never predict. I’ll give you the same answer here as I do then.”

Luca turns his head a little, considering. “That could work,” he murmurs, but then he turns back to me with a sly smile. “But in the meantime, you and I could, you know, fool around a little…”

In the distance, my wolf howls with delight.

“Whoa,” Luca says, turning to look for her. “What was that?”

“It was my wolf,” I sigh.

“Really?” he asks, and then the turns back to me, smirking. “Your wolf does…not sound adverse to the idea.” He leans more fully against the tree now, bringing his body closer to mine and kind of pinning me back against the trunk in a way that…

12:49 Sun, 10 Mar

Chapter 42

That I do not mind at all.

“Luca,” I sigh, and honestly I have to close my eyes as I turn my face away from him, because if I spend even a moment longer looking up at the shadows his long lashes cast against his cheeks…I am definitely going to do something I regret.

“What?” he asks softly, cupping my cheek in his palm and turning my face back to his, his hand and his voice both impossibly gentle. “What do you want, Ari?”

And his question…I know instinctually that there are layers to it. That he’s asking me what I want, but also what I like –

I want to

want him to put his hands.

as he presses his mouth hard to mine – which

that feels….god, it feels fucking amazing, his body pressed flush against mine. “I want you to

glaring. “Not that kind of question,” I growl, and he

my game even as he strokes his thumb along the skin of my cheek. “Real–Ari had my nan’s coffee cake tonight, which is my favorite desert.

answer immediately, “with

I stand by what I decided last time. It is not fair to be in this dream state with him and be the only one knowing what’s going on. If we’re going to do

very clearly want to?

both going to know

a very girly desert. “Of course sprinkles,” I murmur, sighing as I take one

a deep breath, savoring his scent and the press of his muscled torso against me for one last second. I hesitate, but then I

let myself imagine what his bare skin would feel like under

passes

he growls, leaning in

turn my head, and press my eyes shut, and will the

teeth with a groan, turning and burying

my pillow, feeling sorry for myself, cursing myself vehemently for

it, god damn it

now, who the hell knows when I’ll have the chance – because Luca, he just wanted to kiss the figment of his imagination that looks like me so he can figure out how he’s feeling. As

screaming from

mean, at least I think he will. I sigh, curling up in my pillows and wrapping myself up in my soft white duvet, considering it. Because Luca – he still thinks I’m a boy, and as much as he’s willing to subconsciously consider experimenting with kissing a guy…

just unfairly confusing him because I’m his mate underneath this boy

my secret already is. And as much as I’m fine with Ben knowing… Luca? My mate? It’s a different story – an

my gender at this school, because failing

Chapter 12

gotten hold of the thing I never knew I always wanted: a chance at the Espionage Track at Alpha Academy.

at all ready to give that up with Luca

chance

in my blankets, and I close my eyes and force myself to try and go

early, some kind of Alpha alarm clock that

open curtain of my nook. I jump and shrick when it hits me right

get an extra hour of sleep,” I growl, pulling

want breakfast, they don’t,” Rafe says, laughing and yanking my away, making me

duvet

just come up in the dumbwaiter?” I ask, sitting up finally when I realize they’re not going to leave me in

he strides around the room in his

bathroom. I sigh and grab it, yawning so wide my jaw cracks. As I pull my boot on I hope that there’s coffee with breakfast – because while dream states do happen while