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 –

want to

I want him

he presses his

me back against the tree in a way that feels….god,

my eyes fly open, already glaring. “Not that kind of question,” I growl, and

the skin of my cheek. “Real–Ari had my nan’s coffee cake tonight, which is

ice cream,” I answer

is not fair to be in this dream state with him and be

very

both going to know that

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

seems practical.” I take a deep breath, savoring his scent and the press of his muscled torso against me for one last second. I hesitate, but then I lift my hands, and let my

I let myself imagine

shudder passes

he

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

in my bed and I clench my teeth with a groan, turning and burying my face into a pillow to stifle the sound of

spend too long with my face buried in my pillow, feeling sorry for myself, cursing myself vehemently for having

it I wanted

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

screaming

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

is straight, and that I’m just unfairly confusing him because I’m his mate underneath this

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

still hiding my gender at this school, because failing to do so

Chapter 12

I’ve just, just gotten hold of the thing I never knew I always wanted: a

to give that up with Luca

chance to make

I close my eyes and force myself to try

some kind of Alpha alarm clock

shouts, throwing a pillow into the open curtain of my nook. I jump and shrick when it hits me right in

get an extra hour of sleep,” I growl, pulling the blankets over

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

duvet

dumbwaiter?” I ask, sitting up finally when I realize they’re not

says around his toothbrush as he walks out of the bathroom, brushing as he strides around the room in his underwear, getting ready for the day. “Breakfast all

boots. Rafe tosses one in my direction as he takes Jesse’s place in the 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 you’re dreaming, I’m not sure that I’d say they let you wake up relaxed