The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 48

1

My eyes go wide as I gasp, spinning to see Alvez walking down the hall, completely nonchalant. But that was no ghost, sneaking an intimate touch when my brother’s back was turned.

“What is it?” Rafe asks, turning towards me.

“Sorry, I uh–just saw a spider,” 1 murmur. “Really big one.”

“Gross,” Jesse says, a shiver running through him. I grin at him, because Jesse hates spiders.

“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Rafe says, nodding towards the elevator at the end of the hall. “Ari and I have to have a chat after all.”

“Really?” Jesse gasps as we step into the elevator. “What about!? Do I get to come. too?”

“No,” Rafe says, slinging an arm around my shoulders and glaring over at our cousin. “Siblings only for this one.”

Jesse hangs his head back as the elevator lifts us swiftly into the air. “That’s so unfair,” he groans. “Come on, I’m basically a sibling – our dads our brothers, our moms are sisters! Genetically, I’m pretty much the same

“Don’t be weird,” Rafe says, glancing over at Jesse with his brows knit as the elevator door opens and we start down the hall.

Jesse continues to complain all the way into the room but Rafe ignores him and I laugh, because Jesse can be such a baby when he doesn’t get his way. But eventually Jesse flops, defeated and depressed to be deprived of the gossip, onto his bed as Rafe pushes me towards the bathroom.

“Rafe, you can pee alone,” I mutter, tossing my chemistry book onto my bed as I

1. go.

“This is about secrecy not bodily functions,” he murmurs, shutting the door behind him and leaning back on it. “Which I’d think would be something you appreciated, considering this is a conversation about your mate. So?” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Spill.”

I sigh, closing the lid to the toilet and sitting down on it, taking off my cap and

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Chapter 48

taking a moment to massage my sore scalp under its tight braid. Rafe listens quietly and carefully as I tell him everything about Jackson about his apology in the bathroom that allowed me to see a different side of him, my impulsive invitation to breakfast, and then about his waiting to go into his obstacle course. with me, and the hint and the help he gave.

the floor with his brows drawn, “do you think he’s like…figured it out? That he’s helping you because he knows you’re his mate?”

anything is possible, and I think he’s being nice to me because

a bit. “It’s all just so weird, Ari,” he murmurs, shaking his head.

at my brother because it feels nice to be able to talk to him about it.

know your mate,” he murmurs, “that’s important. But there’s so much at risk. And he did seriously try to hurt you, which makes me very wary to let him into our little circle of

“I don’t think he’s going to try to hurt me again. Honestly, if anything, it feels like his instincts are swinging in the other direction, and he

your mate, he’s got some impulse to protect you?” Rafe asks, looking up at me. “I mean, that makes sense…the way dad protects mom feels just

me at the comparison to dad and mom – because

Jackson? I…just met him.

And Luca?

wolf says, prancing gleefully at the thought of them. And very good looking.

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murmur, swatting her playfully in the rump. She spins in a circle

sigh. “I’ll try to be nicer. Though it will not

thank him, but a knock comes out the door.

pee somewhere else, Jesse,” Rafe says, his voice exhausted.

replies,

gets to his feet too, but his

mine?” he asks, heading for it. “I

did to my uniform to make it fit better. Rafe starts to strip off his shirt as I pull the door open, but I’m a little

behind me. “You have a guest, Mr. Clark,” he says, his voice half devious and half angry. “Who is asking for you in

burst into a grin to see the seamstress here

you! I made some modifications, but, um…” her eyes

I take the box from her hands and head for my nook. “Come over here! Thank you so much for bringing these up

and both the seamstress and I stop short in our tracks, our eyes going to

sorry,” I say, grimacing at my cousin a little as I resume my steps. “I forgot to tell you,

of…figured it out

Chapter 48

slow smile spreads on the seamstress’s face as she looks between my cousin and me. “Oh, a secret

away from me, his—- shoulders shaking a little bit. “You can’t do this shit to me and are you serious!? Someone else

me as I put the box