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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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.

looking studiously down at 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

and I think he’s being nice to me because

just so weird, Ari,”

smile at my brother because it feels nice to be able to talk to

just, you have a right to get to 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

to try to hurt me again. Honestly,

protect you?” Rafe asks, looking up at me. “I mean, that makes sense…the way dad protects mom feels just like a part of

stirs in me at the comparison to dad and mom – because they feel just so right together.

Jackson? I…just met

And Luca?

my wolf says, prancing gleefully at

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rump. She spins in a circle and then trots off, spirits

his head a little with a big sigh. “I’ll

starting to thank him, but a

else, Jesse,” Rafe says, his voice

Jesse replies, dry, “but actually our uniforms are here.”

cap. Rafe gets to his feet too,

heading for it. “I want to take a minute to

and heading for the door, eager to see what the seamstress 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

the wrist and tugs me out of the bathroom, snicking the door shut behind me. “You have a guest, Mr. Clark,” he says, his voice half devious and half

door, where I burst into a

shout, scurrying over, excited.”Hi!” she says, beaming at me, “I’m so happy to see you! I made

her hands and head for my nook. “Come over here! Thank you so much

and I stop short in

my cousin a little as I resume my steps. “I forgot to

kind of…figured it

Chapter 48

on the seamstress’s face as she looks between my cousin and me. “Oh, a secret within a secret, is it? I love

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

to me as I