The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 57

“Sorry,” Jackson says, frowning a little at me as he continues to hold the plate out, his own dinner plate in his hand. “You…said to come for dinner. Should I…not have come?”

“N–no,” I stammer, taking the plate from him and shaking my head. “Of course, Jackson. Forgive me…I just….lost track of time.”

He shrugs, the corner of his lip turning up. “Happens to the best of us. So…” he says, straightening up and holding his plate with two hands, glancing over his shoulder at the packed room. “Where should we…”

I look with him, a little surprised to see all four of the usually chatty boys eating quietly, bent over their own textbooks. And then I scowl, realizing that there’s absolutely no room for Jackson and I to comfortably sit.

“Best plan,” Luca offers, glancing up towards us, “is probably just to settle yourself into the Shrimp Nook. Plenty of room in there.”

Rafe snaps his head up, scowling at Luca, and I clench my own teeth.

Because Luca – he doesn’t know just how far he’s pushing his “I don’t care” attitude. He’s trying to embarrass me, but if he knew precisely who he was inviting to sit in my bed with me? He’d flip out.

Luca just smirks, unable to hide it as he focuses on his book.

Jackson turns to me, raising an eyebrow.

But I just sigh and gesture at the other half of my bed, inviting Jackson to take a seat.

As he does, my wolf yips with happiness, pouncing excitedly in my soul. Close the curtain!, she urges, nearly delirious at the smell of Jackson so close in our personal space, see if you can get him to take off his shirt!

I grown inwardly, trying to shove her away, but she just ignores me, continuing to spin.

Rafe clears his throat and my eyes dart immediately to him as he glares at me. But I just

1/5

sigh, and shrug, and look meaningfully at the curtain, which is wide open.

His glare intensifies but I roll my eyes. Because honestly, even if Jackson is my mate and is technically on my bed, what the hell does Rafe think is going to happen with the curtain open and an audience of four spread directly in front of us?

Just, see if you can get

towards me as he unrolls his fork and knife from his napkin and settles his plate

he twines egg noodles onto his fork before stabbing a meatball, lifting both to his mouth. I

only when he starts chewing and frowns at my elongated silence before I that out of my

why is he so gorgeous even when he’s just

bedside table and looking

“Careful,” he murmurs.

reply, stretching behind me and grabbing the marble, setting it between us when I sit

hour,” Jackson murmurs, looking down

at the scattered remains of my bed, and my pillows, and my chemistry

And then I get to work, shoving a forkful of food into my mouth before straightening pillows, closing my books, and pulling myself on top of my blankets. I take another bite

shocked to find a little grin on his

ask,

his straight nose, his square jaw, the shaggy brown

admit that my gaze drifts up to where Rafe is scowling in his chair and Luca looks completely unperturbed, reading his text like it’s the most fascinating thing

to Jackson. When he doesn’t take it, I turn to him, surprised – because…I mean, Alvez

to meet my gaze. “I mean,” he says, soft

though I know we’re both aware of it, this is the first time

and then shrug. “Maybe it will help,” I whisper back, dropping my hand to the blanket between us but still keeping

else in the room. “But

floods me then, because I

I’m deliberately keeping

him, to let him smell my scent, to let

in on it.

I just…I just can’t. There’s still way

that I’m lying. He doesn’t know what, but he knows

he murmurs, “Let’s

before I can say more, Jackson just reaches. out his hand and grabs

my breath that the swell of warmth that floods my body as the magic again. pulses between us, as it always does when my hands touch him. My eyes instantly dart to the room

towards us, but past them whatever force Jackson and I created brushed by them like a ghost, dragging its