The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 60

Time at the Academy presents neat little patterns for us, and Rafe, Jesse, and I fall gratefully into them. Because life? It is busy. Every morning Jesse gets me up early, making me go for a run with him even before we go to breakfast. I’d enjoy these moments with my favorite cousin more if I wasn’t so damn tired every day.

“Can we get a coffee maker in the suite,” I pant, my breath puffing in little clouds in the damp and foggy air. “I can’t go for these runs without the aid of caffeine.”

“Come on, Scrimpy!” Jesse laughs, putting on a burst of speed and swatting me on the shoulder as he pulls ahead, obliging me to keep up. “Let your zest for life wake you in the morning! Not caffeine!”

“Life would be much more zesty with a little espresso,” I growl, sighing and speeding up to keep pace. “With a side of biscotti!”

After our run, we hastily get dressed and go to breakfast with our group. Luca, to my chagrin and agony, continues to ice me out. He sits with me at every meal, and at dinner he jokes with me and the rest of our group like nothing’s changed. But not once does he try to pull me aside, to make a moment to talk about what happened between us in the birch forest.

What he maybe, probably now knows the incredible secret he’s carrying, that I’m trusting

him with.

Breakfast, of course, wouldn’t be the best time to talk about anything, gathered as we are around our little round table, but still I’m dying to talk about what happened, to learn what he figured out about my secret, and he just…won’t let me.

–

“Luca,” I growl the next morning when Rafe and Jesse get up to go speak to some other warrior candidates about a group project they’re working on and Ben obligingly tucks his nose into a book. “What are –”

“No here, Shrimp,” Luca replies, his voice low. “This is a way bigger conversation that we’re not having in the Hall.”

“Well then why won’t you meet me in the…” I hesitate, glancing Ben’s way, because I almost

said dream. Ben just turns his page, looking for all the world like he’s completely lost in his textbook. “Forest,” I conclude, the word pressed between my teeth.

Luca narrows his eyes at me. “Oh, you want to meet in the forest?” he says, his lips turning up with the irony of it. “The one you can just make disappear whenever you’re done talking? Come on, Shrimp. You haven’t played fair for weeks, and you’re still not. I need… more than that.”

My mouth falls at his stubbornness and I realize, quite suddenly, that Luca – whatever he has figured out – is not at all freaked out.

at me.

we all pretty much read at breakfast today, trying to cram everything in while we can – because… Luca is right. I have not been fair, and while I’m not sure that

choices…

really made my mate take the brunt of it,

whisper, looking down at my plate, feeling forlorn.

Luca says, his voice still soft so only he and I can hear. I snap my head up, looking at him with wide eyes. “Don’t worry about it,” he says, glancing over at me. “Just… not here. Not at dinner, either. We need a space where it’s just us, and a

“So when…”

mine. “Considering how your cousins never let you out of their

way that he emphasizes the word

towards Luca as he lifts his coffee to his lips and swigs it down in one go.

Luca says, cheerfulness immediately returning to his expression as he gets to

asks Ben as Luca and

thumbs–up over his shoulder, still concentrating on his book, as the Warrior- track boys start to head towards their early class. As he leaves, Luca brushes his arm against mine casual enough that it could

enough that, when I look up at him, and see him looking down at me, his eyes warm?

me want to jump right back

that Neumann is going to quiz us hard today to see who has been able to keep up with the

murmurs from his spot a seat away from me,

say, looking

little bit. “Whatever little lover’s quarrel you’re

–

his eyes to me now, and I turn my head to the side, still

who you are, Ari. If you owe him an apology, give it, but don’t crawl after

my chair for a second, staring at my very perceptive friend with

coffee along. “Like I told you, four sisters. Luca’s no puppy dog that’s going to follow

And get back to work,” he says, nodding to my homework.

bumping my shoulder against

successfully turned to the more pressing matter right now: not failing

myself, concentrating. My wolf huffs in

because obviously I see my second mate that afternoon in magic class. He doesn’t greet me as I slip into the seat next to him, settling my chemistry books on the text in front of me. Instead, Jackson just glances my way before turning his attention back to the board, where Alvez is drawing out some complicated