The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 71

“Shit,” Luca whispers, staring down at me as he freezes.

The knock comes again, more insistent this time.

“Ari!”

My eyes flare when I hear Jesse’s voice outside the door. “Oh no!”

“Ari!” Jesse shouts again, pounding on the wood. “Let’s go!”

Luca jumps up, looking frantically around at the floor as I sit up, piling my hair on top of my head as he bends over and grabs my cap, flinging it at me. Hasty, I shove it onto my head, tucking my hair up beneath it as Luca moves to the door, his eyes roving over me to make sure that I’m disguised.

“Get up!” he hisses, and I jump to my feet, realizing that I’m still sitting on his bed –

Not at all compromising –

Luca takes a deep breath and then pulls the door open, leaning casually against the wall.

“Hey, Jesse,” he says, doing his best to keep his voice even and failing, just a little bit. “You change your mind about coming to the party tonight?”

“Nice try, Grant,” Jesse says, his voice dry as he puts a hand on Luca’s shoulder and shoves him aside, his eyes landing immediately on me as he looks into the room. “Oh hey, cousin,” he says, baring his teeth. “Whatcha doing here!?”

I scowl at Jesse, crossing my arms and not bothering to pretend that this isn’t precisely what he thinks it is.

Jesse just laughs at me, shaking his head and glancing over his shoulder, where Ben peers. into the room.

“I actually am here for the party,” Ben says, his voice light as he comes in and closes the door behind him. “Though you…

Chapter 71

“We’ve got to

at Jesse and looking him up and down. “You’re not….”

I’m mad at you for making

go wide. “Wait, you know!?”

Ben gasps, staring between Luca and

Ben as I finish tucking

you guys were into each other!”

knew too?” Luca asks,

Ben says, rolling his eyes, “anyone with a pulse knows that you’re deeply

not my name,” I growl, stepping forward with my hands on my hips..

voice of reason, and you know I hate that. But Rafe does not know,” he says, looking significantly at Luca now.

the floor as he runs a hand through his hair, clearly doing the math and trying to decide if he can take Rafe. But we both know that he can’t, and that

moment, sadness and regret all over his face, and I can’t help it – I move to his side, slipping my

very sweet, but Shrimp smells like you now so unless we’re all in for a much larger fight with a much larger Prince tonight, I think we need to get Ariel back to the room

looking up at my mate with a shrug. “He’s not wrong. This is…not the time for this. Yeah?”

he squeezes my hand and nods, his head hanging. “Yeah, I guess,” he mutters, clearly displeased. I feel a sudden pang of anxiety now which is…. not mine. And my eyes go wide as I realize that…that

can feel that Luca is anxious that he doesn’t want to let his mate away from his

his to protect.

–

of it is that we’ve recognized

–

he doesn’t want

Luca’s eyes go wide and then he laughs in delight, realizing what’s happening. We just stare at each other

and I

is very interrupt, but let’s.

1. go.

Ariel!”

attention back to Jesse, even though I can’t stop grinning. “Fine fine,” I say, but then I stand on my