The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 74

“Luca,” I growl, shoving uselessly at his shins, “let me up.”

Luca just glares at Jackson at the door and then over at me. He can come to you, Luca says. into my mind, possessive and predatory. I narrow my eyes at him, pissed.

But there’s no time to think any more about it, because suddenly Jackson’s smokey pine scent strengthens and I look up to see him at my side.

“Here,” Jackson says, holding out the note to me and looking between Luca and I curiously. He frowns, a little, when he notices Luca’s legs stretched out over my lap.

“Thanks, Jacks,” I say, smiling up at him.

“Jacks?” Luca asks, and I turn to see him raising an eyebrow, his eyes flicking between the two of us. “What, the two of you are on like…a nickname basis now?”

The room is silent for a long, awkward moment as my two mates glare at each other and my cheeks go red. Honestly, I hadn’t even noticed that I’d given Jackson a nickname it all happened very naturally.

“Yeah, I guess we are, Grant,” Jackson says, his voice quiet and dangerous.

–

The room returns to its awkward silence as I lower the note to my lap and awkwardly stare at it, not knowing what to do or how to mediate this. Because obviously, obviously I’m the cause of all of this and I’m the only one who knows it.

–

“Well, I for one like it!” Jesse says, grinning at the drama and leaning against the doorframe. “Are you sure you won’t stay for dinner, Jacks?”

I flick my eyes to my cousin, grateful.

“Nah,” Jackson says with a sigh before reaching out a hand and giving me a warm pat on the shoulder. I look up in surprise at the touch, and then grin at him, unable to help it. He smiles back before he turns and heads towards the door. “A little…crowded in here, as it is.”

Ben and Rafe call their goodbyes as Jesse ushers Jackson out the door, telling him to come

Luca is noticeably silent as I unfold my note and read

it?” Rafe asks, leaning towards me, almost as if he is

energy as best I

at office hou..

fun with that,” Rafe says, relaxing instantly and

refolding the note and tucking it

for his magic homework. “Just a lot of sitting around trying to….do things to a marble. I mean, I’m sure mom hired him

guys talking about?” Luca asks, frowning

to tell

to my cousin, who raises his eyebrows in surprise that I want to keep

Rafe and Jesse. “It’s not right to

says, sighing and holding up his

exhausted tone. “And, further, that if any of you have any pain killers….it would be great if

on the floor and turn to Luca, eager for the opportunity to change the subject. “What did you do to him last

Chapter 74

to,” Lauca says casually, giving me a smirk. But in my mind, he takes a different tact. Don’t think we’re finished talking about this, he murmurs, his words a caress as

an impression of the dream state, letting him know that we can talk about it

nods, and closes his eyes,

my freshly–showered head down on my pillow, a little anxious about how to handle this conversation with Luca. I mean, I get why he’s jealous of Jackson – why he doesn’t want any other young men near me

all, which is apparently a very

Because Jackson – he has just as much of a right to my company as Luca does.

– but doing that opens a whole can of worms that I’m not sure I’m ready to face just yet. I mean, I haven’t even let Jackson

should tell him, my wolf urges, turning a circle in my

her silky fur. And we will…we just…we

–

howl of discontent but lets me be with it, knowing that I’m right that I’m trying to balance too much, and just coming out

fall asleep, eager to meet my one mate who