The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0209

When my eyes flutter open, I stretch myself a little, feeling bright and refreshed.

“All better, baby?” I hear my mom murmur and I go still for a moment before I focus on her face leaning over me.

A smile breaks out on my lips, because it’s my mom my mom, the best mom in the whole world, who I love so much, who I’ve been dying to see for weeks –

But then I gasp, and sight up straight, with my entire reality flashing back to me in a moment – why I haven’t seen my mom for months, the Academy, the Examination –

“Slowly now, slowly,” mom murmurs, putting her hands on my shoulders and pushing me gently back towards my pillows. “You’re fixed, baby, but you’re still dehydrated and exhausted. Go easy.”

But I resist, not wanting to lay down – only wanting my mom, to be in her arms. “Mama,” I cry, tears springing to my eyes, and she relents, wrapping her arms around me and gathering me to her. She holds me close, shushing me quietly and rocking me back and forth like she has a thousand times, telling me how much she loves me and how precious I am to her. And those words god, they heal me more than any magic she has.

I mean, that’s an overstatement. But it certainly feels like it.

in my voice.

a little and looking at me with wide eyes, “Ari, you just laid there I was the one who

rough and shaky sound as I lift my hands and brush my tears from my cheeks. “What a waste

hating that I made her so upset, but there’s a bright side in that too, right? Because if she’s mad at me, that means I’m okay. If I was dying, mom would go much easier

“I’ll tell you everything I

she murmurs back, tightening her arms. “What were you and your brother thinking taking you off to that dangerous school – you’re so little, Ariel! Why did you think you could –”

“Um,”

somewhere to my left, sitting up straight and looking around. And my eyes go wide when I see Rafe

have

think you need to let this one see that you’re

move- gathering me into his arms and taking shaky breaths as he runs a

asks, his voice trembling.

to him, “mom patched

mom, not getting it. “So, you’re like…you are going into surgery soon? She stopped the bleeding? What