The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0240

“One, Ariel Sinclair,” Ben says, laughing, “if you tried to kill me, I could take you.”

I laugh too, grinning at him.

“And two,” he continues, and my face falls along with his as real sorrow appears in his eyes, “if you’re asking me if I’m jealous of you having two of the most eligible men in the nation so upset that you’re not singularly in love with them that they’re ready to kill each other?” He leans forward, a bit intent, a bit sorrowful. “Yeah, babe. I’m jealous.‘

“Oh, Ben,” I murmur, setting my plate of cake aside on the coffee table and leaning forward to him, reaching out. “It will be all right – it will all –”

“It won’t, though, will it?” Ben murmurs, taking my hand and looking down at his knees as he squeezes it, sweet and sorrowful and hopeless. “Not if I…if I want him…”

I squeeze his hand back, not knowing what to say, but the door opens and we both turn to it, both of us sighing to see an exhausted Rafe walk through.

“Dafo

“What is this,” Rafe murmurs, his eyes flicking over my hand held in Ben’s, the half–eaten chocolate cake on the coffee table. Ben and I…we really didn’t go easy on it, did we? “A third mate?”

“If only I were so lucky,” Ben sighs, standing up and then bending over to give me a fond kiss on the cheek.

Benji,” I murmur, looking up at him with true gratitude, not yet letting go of

he murmurs, patting my cheek and then standing up straight, looking up at Rafe, the man he loves. “I take it my presence is

the shoulder with true gratitude, we need some

exclaim, appalled.

Jesse, says, coming silently through the door in a way that would impress an

way towards the door, preparing

after him, knowing that

Neither Rafe or Jesse counter me, but after the door clicks shut, my cousin and my brother level their

that I’m

the corner of the couch and making plenty of

just vacated. “And aren’t you interested, young lady? In the status of your mate, after I spend so much time consoling him

course I’m interested, Jesse,” I bite out, getting angry at him for teasing me when he knows I’m obviously dying to know how he left Jackson. “Don’t mess around with

and sitting on the floor next to the couch as he reaches for the cake that Jesse slices, puts on a plate, and holds out to him. On the surface Rafe’s being glib,

can tell he’s

brother, knowing that it was a rhetorical question anyway. And also, that they wouldn’t have come back to the room if Luca and Jackson weren’t relatively fine.

at his plate