The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 171

“Ariel!” Mark shouts, bounding across the room like the big puppy that he is and grabbing me in a hug.

“Baby!” I shout, dropping Luca’s arm and laughing as I hug my brother back, my eyes pressing shut with the pleasure of it. Mark- he’s not even the baby of the family, he’s nearly two years older than Juniper, but he’ll always be my baby, and he lets me fuss and cluck over him like a mother hen.

“I’ve missed you,” my Markie murmurs, hugging me close and tucking his head down against my hair. “June’s been so mean to me and there’s no one to stop her

(C

I laugh, pushing back a little so I can look up into my little brother’s sweet face. Mark favors Rafe and my dad, of course, but he’s more of a mix than

Rafe and I are. While Rafe and I are our parents‘ twins, Mark has some of

mom’s softness in the curve of his cheeks, in the lighter highlights in his

hair.

say, grinning up at him and shaking my head. God, when did baby get so tall? Has it always been like this, or did he grow in the couple of months I’ve been

))

before I can finish giving Mark my very best sisterly

whip to the left, where five kids charge for

Jesse’s siblings grab onto him, shrieking and laughing, pulling him to

fight his siblings

1/3

grab each of his siblings by turn, giving them each what they need to feel loved and seen a

eyes wide as he takes in the chaos before

gym,” Grandpa Henry says, wheeling up next to me and smiling over at Jesse’s continuing scene, as I am. “It’s been murder on me and my chair – they’re always wanting rides up and down the hallways. Playing horsie and piggy–back–chauffer is usually Jesse’s

see him. Grandpa laughs and tells me that he feels just the same as Mark comes to stand close to us, not wanting to miss a

dancing around Grandpa Henry’s chair and reaching for her, taking two handfuls of her long now–black hair in my hands and holding it up like pigtails as I bounce around her, singing the song she hates so much. “Our little goonie! She loves the moonie! It makes her swoooonie!”

and trying to back away, though I keep up with her, laughing and still playing with her hair. “Stop it, Ariel!”