The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0173

My mouth pops open in mock indignation as my sister fights her urge to smirk. “I have always been badass and cool, Juniper!” I protest, laughing.

“Ariel, believe me,” Juniper sighs, rolling her eyes but letting her smile run free. “You have been the opposite of badass and cool. You were like, a pink bubblegum fairy glitter princess

“And I still am,” I return, laughing. “Except now I can shoot a tin can off of a tree stump from half a mile away.”

–

“Ugh,” she groans. “Nevermind. Still not cool. Plus, now you’ve brought your mates home,” she murmurs, looking at Luca and then around to where Jackson is standing with our mom, clearly intuiting that he’s the other one. “Like this family needed more Alpha men around, all gigantic and eating everything in sight –”

“Not my Alphas,” I counter, grinning at her, my arm still around her shoulders. “I got them trained up real good.”

“So that’s the other one?” she says, raising her chin towards Jackson, her voice dubious.

I say, unable to keep the pride from my voice. That’s my man over there, standing awkwardly at my mom’s side with

a moment, her eyes flicking between Jackson and my mom. As we stand observing them, Jackson’s eyes move over

low with doubt as her eyes focus on mom’s arm around Jackson’s waist. “Because right now, it

absolutely still with shock, staring at my sister, before

gasp through my laughter, and then I look back at where mom is leaning into Jackson’s side – being so nice to him, wanting him to feel comfortable in this big room full of people – but…yeah. Maybe looking a little too close to my mate to the eye of one who doesn’t understand how empathetic mom is as well as how incredibly awkward Jacks feels. I can’t help but laugh harder now that I’ve

–

she’s all over him!” Juniper says, laughing with me, throwing out a hand towards them. Jackson frowns a little, not knowing what’s going

from me before grabbing her hand and tugging her towards Jackson and mom. “She’s just being

little too nice, if you ask me,” June murmurs, letting herself be dragged along, moodily pretending she isn’t having as much fun as she is. “Don’t let dad see this – he’ll get all jealous, and then we’ll have a body to clean up. Which will be interesting, but messy.” I grin, ignoring her words. Because as much as she likes to pretend she’s a black sheep, Juniper is very much a part of this family, and she likes joking and teasing as much as the rest of us.

that she can reach for Juniper and me when

being nice,” Junie sighs, letting mom fold her into a hug on one side.

Roger says as

little bar in the corner for drinks. Roger lets out a booming laugh at his own joke as he wraps me into a hug. I squeak

beaming up into his