The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0384

And by the tension in his shoulders, I can tell that he's working very, very hard to embody that.

"Come here, Ariel," he murmurs, standing by the door and beckoning with one hand, the other resting on his hip.

I send one last desperate glance at Daphne before walking to stand in front of my father.

When I stand about a foot in front of him he takes a deep breath in through his nose and reaches out to brush my hair back over my shoulder. "Well, baby trouble," he murmurs. "You smell...different."

The amount of deliberate understatement in that last word makes me fight back a groan.

I bite my lip, tucking my hands behind my back. "Is it bad?" I whisper.

"No, baby," he sighs, shaking his head at me and giving me a small smile, stroking his broad hand over my hair." It's not bad, not at all. Just...not as easy for a dad. Which is something Rafe and Mark might understand one day, but fortunately for you, you never will."

foot between us and wrap my arms around my dad's waist,

sweetie," he murmurs, his arms wrapping around me and hugging me close. "I'm just... adjusting. You're my little girl, and now someone else has a claim on

up," I murmur, shutting my eyes, wanting

he whispers, and I grin, looking

glances over at Daphne, giving her a brief nod of acknowledgement and

ask, pulling back a little and standing on my own two

He looks at me seriously. "But the Atalaxians have called

then down over my hair, just as Jesse did every morning and after every shower at the academy. Almost a knee jerk reaction, I hold my own wrists up and he marks

for?" I ask,

about that, "but it should be enough to confuse the Atalaxians from across the room. Have Jesse and Rafe do it too, when you see them. And your

to do as he says but not

Sinclair. The Atalaxians don't need to know about your double-mate situation, and with Luca in the room too they'll notice that you smell like another man. I mean, I doubt they'll be sniffing, but...in case they are. It should be

Jesse didn't think of that this morning. Then I look up at