The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0521

Luca glances up at me. "Nothing," he murmurs, blushing a little bit as he gathers his book back up. As he does I realize that his actions were not performative or attention-seeking at all, but instead the very real result of very real frustrations. In a flash, I wonder how and why I didn't feel that down the bond - has he been closing that on me? Or...

"Seriously, Luc," Rafe says from his chair, leaning forward towards him. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry," Luca says, shaking his head and looking down at his book. "I didn't mean to interrupt - just...pretend it didn't happen. Book...slipped out of my hands, is all."

"Luca," Jesse says, quietly closing his own book in his lap and peering at my mate. "We...genuinely want to know. Seriously, four of us are in the same class - maybe we can help."

"In the same class but in vastly different groups," Luca murmurs, looking around the room with a flash of embarrassment at Ben, Daphne, and me. "You guys covered this stuff last semester. Just...I'll figure it out."

"Well, if we already covered it," Jesse says, moving softly as he slips to the floor and moves to Luca's empty side. "Then we can help."

Daphne continuing to sew, as Luca sighs and looks back down at his book. "I just...have a lot of trouble understanding these schematics," Luca says with a sigh, putting the book down on the table where everyone can see it. I

and feeling for my mate, trying to pass encouragement down the bond but feeling it hit a bit of a

what's the best thing to do next? And I'm supposed to write a damn essay on what the best move is, and why but..." he sighs, shaking

says, nodding

book, tilting it towards the pair of them. "I mean, it's not instinctual, Luca - ite makes sense that you're struggling with it but it just takes time. It's like learning to decode something, or read

like this isn't precisely helpful right now, and Jesse laughs, his eyes crinkling up as he shrugs at Luca. "I'm sorry," he says, "I don't have a better answer than

cool," Luca sighs, taking the book back and laying it flat on the table again.

not screwed,"

can help you learn it. But actually..." he grimaces now like Luca isn't going to like what he has to say next very much either, "the person who can really help you

deepens as, to my surprise, he shifts his eyes

little still and quiet as each of our gazes moves to my