The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0722

"So!?" I say, leaning forward in turn and matching his tone, my hand still clamped to the wound on my neck.

"So- so we had sex!" Luca shouts, baffled and freaked out and afraid. "So you picked me! You picked me, Ariel! I gave you my mark because you picked me!"

I go perfectly still as I stare at Luca, my mouth slightly open.

Because that...that is not at all what happened.

I mean, we just had sex - we had a horrible few days, and had a bunch to drink, and we took refuge in each other -

And I love Luca desperately, but I did not choose him.

"Luca," I say, quite slow, "I did not pick you. I am not rejecting Jackson. We just had sex -"

"It's the same thing!" he roars, staring at me like I'm insane, or that he might be going insane, or that the world itself is broken and horrible and he's somehow just lost in it.

himself up from the bed, grabbing his underwear and hastily pulling them on before striding away from me, his hands getting lost in his hair as he turns his back to me, attempting

chest and looking down at my shaking hands. Because even if Luca and I greatly misunderstood what was happening today, I see his side of it - I see what he means. He thought that breaking the stupid sex pact was not just us having sex, but me fulfilling the terms of it: choosing him, deciding to reject Jackson, wanting

remember - that I wouldn't have sex with

much has happened since then - so much

was supposed to be special for me too, you know," Luca snaps, turning back towards me suddenly and drawing my eyes up to him. "A man only gets one chance to mark his mate. I

because he's right. It shouldn't have been this way for either

starting to tremble, grief hitting me again foreverything that has been lost and ruined in these past few days. I tried to escape

you?" Luca asks, a nasty tone in his voice now. "Why, because that's what he

back up to him, my lower lip trembling in my

like he hates me. His wolf snarls in my soul, prowling towards mine. "It's always about him - he's always there -

-

maybe you

him, Ariel!" Luca shouts, vicious. "If he always does everything right and he's so fucking perfect, maybe you should have had your first time with him!

at Luca, dread coiling within me, and

echoes in the room between us as Luca reads