The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0732

"Oh, you keep it," she says, holding up a hand. "It's good to see you drink something."

I nod and look around for a minute, continuing to sip from the cup. "Where is Mittens?" I whisper, intuiting that he's a secret.

"He's been hiding," Daphne says, unable to keep the little smile from her lips as she pulls back the blankets a little bit to reveal the little cat curled in her lap. "He's very good at it, unsurprisingly."

I reach out a finger and stroke it over his tiny head a few times, enjoying the soft shadowy feel of the tiny cat. Daphne and I silent for a long, peaceful few moments.

"Are you okay, Ari?" Daphne whispers, breaking it. But I don't begrudge her that I know she's worried. "I mean, I know you're not - I just - these past few days."

"I know," I whisper, opening my eyes a little and looking down at my cup. "A few days ago I had...all of them. And now Tony is gone. And Luca is..." my lip trembles and my throat seizes up. Daphne squeaks sadly and moves closer to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and tilting me a little so that I lean against her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up," she whispers.

"It's okay," I sigh. "I mean, it's kind of the only thing on my mind anyway."

"Oh good!" mom says, beaming as she bustles into the room in her own fancy robe. "You're up! Now we can get started with step 2!"

"What's that?" I ask, frowning at her. "What was step 1?"

was making sure you survive," mom says, plopping down on the bed and leaning close to give me a kiss. "Step 2 is feeding you! And

groan a little, wanting to hold onto my woe a little bit. I don't know why - maybe it's just...the only thing that feels real. "What's step 3? Can we skip right

mom says cheerfully,

"Bloody revenge."

says, coming close and stroking a hand over my hair. "We can skin him alive, or we can cut his toes off and make him eat them, or we

I say, looking at my aunt

a long time, kid. What else were we going to

my three lovely defenders and can't help smiling again when mom and Daphne just shrug, like

"Now...can we have wine? And maybe...more ice

mom murmurs, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "I knew

few hours later, my skin is buffed, my hair has gone through four treatments that have left it shiny and lustrous, and my nails are a pretty blushing pink. I'm also about

of wine deep and

eaten bowl after bowl of ice cream today, so my mind is sufficiently unable to mope as much as it would

nothing is fixed, and nothing has changed. But my soul has been wrapped in a comfortable quilt of pampering girly things, and honestly, I'm the best I could be right now. I mean,

really does

with a sigh, looking at my fingernails as I sit with my three companions on the wide plush couch in our sunny suite. "I'm going to have to take this

it," Cora says, taking a big bite of a pretzel slathered in mustard. "Boys can wear nail polish too." She returns the half-finished pretzel to the wide coffee table, which is predictably covered in food. "Not little shrimpy ones who are trying to convince people that they're not

frowning at me a little, her