The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0798 But...my grandmother did order me to get all of my mate's marks so that my magic could fully develop... Still. The idea of carrying Gabriel's mark on my flesh? Maybe this one...I'll reject and see replaced.

She had a reason, my wolf murmurs, walking back and forth in my soul. She picked him for a reason... I know, I whisper back, running a hand over my wolf's soft fur, trying to calm her. We'll think on it later. Now we concentrate, yes?

My wolf sighs as two servants begin to open the doors before us, sitting down primly on her haunches and preparing to play her role as the sweetest, stupidest, weakest and prettiest wolf in history. She grumbles as she lays down, but I murmur to her that she's a good girl, and she gives my mental hand a little lick of support.

Golden light floods into the hall from the fabulous ballroom ahead and I take a deep breath, concentrating as we step into the room. The chatter fades, every single person turning towards us to stare.

I hold my chin high and walk proud but demure at Gabriel's side, well aware that this is precisely how he wants me to be. A spoil of war, his tamed princess, made utterly Atalaxian under his command. A role I'm quite capable of playing. For now.

We sweep to the center of the room, our footsteps echoing. Gabriel looks around, smug, but he doesn't say a word. He doesn't need to. When we get to the center of the room music begins - classical strings singing out from some hidden alcove. He turns to me, slipping one hand around my waist, and then begins to move into the steps of a slow, formal waltz.

I blink for a moment in surprise but then begin to move with him, my feet remembering the steps from years of dance classes in a thousand styles. I look up into his face and he smirks down at me. I let a little smile find my lips.

cleverest person I've ever met. "What if we'd

I know you can dance, Ariel," Gabriel murmurs, glancing around the room. "I've known since I

were my mate. I was careful to take notes

go wide. And this time, I'm not faking it. "Wha - how...how did you

he is," Gabriel sighs, glaring off somewhere into the crowd that watches us, "had me dedicated to the Goddess soon after I was born. Something about your mother giving him the idea that Darkness was not the right God to guide my

one very useful fact."

my own baptism vision didn't include any information about Gabriel - only Luca and Jacks. Why...why would my Grandmother do that? And are there...others? Lurking

horror runs through me at

continue the dance

entire room politely applauds and I turn towards them all, pressing a hand to my chest and giving another

aches a bit from so much