The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 0212

Chapter 0212

I yelp in protest then, grabbing my pillow and starting to thwap her with it, yelling disconnectedwords about how I didn’t even pick him, the Goddess did, and actually Jackson and dad are nothingalike, just because they’re both big –

But mom just laughs hysterically and eventually I join her, dropping my pillow and curling up at herside, covering my blushing cheeks with my hands and shaking my head at the heat against mypalms.

“It’s okay, baby,” mom murmurs, dropping a kiss to my forehead as she shakes with giggles. “Yourdad is hot too. Trust me, I get the appeal.”

“I don’t ever want to talk about this ever again,” I murmur, my words muffled in my humiliation.

“Too bad,” she sighs. “Cora’s going to come in here in a few minutes and say the exact same thing–“

“Cora’s here?” I gasp, sitting up eagerly and looking towards the door like she’s going to comethrough it at any minute.

“We’re all here, baby,” mom says, sitting up with me. “You think Cora and I are going to let yourfather and your uncle put on this ridiculously dangerous Examination without us at the end to patcheveryone up? We come every year –“

“You do?” I ask, my eyes going wide.

“Yes! You didn’t notice that every year around this time we take a little vacation –“

“What a crap vacation,” I say, shaking my head.

But before my mom can agree, the door to the room flies open again and my mate comes stumblinginto the room, gasping in fear and surprise.

But…not that mate.

The other one.

I’m caught between a gasp of relief and a moan of mortification – because my mom is going to beso confused by this. But I immediately open my arms for Luca, who comes crashing across theroom to my side. I throw my arms around his neck as his slide immediately around my back, holdingme close, shaking a little.

“Are you all right?” he gasps, horrified, worried.

“Are you!?”

“Ariel,” he snaps, leaning back to glare at me a little, “you are not checking in on me when I justheard that you showed up at the finish line unconscious, bleeding everywhere, thrown over JacksonMcClintock’s shoulder – of all people –“

“I’m fine,” I murmur, my eyes wide and sorry as I see the real fear in him. “Seriously, Luc, I’m fine –I’m all patched up – I’m…”

And then my voice fades out as my mom clears her throat.

“Um,” I say, awkwardly turning to her and glancing between her confused but entertained face andmy mate’s still-terrified expression. “Mom? I’d like you to meet…Luca Grant. Luca, this is my mom –she…she healed me up. Magically.”

I finish the sentence lamely, not knowing how to explain that. But Luca, to his credit, takes it instride. He sits up straight in surprise but the immediately falls back on his manners, which are

impeccable when he wants them to be.

“Your highness,” he says, immediately offering his hand, which my mother takes with a smile. “I amso sorry – you’ll have to forgive me, I was…I was very distracted. I care a great deal about yourdaughter and I didn’t – honestly, I didn’t even notice you sitting there.”

“You’re forgiven,” my mom says, turning her head at him curiously as she squeezes his hand. “But,if you don’t mind me asking, my daughter told me that she kept her identity and her gender a secretduring her time at the Academy. How is it that you know?”

“Because,” Luca says, his eyes wide with his innocence. “She’s my mate.”

My mom’s eyes go wide with surprise and then scandalized delight.

“Well,” she says, turning her cat-like grin on me as I cover my face with my hands. “You really havebeen busy, Ariel. Very busy indeed.”