The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Luca and I chat the entire walk home.

us down

And though the walk takes us about five hours the terrains rougher than a flat road, which slows

the time passes in what feels like a blink. The three ahead of us are relatively quiet, trudging along themiles and tripping on stones in the darkness, but Luca and I get lost in latighter.

God – he’s funny, and he laughs at my jokes too, all of which just twists my heart a little because aseach mile passes my crush on him grows bigger and bigger, inch by inch.

He tells me all about his childhood, raised in a big family like mine. How he was so angry as a kid afterhis dad left, but how his mom’s brother took him into the gym and taught him to redirect that anger intosolid blows at a punching bag, teaching him the art of boxing and keeping him out of trouble. Andhonestly, it should be a sad story, but the way he tells it – god, my cheeks ache for laughing so hardand smiling so much.

“Honestly, Shrimp.” Luca says, smirking down at me as our final mile begins, “if any animals werethinking about taking us out, they’d certainly shy away knowing we’ve got a hyena in our group,shrieking into the night.”

“Shut up,” I laugh, swatting him in the stomach with the back of my hand. “It’s your fault –”

“It is not my fault that you keep making that shrill noise –”

I burst into laughter again as he teases me, unable to help it, shaking my head at him. “Stop makingme laugh, then,” I say, grinning up at him.

Luca doesn’t say anything for a moment, staring at me, connecting with me in that quiet way we’vebeen doing all day. “Stop making me want to make you laugh,” he murmurs, just the corner of hismouth turning up. “Honestly it’s….weirdly rewarding, seeing you crack up like that.”

I blush a little, biting my lip, and I look ahead, wrapping my arms around myself to ward off thegoosebumps that are forming on my arms. I don’t bother to wonder if they’re a result of the growingcold or the butterflies he’s sent looping around my stomach.

“You cold?” Luca murmurs, drawing close.

“Um,” I say, not knowing what to say. Because if I say yes, I feel like he’s going to…

“Here,” he sighs, slipping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close. I sharply draw in my breathbut… I don’t move away. Instead, I slowly exhale, leaning into him just a little bit.

Just for body heat, I tell myself, not letting myself consider that we’re both carrying backpacks filled withextra jackets and blankets.

WHATEVER, my wolf says on a gleeful exhale, laying on her back and letting her tongue hang out ofher mouth in ecstasy.

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I scowl at her and turn my attention back to the task at hand: getting back to the barracks safely andignoring the tingling sensation that passes all along the side that’s pressed close to Luca, and acrossmy shoulders where his arm lightly rests.

We’re quiet for the rest of the walk, but when I glance up at Luca I see that there’s a smile on his face,his eyes trained on the road ahead, both of us just ignoring the fact that he’s walking with his armdraped around me. And I grin, and keep walking because…

Honestly, it should be more awkward, but it’s not. Everything in me just screams right.

Luca drops his arm from my shoulders as we come closer to the light of the barracks, letting his fingerstrail down my back before he moves away. We’ve dropped back far enough where our other threeteammates are unlikely to have seen us, but…well, we’re back in the real world now, aren’t we?

We step inside and I notice with surprise that our group is the only one that made it back this early.“Wow,” I murmur. “I mean, I thought we were slow, but…”

“Maybe the other teams didn’t hate each other’s guts as much as ours did,” Luca says with a shrug,walking slowly for his bunk. I follow.

“I don’t think Perry hated us,” I murmur, glancing towards the bathroom where the other three havedisappeared.

“Yeah, well. I don’t think we’ll be swapping recipes with him anytime soon,” Luca says, his voice dry.“Not when he’s tied up with those two.”

I hum a little consideringly as Luca grabs his bathing things and then waits for me as I grab mine. Wehead into the bathroom together, but I blush horribly when Luca heads for the showers, stripping off hisshirt.

“Are you coming?” he calls over his shoulder.

my

I mumble something awkward about it being late and how I’m tired, and Luca just shrugs. I turn

back, pressing my eyes shut as Luca drops his shirt on the bathroom floor and starts at the buckle ofhis pants. I brush my teeth as fast as humanly possible then, congratulating myself for accomplishing

the monumental act of personal restraint it takes to not glance backwards when I hear the shower turnon.

Instead, I scurry out of the bathroom, mentally scolding myself to respect my mate’s privacy, especiallywhen he thinks I’m a boy.

Then, denying my wolf’s near–constant urge to strip–down and climb into that shower alongside mymate, I haul myself into my bed and flip back onto my pillow, pulling my cap down over my eyes so Ican get some sleep, or at least contain myself marginally.

My rest is interrupted, though, about fifteen minutes later when I hear Luca’s voice disturbingly close tomy ear.

“Hey,” he says, and I shriek and jump a little, spinning towards him, realizing that he’s standing on

Chapter 24

the edge of Rafe’s best his arms looped over the side of my own, the way Jesse usually stands whenhe wants a spnet word Lanca grins instantly, laughing at me “Jumpy,” he comments.

“Tired.” I say, glaring at him a little but turning on my side, propping my head on my hand and gazing athim “Why do you disturb my slumber, pretty boy?” I try to inject some teasing into my own voice then,but honestly I think it fails. Because I mean with his dimples flaring like that–he really is just so pretty

“Brought you dinner,” Luca says, lifting one of the wrapped sandwiches I’m getting very sick of andplacing it by me on the bed. “I figured you forgot to go get one for yourself.”

“Why did you think I’d forget?” I say, smiling and taking the sandwich, pulling it close but notunwrapping it.

“Because you always do.” he says softly. “Rafe always has to bring you food, remind you to eat.”

A little smile pulls at my mouth. “Have you been watching me, Grant?”

He stares at me for a long moment. “Can’t seem to help it,” he breathes, and my heart feels like itcompletely stops as he reaches out a hand, his fingers drawing dangerously close to my cheek –

But at the last moment his eyes shift to his hand, and he clenches it into a fist, drawing his lips into atight line. “Good work today,” he says, nodding and shifting his eyes away from me. “Um. Yeah. Goodjob.” He hops down from his spot and waves to me over his shoulder. “See you…tomorrow. Today.When…whenever.”

“Night, Luca.” I say softly, though I know he hears me.

And I groan as I flop again back on my pillow, holding my sandwich against my stomach, wonderinghow the hell I’m supposed to get to sleep while my heart is racing this fast.

But my doubts are soon proven wrong as I hastily eat my sandwich and rest my head back on thepillow again, totally beat. I curl up in my blankets, at least content in the knowledge that I don’t have toget up early, because candidates aren’t even expected back until dinner time.

—

Still, my last thoughts are inevitably – about Luca, wishing he’d stayed, wishing we’d had chance to talkmore – even for a few minutes or for a few more hours….

1

My dreams tonight are unusually vivid, and I feel more conscious in them than I usually do. I blink,looking around at the hazy birch forest, which is somehow bright even though it’s edged with fog. I turnmy head, considering the pretty white trees with their leaves turning golden for autumn, pleased andsurprised. And then I run my hands down over my favorite white nightgown from home – relishing the

soft feel of it beneath my palms. Smiling, I next run my fingers through the long length of my hair, whichI never get to do anymore because it’s always tucked up under that

little cap –

“Hello?” a voice calls, and I go very still.

Who the who the hell is that?

Chapter 25

And suddenly, as I peer through the forest, I instantly recognize Luca, even though he’s standing faraway. I groan a little, because of course I can’t stop thinking about him even when I’m asleep – hell. Ifell asleep thinking about him, wanting to spend more time…

“Seriously, where the hell am I?” Luca mutters, his voice carrying through the trees.

And suddenly my eyes go wide because….

Because…

My mind flashes back to what my mom and Aunt Cora have told me before

About meeting their mates in the dream state-

Which they can only do once they’ve met, and invited them there –

I gasp. slapping my hands over my mouth as I realize that…

“Who’s there?” Luca calls, turning towards my gasp..

Frantic I dart away, hiding behind a tree. “F*ck, f**k!” I hiss, peeking out and seeing him walking closer.

My breath comes in fast pants as I panic – because he can’t see me here – he can’t see me like this –even if he does figure out that this is just a dream, he’ll have seen me in a dress with long hair! Andhe’s not stupid – he’ll remember it in real life and put the pieces together!

I clench my fists at my side, forcing myself to think

I press my eyes shut, willing the dream to end.

No, my wolf says, her voice echoing out loud now – because she’s in my head and so am I now.

“Let me out!” I hiss, looking around for her.”

No! she says, more cheerfully this time. Play with him! We need this!

Cursing, I listen carefully and panic when I hear Luca’s footsteps moving closer

“Hello?” he calls again. “Seriously, is there someone there?”

My heart starts to seriously pound when suddenly I realize that…that this is my dream, right?

And if it’s my dream…I have control.

I look down at myself, willing my nightgown to change….and suddenly, it’s gone, replaced by my greycandidate uniform. I gasp and reach up, realizing that my hair has been tucked into my cap as it alwaysis.

And, slowly, I start to smile.

Sun, Tu Mar

Chapter 25

That’s my girl, my wolf says huffing a wolfy little laugh. Now got

And, smiling, cursing myself for being an idiot and taking needless risks…I step out from behind

the tree.

“Hey,” I say, and Luca turns to stare at me.