Ch. 71..75: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 71-75

Chapter 71

“Shit,” Luca whispers, staring down at me as he freezes.

The knock comes again, more insistent this time.

“Ari!”

My eyes flare when I hear Jesse’s voice outside the door. “Oh no!”

“Ari!” Jesse shouts again, pounding on the wood. “Let’s go!”

Luca jumps up, looking frantically around at the floor as I sit up, piling my hair on top of my head as he bends over and grabs my cap, flinging it at me. Hasty, I shove it onto my head, tucking my hair up beneath it as Luca moves to the door, his eyes roving over me to make sure that I’m disguised.

“Get up!” he hisses, and I jump to my feet, realizing that I’m still sitting on his bed –

Not at all compromising –

Luca takes a deep breath and then pulls the door open, leaning casually against the wall.

“Hey, Jesse,” he says, doing his best to keep his voice even and failing, just a little bit. “You change your mind about coming to the party tonight?”

“Nice try, Grant,” Jesse says, his voice dry as he puts a hand on Luca’s shoulder and shoves him aside, his eyes landing immediately on me as he looks into the room. “Oh hey, cousin,” he says, baring his teeth. “Whatcha doing here!?”

I scowl at Jesse, crossing my arms and not bothering to pretend that this isn’t precisely what he thinks it is.

Jesse just laughs at me, shaking his head and glancing over his shoulder, where Ben peers. into the room.

“I actually am here for the party,” Ben says, his voice light as he comes in and closes the door behind him. “Though you…

“Come on, Ari,” Jesse says, holding out a hand to me. “We’ve got to get you back to the room, Rafe’s on the rampage –

“Wait,” Luca says, frowning at Jesse and looking him up and down. “You’re not….”

“Do you want me to flip out and pretend that I’m mad at you for making out with your mate, Luca?” Jesse says, his voice dry as he rolls his eyes.

Luca’s eyes go wide. “Wait, you know!?”

“You guys are mates!?” Ben gasps, staring between Luca and me.

“What did you think was happening?” I ask, frowning at Ben as I finish tucking the spare strands of my hair beneath my cap.

“I just thought you guys were into each other!”

“You knew too?” Luca asks, staring at Ben now.

“Luca,” Ben says, rolling his eyes, “anyone with a pulse knows that you’re deeply into Shrimp Clark.”

“That is not my name,” I growl, stepping forward with my hands on my hips..

“All right, enough of this!” Jesse says, spreading his hands out and silencing us all. “God damn it, you’re all making me be the voice of reason, and you know I hate that. But Rafe does not know,” he says, looking significantly at Luca now. “And if you want to keep your head on your shoulders, I would suggest that you keep this a secret. Yes?”

Luca sighs, looking down at the floor as he runs a hand through his hair, clearly doing the math and trying to decide if he can take Rafe. But we both know that he can’t, and that even if he could, it wouldn’t be worth the fight.

My mate looks up and over towards me after a moment, sadness and regret all over his face, and I can’t help it – I move to his side, slipping my hand into his.

Ben’s face bursts into a smile, but Jesse rolls his eyes. “Look, this is all very sweet, but Shrimp smells like you now so unless we’re all in for a much larger fight with a much larger Prince tonight, I think we need to get Ariel back to the room and into the bath. Yes?”

I sigh, looking up at my mate with a shrug. “He’s not wrong. This is…not the time for this. Yeah?”

A low growl rumbles in Luca’s chest but he squeezes my hand and nods, his head hanging. “Yeah, I guess,” he mutters, clearly displeased. I feel a sudden pang of anxiety now which is…. not mine. And my eyes go wide as I realize that…that it’s Luca’s anxiety, which I can feel pulsing towards me now down…

Down a pretty little bond that I suddenly feel between us, shining silver in my soul. A smile bursts onto my face as I realize that I can feel that Luca is anxious that he doesn’t want to let his mate away from his side for a second. Even though he knows, obviously, that I’m in good hands with Jesse and Rafe, I’m his mate

his to protect.

–

He doesn’t want me to leave for many reasons, but a lot of it is that we’ve recognized each other as our mates now solidified our bond, accepted it, even if we didn’t say formal

–

words doing such. And he doesn’t want me out of his sight.

I experiment a little, sending my own wonder down the bond as well. Luca’s eyes go wide and then he laughs in delight, realizing what’s happening. We just stare at each other before Jesse groans, grabbing my arm.

adorable, and I hate to

“Listen, this is very interrupt, but let’s.

1. go.

Ariel!”

I snap my attention back to Jesse, even though I can’t stop grinning. “Fine fine,” I say, but then I stand on my tiptoes and tilt my head back, looking up at Luca, who obliges me by pressing a kiss to my mouth.

Ben gives a satisfied little “aww” just as Jesse groans, which makes me burst out laughing as I follow Jesse to the door. But I pass a feeling along the bond to Luca, urging him to meet me in the dream state. He just grins and nods to me, letting me know that the message is received.

And then, before I realize it, I’m out the door, being hauled along the corridor by my anxious Alpha cousin. Ben stays behind with Luca, perhaps indulging in their night of drinking, as he said he would.

Or, maybe just giving Luca someone to talk to after finally connecting with his mate, only to have her ripped from him so soon.

I barely notice as the hallway passes before us, so lost am I in my haze. Before I know it, though, I’m back in the room and Jesse is bizarrely tugging at my shirt.

–

“Get in the bath, Ariel,” he murmurs, frantic.

“Jesse!” I gasp, swatting at his hands. “What are you doing!?”

“Baby cousin,” he says, dropping his hands from my clothes and slapping both hands on my cheeks so that my face is pressed between his palms – not hard enough to hurt but certainly sharp enough to get my attention. “You’re killing me here. Your brother is coming back any second now – and you smell disgustingly of your mate. Okay? So unless you want to break this news to him tonight-

“Okay okay” I say, tearing my face from his hands and striding for the bathroom.

“Leave your clothes just inside the door!” Jesse calls after me. “I’ll send them down in the dumbwaiter, tell Rafe you….spilled something on them at Daphne’s, or whatever.”

“You’re the best!” I say, grinning at him as I start to close the door.

“You owe me!” he calls after. “One date with Daphne, that’s the price for my secrecy!”

I just laugh, shaking my head as I press the door shut and start to strip down. Even as I do, though, I can’t help the little squeal of joy that breaks from my lips as I do a little dance. around the marble floor.

Because I have a mate! And he’s really cute! And he knows I exist!

And we have a date tonight in the dream state.

God, I’ve never been so excited to go to bed.

Chapter 72

Unfortunately, that night when I go into the dream state, Luca isn’t there.

Anxiety whirs in me as I turn around in the birch forest, looking for him, but it’s…definitely just me by myself. I frown, trying to feel him…is he just…not asleep?

And there’s..certainly something there. It’s almost like I can…feel him sleeping down the bond. There’s a deep rest there, and a stillness, but…

I don’t know. It’s almost like he’s not dreaming, not at all.

I sigh, working very hard not to take it personally, and then I will the dream to end. I wake up for a moment in my little nook, frowning, wondering ridiculously if I should just…go downstairs and knock on his door, make sure that he’s okay.

But no – Rafe was really upset when he came back to the room. And not just pissed that I didn’t follow the plan to the letter, but genuinely worried for me. His shoulders had been trembling when I had come out of the shower and he had wrapped me in a big hug, scolding me but holding me close nonetheless.

He’d heard about Wright attacking me in the hall, of course, and of Luca punching him out and pulling me into his room where I’d be safe. Jesse exaggerated how quickly he got there, suggesting it had only been minutes later. Rafe, thank god, hadn’t been suspicious.

Because I don’t really need to answer my big brother’s questions, right now, about why I’m making out with Luca Grant while my mate, Jackson McClintock, lives only a few doors down.

I sigh now, looking towards Rafe’s big bed where I can hear him snoring softly, wishing he didn’t take my safety so personally. He just loves me, I know, and I love him right back but it’s not his life’s duty to keep me safe like this.

–

Regardless, as tempting as the idea to go down to knock on my mate’s door is, I’m not risking Rafe waking up to find me alone. So instead I turn over and close my eyes, letting myself drift off into a nice, restful sleep. I have the other dream again the one that I had before, of running along the moonlit cliffside in my wolf form, another wolf at my heels. It fills me with a great deal of peace and joy, running in the night.

–

I’m happy when I wake up, stretching my arms over my head as my brother and my cousin call their morning greetings to me. But there’s anxiety alongside it because where had Luca been? Why hadn’t he come?

He’s not still mad at me, is he? I thought we left that all behind…

–

I’m distracted from the issue, though, by the insanely rigorous workout that Jesse and Rafe put me through. Saturdays, apparently, have brunch instead of breakfast in order to allow cadets to rest and catch up on some reading. But Jesse and Rafe, because they are athletic maniacs, use the opportunity to make me run five miles and then do so many sets of pull- ups that my arms feel like jelly.

“Why do you….hate me….” I gasp as I pull my chin up over the bar.

“Incorrect, Shrimpito,” Jesse says, sitting on the floor next to the bar and flipping through a textbook, taking notes. “It is love that makes us give you pain.”

“This is what they say in abusive relationships,” I say, dropping from the bar and panting with my hands on my knees while Rafe pats my back.

“Your upper body’s your weak point,” Rafe says. “We’re just getting you strong for the Examination. What if they ask you to climb something.”

“I’ll just melt it,” I mutter, making Jesse laugh. “With my mind.”

Rafe smirks too but claps his hands together. “Two more sets, baby touble! Let’s go!”

Rafe carries my backpack to brunch because it aches when I set it on my shoulders, though he carries it as lightly as any of mom’s purses. I scowl at him, jealous of the passive ease with which he does hard things, but my scowl is instantly wiped from my face when we walk into the Hall and I glance towards our table.

I burst into a grin because instantly, instantly I have an answer to why Luca didn’t come to the dream state last night.

Both Luca and Ben are sitting at our table with full plates of food in front of them, their faces green. Ben rests his head against his folded arm and gives up halfway through giving us a wave of greeting. Luca just sits with his eyes closed, massaging his temples and looking like he’s going to vomit at any minute. But his eyes fly open when Ben murmurs his hellos.

Luca is instantly on his feet, passing Rafe and moving directly for me. Before I can stop him, he takes my face in his hands, looking down into my eyes with such sorrow and regret that my mouth falls open.

“I am so sorry,” he murmurs. “We‘

“Would you cut it out!?” Jesse hisses, hitting Luca hard on the forearm and knocking his hands away. Luca jumps a little and steps back, looking guiltily towards Jesse and then to Rafe, who thankfully had his back turned.

–

But my heart goes out to Luca, whose emotions I can feel down the bond such guilt, and worry, and the idea that he let me down

I just shake my head at him, smiling, passing feelings of calm and content down the bond. Because I get it – it was a mistake. He and Ben got caught up drinking it’s really not a big deal.

–

“Wow,” Rafe says, laughing as he looks first at Ben and then at Luca as we all take our seats, me by Luca’s side as usual. “You two…you look like

crap.”

“Thank you,” Ben says, smiling half–heartedly at Rafe, “for your kind words. I am far from crap. I aspire to be crap. I am…much much worse.”

“What the hell were you drinking?” Jesse asks, helping himself to the full carafe of coffee on the table and pouring me and Rafe a cup as well.

“Vodka,” Luca sighs, as if the very word pains him. “At least, they said it was vodka. One of the older cadets probably made it in their bathtub that’s what it tasted like.”

–

“Ew,” I say, grabbing a blueberry muffin from the basket on the table.

“Will you eat one of those for me?” Luca asks, longing at the muffin longingly. “They look so good, and I’m so hungry, but even the idea of food…” He exhales sharply, his cheeks puffing out as he shakes his head.

“Poor baby,” I murmur, taking a big bite and chewing with relish. “It’s your own fault, rule breaker.”

“Oh please, little miss sanctimonious,” he murmurs, low enough to get away with the

feminine address but making me sit up sharply anyway.

“What?!” I ask, laughing.

“Don’t try to pretend you weren’t drinking red wine last night.”

I gasp, sitting up straight, because…how did he know!?

“Ari was what?” Rafe asks, frowning between Luca and I.

“Drinking,” Luca says, pointing at me with an accusatory finger and ratting me out. I gasp again at the betrayal. “Wherever he was before I found him in the hallway about to get murdered? He had wine.”

Rafe narrows his eyes a me. “Seriously, Ari? Wine, with Daphne? You’re risking it all for a glass of wine?”

“No one was ever going to know!”

“Who’s Daphne?” Luca asks, suddenly desperately interested.

“My girlfriend,” I snap, glaring at him, which makes him burst into laughter.

“Don’t play with fire, Ari,” Rafe says, still disappointed in me, and I sigh and nod, silently making a sibling promise between him and I that I won’t do it again.

But then I glare at Luca, who just laughs at me, teasing. I just shake my head, wondering how the hell he knew that…

But then words echo in my head, clear as day, in Luca’s voice: I could taste it on you, he murmurs, a caress in my mind.

And I gasp despite myself, delighted and a little scandalized at once.

Mind–to–mind!? We can speak mind–to–mind!?

I grin at my mate, and he smiles back with a wink. But then he flinches like even that hurt him in his hungover state, and I laugh, thinking that he deserves it for telling on me.

Chapter 73

The rest of the day passes lazily and well. Ben and Luca come back to the room with us, and we light a cozy fire. Ben stretches out in front of the hearth with his head buried in a pillow, and even though I insist that he go sleep in my little nook for a bit he protests that he’s fine. So I settle for spreading my pretty green blanket over him to keep him cozy.

Ben murmurs his thanks, and the rest of us get to work.

Well, the unhungover amongst us get to work, Rafe and Jesse settling into their chairs with books. Luca just lays his long body out on the couch, his open textbook resting on his chest, his eyes closed as he breathes peacefully.

“Budge over, couch hog.” I say, smacking at Luca’s foot.

“No,” he murmurs.

I laugh, hitting him harder, and he sighs as he cracks one eye at me, his dimples deepening as he pulls his legs up to make just enough room for me, groaning like it’s the hardest thing he’s ever done. I laugh harder as I sit down in my spot.

“How did you ever become a championship boxer,” Jesse murmurs, one eye on Luca, “when you’re such a baby?”

“Sheer talent,” Luca mutters. “Also, meaner friends you guys are really letting me go soft.”

–

“Don’t blame us for not being your jailers and your coaches,” Rafe murmurs, his eyes still on his work, “we have to do enough of that with Ari –”

“Hey!” I protest, glaring at him. He raises his eyes to me, quirking an eyebrow, and I just scowl. Because he’s…right.

As soon as I get settled on the couch Luca stretches out his legs again, draping them over my lap this time. I protest, but he ignores me, so eventually I just prop my chemistry book up on his shins and get to work.

Because honestly, I don’t mind it – I like the nearness of him, the casual touch. Joy thrums through me and I know that it’s half mine, half his. Because even though he’s sick as a dog.

there’s clearly no place either of us would be than on this couch together, casually touching. just…living our lives together.

I can’t keep the smile off of my face the whole time I study.

When Jesse gets up a few hours later to stretch and take a break, he frowns at Luca anew. “Seriously, Luc,” he says, clasping his hands above his head and bending back and forth to stretch out his arms. “I’m not trying to pry, but are you keeping in shape? Especially with this prize fight coming up over winter break –”

“What?” I ask, shocked.

“Prize fight,” Jesse says, shifting his eyes to me. “You didn’t read about it before we left?”

“I was a little distracted before we left,” I say, my voice dripping with understatement, and Jesse grins, remembering how frantic I was before planning my wedding. Plus I stayed completely away from news and tabloids, which all spent many pages speculating on what I was going to wear.

“It was conditional upon me getting accepted to the Academy as a cadet,” Luca says, opening his eyes and pushing himself up a little so that he can look at me. “But yeah I just got word that it’s going

through.”

“It’s…kind of a big deal,” Jesse says, looking at me with a little worry now. “I thought you. knew about it, Ari.”

“Do you…all know about this?” I ask, looking around at the four of them.

Rafe meets my eyes now and nods. I shift my eyes to Ben, who doesn’t sit up but shoots met a thumbs–up to let me know he, too, was aware.

“Well, what is it?” I ask, suddenly anxious.

“It’s kind of a…champion thing,” Luca replies with a shrug, “I’m representing Moon Valley, as both the highest–ranking boxer and, now, a member of the military. I mean, I have to get through the Examination, but I’m not super worried about that

–

“Wait, stop

I say, throwing out a hand, a little frantic now. “Why are you representing Moon Valley? Who who are you fighting?”

Luca hesitates, so Rafe answers for him. “He’s fighting the Atalaxian champion, Ari,” he says softly. “He’s coming over as part of a delegation. It’s part cultural connection, part display of military prowess, part…peace talks.”

“Are you serious!?” I shout, appalled. Because this this is a way bigger deal than they were making it out to be.

“It’s fine,” Luca says, shrugging. “I’m happy to do it proud, even ”

–

“Luca,” I say, leaning forward and staring at him, “the Atalaxian military is brutal

“I mean, I’m going to win,” he says with a confident shrug, a little smug but also a little offended that I’m doubting him.

I sit back a little, half torn by my allegiance and my faith in him and half knowing that his confidence…is not going to be enough to pull him through.

Luca looks around at all of us. “Do you all seriously doubt me?” he says, his feelings obviously hurt.

“We don’t doubt you at all,” Jesse says, frowning. “Ari doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to boxing, he’s just worried about you,” he says, pointing at me.

My mouth falls open in protest, but Rafe speaks before I can say anything. “You don’t know anything about boxing, Ari,” he says on a sigh. And I scowl, shutting my mouth because… well, because again, they’re probably right. But still! My mate, in a prize fight against the champion of a notoriously brutal military force!?

“But,” Rafe continues, lifting his head to look at Luca now, “Jesse’s not wrong. been training-”

“I work out every day! You’re there, you know!”

You haven’t

“I do know,” Rafe says, raising his eyebrows. “So I know that you’re as fit as you’ve ever been, but you aren’t doing boxing workouts. Your uncle is going to be appalled when he gets you back in the gym over midwinter.”

Luca scowls, looking down at the floor, realizing that Rafe’s right.

THE

“We’ll work out with you,” Jesse says, gesturing between him and Rafe. “If that’s what want. I mean, we’re not as good as you, but we’re not crap!

“And I will watch, and encourage from the sidelines,” Ben murmurs from the floor.

“Thanks, guys,” Luca says, frowning around at us. “That’s…really generous of you.”

“Anytime,” Jesse says, sitting back down in his chair.

you

“Quit dicking around with alcohol, though,” Rafe murmurs, his own attention back on his book now. “It’s only going to make you weak, and then you’ll embarrass the nation. And I hate losing, even on a national level.”

Luca laughs, promising that he will, but I’m still frowning at him when he turns his attention back to me.

What? He asks, placing the question directly into my mind.

“Do you have to go to Atalaxia?” I ask, worried. “For the fight?”

“No,” Luca says, his face bursting into a grin. “Ari, the fight is at home, in the city. You’ve – I mean, your whole family has already been invited. You’re going to be there.”

My eyes go wide as I realize what he means- that I won’t be there as Ari Clark, but instead as Princess Ariel.

But…I mean, will I be out of hiding at that time? Will my family have patched things up enough with that horrible Prince I left at the altar, so that I can re–emerge into society?

And…what will it mean to go to the fight? Will I go as Princess? As Luca’s friend’s sister?

Or…or as the champion boxer’s mate?

I’m still staring at Luca, confused and pondering the complexities of this when a knock comes at the door. Jesse, always ready for something new, springs out of his chair and strides over to it. We all turn, and my face goes a little pale when the door opens and Jesse reveals Jackson standing there, a note in his hand.

“Hey, Jackson!” Jesse says, ever–friendly. “Come on in!”

“No thanks,” Jackson says instantly, his eyes moving to me on the couch. “Can’t stay – I was just asked to deliver a note.”

“For me?” Jesse asks, eager.

Jackson huffs a laugh, flicking his eyes back to Jesse. “No, for Ari. I just had a meeting with Alvez,” he says, rolling his eyes, “on some….homework stuff.”

I intuit, instantly, that Jackson doesn’t want to share the details of magic class in front of Luca and Ben, and I know that Jesse and Rafe respect that alongside me.

“How did that go?” Rafe asks, his voice low with doubt.

“Precisely as you probably think it did,” Jackson responds in much the same tone, “which is to say…it sucked.”

I laugh, and after a moment Jesse and Rafe do too. Luca stays stonily silent, and Ben just lays on the floor – maybe even fell asleep.

“Anyway,” Jackson says, holding the note out towards me. “He asked me to bring you this.”

“Thanks!” I say, genuinely grateful, and I shove at Luca’s legs, trying to get up.

But Luca?

He doesn’t move an inch, trapping me awkwardly in my seat.

 

Chapter 74

“Luca,” I growl, shoving uselessly at his shins, “let me up.”

Luca just glares at Jackson at the door and then over at me. He can come to you, Luca says. into my mind, possessive and predatory. I narrow my eyes at him, pissed.

But there’s no time to think any more about it, because suddenly Jackson’s smokey pine scent strengthens and I look up to see him at my side.

“Here,” Jackson says, holding out the note to me and looking between Luca and I curiously. He frowns, a little, when he notices Luca’s legs stretched out over my lap.

“Thanks, Jacks,” I say, smiling up at him.

“Jacks?” Luca asks, and I turn to see him raising an eyebrow, his eyes flicking between the two of us. “What, the two of you are on like…a nickname basis now?”

The room is silent for a long, awkward moment as my two mates glare at each other and my cheeks go red. Honestly, I hadn’t even noticed that I’d given Jackson a nickname it all happened very naturally.

“Yeah, I guess we are, Grant,” Jackson says, his voice quiet and dangerous.

–

The room returns to its awkward silence as I lower the note to my lap and awkwardly stare at it, not knowing what to do or how to mediate this. Because obviously, obviously I’m the cause of all of this and I’m the only one who knows it.

–

“Well, I for one like it!” Jesse says, grinning at the drama and leaning against the doorframe. “Are you sure you won’t stay for dinner, Jacks?”

I flick my eyes to my cousin, grateful.

“Nah,” Jackson says with a sigh before reaching out a hand and giving me a warm pat on the shoulder. I look up in surprise at the touch, and then grin at him, unable to help it. He smiles back before he turns and heads towards the door. “A little…crowded in here, as it is.”

Ben and Rafe call their goodbyes as Jesse ushers Jackson out the door, telling him to come

and spend some time with us soon. Luca is noticeably silent as I unfold my note and read through it.

“What is it?” Rafe asks, leaning towards me, almost as if he is trying to see the writing in my lap.

“It’s from Alvez,” I ignoring Luca’s jealous energy as best I can. “He wants to see me at office hours tomorrow.”

me at office hou..

“Well, have fun with that,” Rafe says, relaxing instantly and turning back to his textbook.

“What do you mean?” I ask, refolding the note and tucking it between the pages of my book.

“It’s boring,” Rafe replies, and I remember now that he got paired with Alvez for his magic homework. “Just a lot of sitting around trying to….do things to a marble. I mean, I’m sure mom hired him for a reason, but I think a lot of this stuff we’re learning is guess work at best. At least at the beginning, until you can figure out what you can do.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Luca asks, frowning and looking between us.

Jesse opens his mouth to answer, probably intending to tell Luca the truth, but I speak first, interrupting.

“Classified,” I say, snapping my eyes up to my cousin, who raises his eyebrows in surprise that I want to keep the secret from my mate.

“We’re not the only ones in that class,” I say cagily, looking between Rafe and Jesse. “It’s not right to share anything unless Jackson and Tony agree first.”

“Whatever,” Luca says, sighing and holding up his hands..

“I, for one, would like it known that I do not care,” Ben murmurs from his place by the fire, and a grin breaks onto my face at his exhausted tone. “And, further, that if any of you have any pain killers….it would be great if you crushed them up and placed them quietly under my tongue. Thank you.”

I smile at my poor friend laying on the floor and turn to Luca, eager for the opportunity to change the subject. “What did you do to him last night?”

“Nothing he didn’t consent to,” Lauca says casually, giving me a smirk. But in my mind, he takes a different tact. Don’t think we’re finished talking about this, he murmurs, his words a caress as much as warning that this conversation is not done.

I just sigh, and nod, and send back an impression of the dream state, letting him know that we can talk about it more safely there.

Luca just nods, and closes his eyes, and continues his nap.

That night, after dinner has been eaten and Luca and Ben have finally shuffled off to bed, I finally rest my freshly–showered head down on my pillow, a little anxious about how to handle this conversation

with Luca. I mean, I get why he’s jealous of Jackson – why he doesn’t want any other young men near me showing me any special attention.

We’re newly mated, after all, which is apparently a very volatile state.

But still it’s a fine line for me to walk, isn’t it? Because Jackson – he has just as much of a right to my company as Luca does.

And obviously the clearest and fairest thing to do would be to explain that to both of them – but doing that opens a whole can of worms that I’m not sure I’m ready to face just yet. I mean, I haven’t even let Jackson know that I’m a girl yet, let alone his mate I can’t just casually spring that all on him when he comes by to deliver a note from our professor, right?

We should tell him, my wolf urges, turning a circle in my soul. We should tell both of them.

I know, I murmur, stroking a hand over her silky fur. And we will…we just…we need more. time.

–

She gives a little howl of discontent but lets me be with it, knowing that I’m right that I’m trying to balance too much, and just coming out with the truth to everyone right now could make it all come crashing down.

So I just sigh, and close my eyes, and work to fall asleep, eager to meet my one mate who knows I exist in our little dream forest.

When I open my eyes again, I smile to feel the familiar breeze against my skin. And this time, for once, I don’t bother to change into my cadet uniform, instead letting my hair blow

loose, enjoying the feel of my soft white nightgown against my skin.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Luca murmurs, and I turn to see him standing right there, almost like I conjured him. His arm goes instantly around my waist, pulling me close as he uses his other hand to tuck my hair behind my car.

“Hi,” I say, wrinkling my nose in pleasure and leaning against him. “Are you feeling better yet?”

“Much better,” he murmurs, lowering his face and nudging my nose with his. “Dream forest makes everything feel great. You look very pretty, by the way – big improvement, I have to say, over your cadet uniform.”

I laugh, frowning and pretending to be offended. “I thought I looked quite sharp in cadet black,” I protest, though I don’t really mean it as I wrap my arms around his neck.

“Oh, you do,” Luca sighs, smiling down at me, his dimples deepening as his eyes rove over face. “I just…like you soft and delicate too. All stages of Ariel are very good – this one is just different from what I’m used to. The novelty is nice.”

my

“Look at you, saying all the right things,” I sigh. “They should put you on ambassador track.”

“Hold your tongue,” he growls, narrowing his eyes at me. “I am warrior, through and through. You wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I grin then, loosening my grip from around his neck and putting my hands flat against his chest. “No,” I say, shaking my head and suddenly giving him a little push, “no I would not.”

Luca gasps, stumbling backwards, but to his surprise the back of his knees hit a very plush mattress and he falls backwards onto a bed that I’ve conjured out of thin air. It takes him a second to figure out what happened, but then he just turns his head upwards and grins at

1. me.

“Well, that’s a clever little party trick,” he murmurs before leaning forward and grabbing me by the waist, hauling me down with him.

I shriek with delight as I fall into my mate’s arms.

Chapter 75

Luca pulls me again against his chest and then turns his body so that my back is flat against the mattress, my hair spread out around me.

“Nice addition to the dream forest, Princess,” Luca murmurs, hovering his face over mine and pressing kisses to each of my checks. “What else can you do?”

“Oh, whatever I want,” I sigh, stretching my arms languidly over my head and enjoying the feeling of his weight pressing me down into the mattress, as I did yesterday. It’s my new favorite thing, and honestly I don’t see how I’ll ever get sick of it.

–

“Can you just like, vanish our clothing?” he asks, sending me a cheeky glance before lowering his lips to my neck and dragging kisses there short little ones that send shivers all across my skin and set little flecks of light into the air, as his touch always does. “Just make us immediately naked?”

“I can do that to me,” I say, turning my head and considering the possibility. “Though you’re in charge of your own clothes, sir.”

“I am?” he asks, lifting his head to peer at me curiously. “How do you know that?”

“Because,” I laugh, raising a hand to his head and letting my fingers drift through the dark strands of his hair before they move down his neck and then over his shoulder. “I wouldn’t have known to pick this outfit. I’ve never seen you in anything but candidate or cadet clothes. But I bet it’s something you’re comfortable in, isn’t it?”

Luca takes a second to look down at himself, considering. “What, joggers and a black sweatshirt isn’t your fantasy look for me, Ariel?” he asks, and I burst into laughter. Luca raises his eyes to mine and

grins at me, clearly enjoying making me laugh.

“I actually like you in your cadet uniform,” I confess, which makes his smile broaden. “You look like….sinfully good, Luca. It’s really a shame that the tabloids haven’t gotten a picture of you in it yet – you’d drive all the girls crazy, not to mention really do a lot to boost enrollment at the Academy –

Luca laughs at this and then, like he can’t help it, presses a kiss to my mouth. When he pulls away, I do a bit of a double take, because his clothing has actually changed. I grin

impulsively to see that my Luca is back the version in his high–collared black uniform, his hair swept neatly back from his face.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” I murmur, letting my fingers do as they please and bury themselves in his hair as I raise my lips to his neck now, pressing them to the skin right at the edge of that collar, as I’ve been dying to do for weeks – basically since the moment I saw him wear it.

Luca groans softly as my lips move over his skin, a shudder passing through his shoulders. and then he dips his face, nudging my cheek with his nose so that I lift my mouth to his again. He kisses me, fast and hard, almost desperate to have me, to claim me as his own. And I kiss him right back, matching every inch of him, my lips meeting every fervid stroke of his tongue like they were made for it.

Which, I mean, they probably were.

My heart is racing, my breath coming fast as Luca deepens the kiss, rolling his body over mine so that our stomachs press together, though he takes the majority of his weight on his forearms so that he doesn’t crush me completely beneath him. Following some instinct I didn’t know I had, I angle my head just slightly, opening my mouth further to him as my left knee comes up, brushing against the outside of his thigh before hooking over his hip.

Luca takes full advantage of the new position, dipping his tongue deep into my mouth in a

that makes me moan, running his hand all the way down my side to cup my ass as he settles himself between my legs, as he press his hips forward against me –

way

I gasp, suddenly, my eyes flying open when I feel…him.

Feel it.

Pressed…well. Precisely where it wants to go.

I go very, very still, staring up at my mate, shocked and not knowing at all what to do.

“What?” Luca asks, suddenly wary as his own eyes open and he looks down at me. He pulls his face back a little, searching my expression. “Ariel, what’s wrong?”

“Um,” I say, my face suddenly burning with my blush as I glance downward, not knowing wha

to say –

Or how to feel

Because, I mean, it’s not that I don’t..don’t like it….because I think I do!? I just this is all very new, and very fast…..

Luca inhales sharply as he takes in my blush, the direction of my glance, and the position of our bodies that initiated such a reaction in me. And he bursts into a smile.

I groan, whipping my hands up to my face and covering it as my cheeks redden even further.

“No, stop!” he says, laughing lightly and subtly moving his hips away so that he’s not pressed so blatantly against me. “Don’t be embarrassed, Ariel.” He laughs more though, pulling my hands away

and pressing more kisses to my hot cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, shaking my head.

“Stop,” he commands, lifting his face to look me in the eyes. “Please, Ariel, it’s my fault. got carried away.”

I

“You didn’t!” I protest. “It’s fine – let’s keep going –” I raise my chin then, closing my eyes, fully intending to continue making out with my mate, but to my surprise he just laughs again and shifts his position, rolling onto his side and taking me with him so that we’re face–to–face, instead of with him on top. I open my eyes, curious and a little guilty. wondering if I’ve killed the mood, or –

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, his face still close to should have realized that you’d be surprised

mine, stroking my cheek with his thumb. “I

I frown at him, confused. “Why should you have realized that?”

His smile deepens. “Because you’re a virgin, Ariel.”

My frown develops into a glare. “Why do you think that, Luca!?”

But he just bursts into laughter, shaking his head at me and grinning. I sigh, rolling my eyes and giving it up.

“Oh fine,” I huff, looking away. “I am. But how did you know!?”

He shrugs. “Just a hunch. You’re so sweet and you can be…well, very innocent, Ari.”

I open my mouth to protest but he silences me with a swift kiss.

“It’s not an insult,” he says after a moment when he pulls away, shaking his head. “It’s just the truth, yeah? You’re not very experienced in all of this, which is fine. It makes sense that you wouldn’t have as much experience in these areas. I should have gone slower – eased

you into it. I’m sorry I got swept up in the moment.”

I bite my lip, worried.

–

“What?” he asks, nudging me again with his nose.

you want,”

“I don’t want you to have to go at a glacial pace just for my sake, if that’s not what I sigh, wrapping my hands in the fabric of his uniform and tugging him closer, wanting him to be as happy as I am.

“It’s not for your sake, it’s for our sake,” he whispers, tucking my hair back behind my car. “It’s about us together, not either of us individually. And it’s not easy, learning about…sex, and all this romance stuff.”

I blush again, scowling and looking away.

Luca suddenly laughs again. “What?” he says, squeezing me tighter, insistent. “Talk to me, little mate. What are you thinking?”

“I’m just suddenly wishing I was a lot sluttier,” I mutter, looking away, still a little embarrassed. Luca’s laugh deepens as I continue. “Honestly, then I’d know all of this, and you wouldn’t have to put the breaks on your own instincts just to accommodate me –”

–

“Oh no, Princess,” Luca murmurs, grabbing me again I’m finding that I like this being grabbed and rolled around thing very much, I note and pulling me so that I’m laying on top of him now, my hair falling loose around both of us. “I’ve been slutty enough for both of us in the past ten years – and I’m going to very much enjoy teaching you everything I

know.”

I grin down at my mate, my fingers brushing against his cheek as my eyes dart over his beautiful face, his warm smile. “Everything?”

“Oh,” he murmurs, his hand coming up to knot his fingers in my hair, “absolutely everything.”