The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 105

But how will he actually react to it?

What will he do?

But surely, surely he’ll refuse to keep my secret any more with Rafe and Jesse, wanting everything out in the open…but then!

Rafe!

Rafe thinks that Jackson is my singular mate! What the hell is he going to do when he figures out I’m making out with Luca in a dream state!?

I groan again, sick of myself, sick of trying to balance all these secrets, sick of my complete loss of control.

I’m completely miserable for the next several hours, which I spend in bed loathing myself with my eyes pressed shut. But sleep does not find me, not an ounce of it. I don’t know why – I’m completely exhausted, but somehow it just doesn’t. Maybe because I’m terrified of entering the dream state again, of facing him –

Or that he won’t be there, because he’s too mad at me –

Or maybe I don’t sleep because I’ve convinced myself that I don’t deserve sleep, because I put my enrollment in the Academy at risk because I was too weak to resist a kiss.

As the night starts to turn towards dawn, I give up on the prospect of sleep all together and sit up, pulling my chemistry book closer. I light the little lamp on my tiny bedside table and, ensuring that the curtains around my nook are tightly shut so that my family can’t see it, I lose myself in my studies for as long as I can.

I jump almost out of my skin a few hours later when Rafe pulls back my curtain.

“What are you doing?” he asks, frowning at me when he sees me slumped over my chemistry text.

“Studying,” I murmur, glancing up at him from where my face is pressed miserably to the page. I’m too close to read anything, but also too miserable and exhausted to get up.

“Ari,” Rafe snaps, scowling and coming forward, putting a hand under my chin and obliging me to sit up so that he can survey my face. “You look like shit – did you get any sleep at all last night?”

Still wretched, I just shake my head.

He sighs, glaring at me a little before dropping my chin and stroking his palm once over the head, like a pet. “You have to sleep, Ariel. You’re not going to make it through this if you don’t rest. What, are you anxious about something?”

Not lying at all, I slowly nod my head.

“About what?” he asks, sinking down to sit on the edge of my bed and stare at me, worried. “Ari, you have nothing to worry about – you’re the smartest girl I’ve ever met, smartest person, full stop! And Jesse and I – we’re going to kick your ass at workouts so that you’re ready when the Examination comes around! You’re going to be fine!”

I sigh, my eyes filling with tears at my sweet brother’s pep talk, and I push my chemistry book away, crawling across the bed a few feet and pressing myself warm against his side, resting my head on his chest. Rafe sighs, wrapping his arms around me and rocking me back and forth just like mom does when we’re sad.

“Don’t get overwhelmed now, baby trouble,” he murmurs, using my family’s pet name for me. “We’ve got you.”

“Thank you, Rafe,” I murmur, sniffing a little, gratitude overwhelming my worry for just a second. “You’re the best.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he says, smirking at me as he tilts my head up so that I look into his face. “I’m in charge of your workout this afternoon, and I’m going to make you suffer, little Shrimp.”

I can’t help the little smile that finds my lips, the tiny laugh that pulses through me. “Nooo, go nice on me, big brother,” I sigh, putting my head back down. “I’m tired.”

“Coffee will patch you up,” he says, patting me on the back and standing up abruptly so that I flop onto the bed in a heap. “Now get up! The day is not waiting for lazy girls!”

I sigh, watching him stride towards the bathroom and then shifting my eyes to Jesse as I see him start to stir in his bed, stretching his arms over his head in a yawn. His face bursts into a grin as Rafe pulls the bathroom door shut and his eyes focus on me.

“Hey, tiny cousin,” he says, wicked. “How’d you sleep? Any interesting dreams?”

But I just scowl at him and burrow under my blankets, not needing any of Jesse’s nonsense today.

Because I have to prepare myself for breakfast.

And Luca’s definitely, absolutely going to be at breakfast.