The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 141

“How long have you known!?”

“What the hell were you doing walking the halls by yourself!?”

“Why wouldn’t you talk to me all week!?”

But then we’re kissing again, and we both lose ourselves to it, all of our questions forgotten for the moment as my fingers stroke through his hair, as the warm summer apricot scent of him floods my nostrils and makes me go limp with wanting him. Luca rolls a little so that his weight rests slightly on top of me, taking charge of the kiss. And god does that feel good – I didn’t even know I’d like something like that –

Too soon, he pulls away.

“No,” I murmur, raising my mouth to his again.

“Please,” Luca says with a soft laugh, shaking his head at me, his rich brown eyes happy. “Ariel, if you say one word to stop me, I will kiss you all god damn night. But we – we have to talk.”

I sigh, loosening my hands from his hair and dropping one to cover my eyes as he rolls his body away so that we’re facing each other on the pillow again. I take a few seconds, trying to compose myself, trying to force my mind to come back.

But it is…very difficult. Inwardly my wolf lays languidly on the ground, panting, desperately happy but also still wanting more – more of him, more of this, hours of it.

Luca wraps a hand around my wrist and gives it a tug, pulling my hand away from my face. And then he slides his palm against mine as I take a deep breath, taking in the handsome lines of his face, closer than I’ve ever seen it before. And up close he is…breathtaking.

“I’m sorry,” he says again, shaking his head just slightly.

“You don’t have to –“

“No,” he interrupts, firm. “Let me get this out, Ariel.”

I smile, again, to hear him say my name. Seeing my expression, Luca smiles too, unable to stop. But then he forces his face into more serious lines.

“I was an asshole this week,” he says, squeezing my hand. “I was mad at you, but I acted like a petty little baby. I should have gone right to you, the moment I figured it out –“

“When was that?” I ask, desperate to know.

“Oh, like immediately,” he says, laughing and shaking his head at himself. “The moment you ended that dream? After your hat fell off, and your hair fell down?”

He groans as he laughs, rolling over onto his back and covering his face with his hand, shaking his head at himself. I close the distance he created, resting my cheek on his shoulder.

“God, I was so stupid before,” he mutters. “Seriously, the thing that made it click for me was just that you had long hair under that cap? After all of the other clues?”

I grin, a little pleased. “Go easy on yourself, we are very good liars.”

“I mean, you’re not,” he says, turning to glare at me. “Seriously, you couldn’t figure out a better disguise name for Ariel than Ari? When the Princess is notoriously missing and you hang out with Rafe and Jesse all day, pretending to be their cousin? I’m just an idiot.”

My smile deepens as I unconsciously raise a hand, stroking a finger along the length of his jaw. “Pretty idiot.”

A smile takes over his face and his dimples flare as his eyes move slowly over me. “If I’m pretty, you’re beautiful, Ariel.”

“Really?” I say, a little anxiety twisting in me now. “You’re not…disappointed? That I’m not…Shrimp?”

“No!” Luca says instantly, laughing and wrapping his arms around me again. “Though, honestly, you’re going to have to pay a little bit for making me question my sexuality like that –“

“It was very sweet,” I murmur, grinning and stroking my hand over his cheek, where a little stubble is starting to let itself be known, “that you were willing to go gay for me.”

He sighs, shaking his head and pressing his eyes shut. “Most…confusing few weeks of my life.”

“Worth it, though?”

“Ariel, you’re my fucking mate,” he says, his eyes opening in a flash. He stares at me, almost in disbelief. “So, so worth it. Every god damn minute.”

Luca wraps an arm around my waist again and pulls me close. My hands wrap in the fabric of his uniform as he kisses me again, slow and deliberate, like he’s savoring every moment of it. Just as I am.

My lips part as I tug on his shirt, wanting to feel him on top of me again, and Luca graciously obliges, when –

We both go very, very still when a knock sounds at the door.