The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 20

And I swear to god, a shudder passes through him, traveling all the way down his spine.

I sit up straight, suddenly realizing –

But I don’t know what the hell I realize because a new hand wraps around my arm now and yanks me out of Luca’s bed.

“What the hell are you doing here,” Rafe growls, glaring down at me as I scramble for my feet.

“He made me!” I shout, pointing at Luca. “He – he –“

I hold myself back from saying anything else – because one, Rafe doesn’t need to know, and two, he’ll probably punch Luca or something ridiculous.

So I sigh and, not knowing what else to do, snap my mouth shut.

“Hey, Sinclair,” Luca says, and I turn to see him grinning at my brother with a calm equanimity that makes me wonder if I imagined everything that just passed between us –

I stare at Luca as he leans back against his footboard, lifting his arms to tuck his hands casually behind his head as he smiles at my brother.

“Shrimp and I were just catching up,” Luca says, nodding his head toward me though he definitely, almost pointedly, does not look at me. “Always good for the little guy to make friends, especially with someone who can protect him.”

“Ari’s got all the help he needs,” Rafe snaps, glaring first at Luca and then at me. “Are we good here?” he snarls, asking me in not-so-veiled code whether or not Luca needs to be punched.

“We’re fine,” I say, rolling my eyes, my toothbrush kit still clasped in my fist.

“Then let’s go,” Rafe says, pulling me along with him as he strides across the room.

“Rafe,” I sigh, trying to figure out how the hell I can explain this as we get to our bunks.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he snaps, spinning on me and pointing his long finger in my face. “But you’re not going a single place alone ever again, Ari – not even to brush your teeth.” And with that he bends down and grabs me by the waist, his other hand reaching behind my knee, and I shriek as he basically launches me up into my bed.

I hit the mattress hard, the breath leaving me for a second as I hear Jesse burst out in laughter from his bunk.

“Rafe!” I shout in protest, starting to get pissed – I hate it when he throws me around just because he can –

“Good night, Ari!” he shouts, ending the conversation before he gets even angrier.

And I open my mouth to protest just as the lights flick off, which feels like a sign. So, I heave a sigh and flop back against my pillow, staring at the dark ceiling. I jump and give a little shriek as something hits my stomach. My hands fly to whatever it is, touching cellophane…

“Eat your dinner,” Rafe grumbles.

“I already brushed my teeth –“

“Fine! Do whatever you want!” The bed shakes as my brother throws himself onto the bunk below me.

My hands wrap around the sandwich though, because I realize quite suddenly that I am hungry. I was just too distracted by the events of the evening to realize it.

“Night, cousins!” Jesse laughs, his words almost lost in the clatter of the rest of the candidates turning in alongside us. “Love you!”

Neither of us reply. I just scowl, turning in my bed and quietly unwrapping my sandwich, taking a bite as I peering into the darkness towards Luca’s bed. And even though I can barely see anything at all, I swear I see his silhouette still sitting at the end of the bed, not having moved an inch.

Except for his head – which is now turned towards me.