The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 56

“Wake up!”

My eyes fly open as a hand slaps across my mouth, accompanying the whispered words. I gasp in a quick breath of air through my nose, but as soon as I realize that it’s Jesse –

“Asshole,” I breathe, though the word is muffled against his palm. I start to swat at him, wanting to go back to sleep.

“No way,” he whispers, grinning at me over the edge of my bed. “You’re coming with me – we are having this long-delayed chat.”

And before I can even protest, Jesse grabs me by the collar and starts to drag me from my bunk. I give a little gasp of surprise but then yank my uniform from his hands, turning and find my own way down before Jesse hauls me bodily to the ground. Because while Rafe will probably sleep through a couple of whispers, he is not going to sleep through my sound of my body hitting the floor.

And Rafe – he cannot know what Jesse knows. Not after yesterday’s surprise.

So I glare at my cousin as my feet hit the floor, scowling as I snatch my boots out of his waiting hand. He’s still grinning at me as he nods his head to the right and I nod, following him away from the bunks and towards the front of the barracks.

I glance over my shoulder at the bulk that is Rafe, sleeping soundly in the bottom bunk of our bed, and when we get far enough away that we probably won’t be heard I give Jesse a hearty shove on the shoulder.

“What the hell were you thinking,” I growl, stopping by the door to tug my boots on.

“I was thinking,” Jesse says, pushing the door open and gallantly bowing me through into the night air, “that we need a little cousin time, just to ourselves, to discuss a certain little secret –“

“Okay fine,” I hiss, pushing the barracks door hastily shut as soon as Jesse skirts out of the way, looking around to make sure that we actually are alone. Because, I mean, these doors are unguarded, and other candidates could be anywhere.

And this conversation? I desperately want it to be private.

“Come on,” Jesse says, still gleeful, and he heads for the path that we usually take in the morning when we go for our run, leading me to the top of a sparse hill where we can see for about fifty feet in every direction.

Up here on the top of the hill? We definitely, completely know that we’re alone.

“Jesse,” I sigh, trying to figure out how I want to navigate this –

But he just shoves me, hard, on the shoulder. “Is Luca Grant seriously your mate!?” he demands, glaring at me.

I heave a deep sigh, closing my eyes, realizing that Jesse is not going to give me any control of this conversation. He’s here to make demands.

So…I just give in.

“Yes, Jesse,” I say, hunching my shoulders and hanging my head a little bit. “Luca’s my mate. I’m sorry –“

But before I can get any further, my eyes fly open because Jesse lets out a ridiculous whoop of joy.

“Yes!” Jesse shouts, pumping a fist up into the air. “This is amazing! This is the best, Ari! I’m so excited!”

My own face bursts into a grin because I mean – this is not what I expected. “What – Jesse –“

“Ari,” he says, smiling so hard it seems to stretch his face in two directions “don’t you see how great this is!?” He strides forward, putting his hands on my shoulders and giving me a little shake, “I mean, Rafe and I – we already like Luca – he’s already our friend! You could have been mated to anyone in here – a real loser, or a jerk! But it’s Luca!”

I laugh too – Jesse’s joy is infectious. But also because – I mean – I really like Luca too. I never dreamed that if I had a mate it would be someone who is so fun, and funny, and gorgeous.

“Soo…” I turn my head a little, looking Jesse up and down. “You’re not pissed?”

“Oh no, I’m pissed,” he says, laughing a little as he takes his hands from my shoulders and puts them on his waist, “you have been sneaky as shit, and you should have told me as soon as you knew, but – I mean – I’ll get over that. But Luca – I mean, he’s going to be part of our family – he’s going to be, like, our brother-in-law! I love it!”

I blush when I hear Jesse’s words, and then I go completely red all over because –

I mean –

I have not thought that far ahead.

And while I guess that’s the natural conclusion of these things – a mating ceremony with my fated mate, Luca becoming part of our family, I mean - it makes sense –

“What’s wrong?” Jesse asks, his voice suddenly all concern.