The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 77

I continue glaring at Jesse, but Rafe moves on with his interrogation of Ben.

“What makes you think Luca hasn’t figured out that Ariel’s a girl?” Rafe says as he leans forward, eager for Ben’s answer and apparently deciding to trust him.

“I don’t think Luca knows because he hasn’t tried to hit on her yet,” Ben replies, laughing. “Didn’t you see him this afternoon with the seamstress? Luca loves women – he’s dying for some female attention. If he knew Ari is a girl, he’d be all over her.”

“True,” Rafe murmurs, leaning back against the couch cushion and staring into space a bit as he thinks it through.

Jesse’s eyes sparkle as he again catches my eye. My mouth draws to a thin line as I stare at him, shaking my head at him because he is loving this just a little too much.

God, I want to smack him right now.

But that would give way too much away.

“Well, how did you know?” Rafe asks, blinking back to reality and turning his attention back to Ben.

“Because,” Ben says, turning to smile at me. “I have four younger sisters. You guys – you protect her the same way I’d protect my sisters if they were sleeping in a communal room with a bunch of guys for two weeks. Plus,” his smile widens now as he settles onto the carpet and leans back on his hands, clearly feeling more relaxed. “You laugh like a girl, Ari.”

“What!?” I shriek.

And Ben bursts into laughter at my reaction, and then Rafe and Jesse do too, and I blush, because I hear it now – it was a very girly shriek.

And so I start to laugh too, and we all laugh harder as we hear it, because my laugh – it really does hit higher notes than theirs, lilting above over their low, resonant tones.

My face reddens even further, and I press my hands to my cheeks. And then, experimentally, I try a lower laugh, seeing if I can make it more boyish –

But the result is just ridiculous, obviously fake as I try to mimic Rafe, which sets us all off again. I can’t help it then, the peels of laughter that come from me as I grab a pillow off the couch and hurl it at Rafe’s face, because he’s laughing the hardest. But he just catches it out of the air and tucks it behind his head, sighing as he leans back.

“Well, you’re part of the family now, Ben,” Rafe sighs when his laughter fades, shrugging and giving in to it. “Thanks for keeping our secret.”

“I think it’s cool,” Ben says with a shrug, reaching for my packet of peach rings on the table and grabbing one from the edge. “Plus, I like girls. It’s nice to have one around.” He sends me a little wink as he pops the candy into his mouth.

“Don’t go thinking that it’s too nice,” Rafe says, his voice a low growl again. “I said you’re family now, which means hands off the little sister.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Ben says, continuing to grin at me. “I don’t think I’m Princess Ari’s taste anyway.”

My mouth falls open in a little appalled sputter, but before I can protest further a knock comes at the door.

“It’s open!” Jesse calls, and we all turn in time to see the door swing open, revealing Luca looking…devastatingly good in his black uniform.

“Finally found you,” he says, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk, a little pasty box balanced in his hands. “Can I come in? I brought coffee cake. My nan made it.”

“Sure!” Jesse calls, grinning at my mate. As Luca walks in I take the opportunity to slip the velvet hair ribbon into my pocket.

Rafe and Ben greet Luca but I don’t say anything, because…honestly, I’m still trying to catch my breath. God damn it, Luca in that high-collared black uniform, with the dark grey belt around his trim waist…

My wolf howls inside me, rolling onto her back like she’s been knocked out cold.

We’re never going to make it here, I whisper to her, laughing inwardly, but she doesn’t even bother to respond. This secret…might as well just spit it out now.

“Nope,” Ben whispers, pitching his voice low enough that only I can hear the words as well as the humor lacing them, “I don’t think I’m the Princess’s taste at all.”

I screw up my face and lean over, smacking Ben hard on the arm.

But we both laugh, because we know he’s dead right.

Luca comes in then, tossing the pastry box onto the coffee table just as the bell to the dumbwaiter rings again. I perk up, completely fascinated by this crazy aspect of our new life, and dash over to it. Even though Rafe beats me there, I’m in time to see him open the door to a covered silver tray.