The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 0444

"Luca," I say, lifting my head to stare at him dubiously. "You're an international boxing champion. You have some platform for arrogance."

He grins at me, his dimples flaring in that way that I love. "An international boxing champion who shouts at the woman he loves and barely passes his finals, trusting that his royal connections will get him through." I twist my lips to the side, tacitly admitting that there... is room for improvement there.

"I want to be a man who deserves to be mated to you, Ariel," Luca says softly, sitting up straight and nodding. "I think...maybe that's why the Goddess had me meet you when she did. So that I could start working on myself before it's too late."

"You know I like you just as you are, right?" I say softly, looking up at him, meaning it. "I mean...I could do without the shouting - but everything else? You deserve me, Luca - there's nothing else you have to do."

"I want to be a better man," he says softly, leaning forward to nudge me with his nose. "Let me do it for you. Okay?"

I hesitate, not liking something about that. "Do it for you, Luca," I say quietly, pressing a hand warm against his chest, his heart. "You don't have to do anything for me - but if you want to be a better version of yourself then I'll support you all the way." "Good," he says, giving a quick nod and then stealing a kiss so fast that it makes me laugh.

I kiss him back though, just for a moment, before beaming at him. "Does this mean you're going to really study now!?"

"Yes..." he says, narrowing his eyes, suspicious, "but...why do you look so happy about that?"

"Because!" I say, bouncing away from him and across the bed, reaching for my desk. "I can help! I got all of these new study supplies for Midwinter - mom gave them to me - I'll teach you my color coding system! We can -"

But Luca groans, laughing, and collapses on my bed, already exhausted by it. "I said I was going to study, Ariel, not become a complete nerd -"

"They are one in the same, Luca Grant," I say, high and mighty, grabbing my collection of highlighters and colored pens and clasping them to my chest.

Luca laughs at me and I begin to lay out the pens next to him, explaining my system. He listens dutifully, either actually interested or doing a damn good job pretending to be, when another set of footsteps come into the room. I peek out from my nook and beam when I see that it's Jackson.

"Hi!" I call, waving to him as he comes into the room.

Jackson nods around to everyone and gives Ben a warm hug before coming over to me. My heart flutters a little with anxiety because, of course, Luca Grant is sitting with me on my bed and I don't know how Jackson is going to take that. But Jackson, to my surprise, has little to no reaction - he simply nods a greeting to Luca and moves his eyes back to me.

"Showing him the pens?" he asks, because of course he already got this tutorial on Midwinter morning when I opened my new pen set.

"Yes, he's not as excited as me." My mouth twists with chagrin.

"No one is, Ariel," Jackson says, dead serious. Then he moves his eyes back to Luca, even though he still speaks to me. "Do you mind? If the two of us take a minute to chat?"

My eyes go wide because...I mean, this is entirely unprecedented.

"Are you gonna...beat each other up?" I ask, looking between the two of them.

Luca scoffs and Jackson just shakes his head, looking back at me like he thinks I'm funny. I grin, loving that, because I've never been the funny one - not with Jesse around my whole life. "Where to?" Luca says with a sigh, sitting up.

"Here is fine," Jackson says, taking a seat on the bed. Then he tilts his head towards the room, clearly implying that I should go.

I gasp, appalled. "Are you kicking me out of my own nook!?"

"We'll give it back," Jackson says, giving a little shrug, unable to help his grin.

"Don't mess it up," I say, pointing a finger at each of them in turn before standing and putting the pens back in their spot on the desk and stepping towards the moon.

"No promises," Luca murmurs, smiling at me as Jackson - to my shock - reaches out and unhooks the curtain, letting it slip closed so that they have more privacy.

I step back to the couch and sink down next to Ben, but I don't say anything. Instead I just stare, slack-jawed, at the curtain, kind of desperate to know what the hell they're saying.

"What's going on in there," Ben whispers to me as Rafe and Jesse continue to chat, sending not-too-secret glances towards the nook as they, too, clearly wonder what the hell is going on and if a fight is about to start.