The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 24

Fortunately or unfortunately for me, my wolf has a lot of ideas about how I can take advantage of a night in the woods with Luca. And every single one of them is incredibly impractical and ridiculous.

Just let down our hair and then he will know and then he will grab us and press up against a tree and kiss us and kiss us –

I grit my teeth as I make the final cut, finally freeing the long, single piece of birch bark that I’ve been peeling off the tree for hours. Seriously, it’s slow, painstaking work.

“What are you even thinking about?” Luca asks from behind me, and I gasp and jump, dropping the piece of bark to the forest floor.

“Luca!” I growl, glaring at him and bending over to scoop the bark back into my hands. “You scared me! What are you talking about?”

“I saw you.” he says, leaning back against another tree and grinning at me. “You were all growly, muttering things to your wolf, shivers running down your spine. What is going on with you?”

Youuuuu! My wolf supplies internally, howling the answer. We were thinking about you!

“Why are you being so creepy?” I ask instead of answering, working very hard to hide my terrible. blush and failing. “Spying on me like that?”

“Well, I was just coming to get you,” he says, standing up when I come near. “I didn’t realize you were going to put on a show.”

“It wasn’t for you,” I say, my voice low as I step close enough to give him a little shove with my fingertips against his chest.

Yes it was! My wolf counters, her toes tapping eagerly, but I ignore her.

“Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it,” Luca murmurs, leaning close and smirking down at me. I freeze for a second, turning my head and staring up at him.

Because I mean I don’t have a lot of experience with guys –

–

But I would swear to god that he’s…he’s flirting with me…

Luca stares down at me, holding my gaze, his smile growing incrementally as he blinks his long lashes slowly over his pretty brown eyes in a way that makes my breath catch. But I clear my throat, blushing again as I force myself to turn away, starting to stalk back to where the Lieutenant is waiting.

“Did we get any fish?” I ask over my shoulder, not taking the risk of looking at him. Because, honestly, if he looks at me like that again…

Sun, TU Mar

Chapter 24

throwing myself into

Do it, my

time I mentally smack her on the nose, because there is too much at risk

one!” Luca says, his voice cheerful. “Just one little guy, but it counts, right?

fish guted and sizzling on one of the hot stones nearest to the flames. “Nice job, guys!” I say, grinning around

Perry

sticks about the same size and coming to sit next to

hooks – I took

Alan mutters, flipping open the first–aid kit. “I know

the finger is properly cleaned before being covered. In the meantime, I split the sticks about halfway down their centers and fold the long strip of birch bark in half, and then at the edges, wedging the ends inside the split sticks to make a sealed little pocket. It looks for all things like

down to the stream and fill it with water before bringing it back.

do with that?” Luca asks, genuinely interested.

with rocks,” I

answer, asking Luca to hold the pocket steady and using another pair of sticks to lift the round rocks that have been heating in the embers, dropping them one

start to realize what’s happening almost instantly. “There’s no way that’s actually going to work,” Perry

up at the sky, which is starting to grow

replacing them with burning hot rocks, until the water in the pocket

a very genuine smile on his face. “That was amazing, Shrimp.”

Chapter 24

even drinkable?” Alan asks, leaning forward to peer at it. “It’s all…dirty.”

just carbon,” I say, giving a little shrug as I study the slightly–cloudy water. “Like what they use in water filters. It’s not the prettiest water, but

to us. “It’s all you’ve got for the hike home. Are you sticking with your plan

look around at each other and Alan nods,

at the Lieutenant. “As much as we’d love to sit around swapping fireside stories…I think it’s best for us to head home.”

a map and a compass out of his pack and tossing it our way. your

“Bank

the van, getting in and driving off before the rest of us can

says, his eyebrows high.

growls,