The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



"All right," Tony says, smiling back, and then turning back towards the room, dropping Cora's hand to follow Ben and Luca as they walk in.

"Actually," Cora says, watching Tony walk into the room as she swings the door shut. "We want you to come to class, not lunch. And since neither of you are enrolled in this class,” she says, pointing a finger between Ben and Luca, "neither of you need to be here!"

"But!" Ben says, looking longingly at the table as Cora, Jesse, and Jacks come to the center of the room. "The dumplings!"

"Oh, take them with you," Cora says with a sigh, scooping the plate up in her hand just as Jesse reaches for one, emitting a devastated groan of protest when she lifts it out of his grasp and pushes it at Ben.

"I'd rather stay," Luca says, a little awkwardly, running a hand through his hair and looking between my mom and Cora. "I was there this morning. I'd...like to know what happened."noveldrama

"I'm sure Ari can fill you in later, Luca," my mom says, looking up at him with apology. "But we really are convening class right now, and having you here violates some of these Cadet's right to privacy."

Luca tightens his jaw, looking between Tony and Jackson, who he now has confirmation really are in the magic class.

"He can stay," Jackson says, sitting down on the floor close to me and reaching for an entire plate of sandwiches - an act that makes my eyebrows go up as I realize that perhaps mom didn't over-order as much as I thought she did. Jackson doesn't elaborate on his reasons, but my heart swells a little to see how much Jackson has come to trust Luca. I do my best to keep my happiness at this development off my face and away from my bond, but I know I've failed when Jackson looks up at me with a smirk.

"Well, even if Jackson is cool with it," Tony says, "I'm not." He looks at Luca with a little smirk on his lips as he plops onto the couch and reaches for a round sandwich with melted cheese and some sort of spicy meat.

Luca scoffs a little. "Your first time in this room," he says, a little bit of a territorial growl in his voice, “and you feel comfortable laying out a command regarding who can and cannot be here?"

"Look, it's nothing personal Grant,"

Tony says, crossing his ankle over

his knee, apparently perfectly at ease as he looks up at Luca, that confident smirk still on his lips. "It's just that I'm not perfectly

vene

comfortable sharing my deepest darkest secrets with you just

because you're Ariel's boyfriend."

"Ariel's boyfriend, am I?" Luca says slowly, turning to look at me with his hands on his hips. "Seems like there have been some developments in our little circle of trust on which I haven't quite been updated."

I grimace a little because...I did kind of forget to tell him.

"Still, if Tony's not comfortable," Cora says, her mouth twisting a little as she gives a shrug. “I think that's decided."

I blush a little as I turn to Luca,

sending him little pulse of apology

down our bond. I'll fill you in on everything I can, I promise speaking to him mind-to-mind, sending warm affection along with my words. I'll come get you for dinner, okay?

Luca smiles a little and then nods, accepting his defeat and pulling me in for a little hog and a kiss on the top of my cap before heading with Ben towards the door. Ben calls his goodbyes, his words a little muffled by the dumplings already shoved in his mouth, and then both disappear through our new door - which looks strange to me in the doorway. Too shiny and polished. I sigh a little, already nostalgic for the old door, sorry it had to get beaten to smithereens by my mates so they could get in.

I plop myself down at Jackson's side, leaning my weight against him as I reach for a cookie from the table. Passively, Jackson wraps an arm around my back, his fingers hitching around my hip and tugging me closer.

"So..." Tony murmurs, a little delighted, looking between Jackson and I. "This is...different..."