The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0376All content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

"That's it," I say, finishing up. And Luca turns back to me, glaring a little, seeking more than that- wanting an apology, for me to say that I regret it, that I did him wrong.

But I lift my chin, just slightly, and don't say anything else. Because I don't regret it - and I didn't do anything wrong. I am sorry that I hurt his feelings, and that it came out looking like I betrayed him.

But.

I don't regret it, and I'm not lying. My wolf's intentions aside - because those are her own business - I didn't do anything to betray Luca. Not a damn thing.

Luca studies me for a long moment, still clearly angry and feeling betrayed. Then he takes a single step towards me, looking at me hard. "Did you fuck him last night?" Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

My mouth drops open as I stare at him, appalled.

The room bursts into noise as Jesse shouts "whoa!" and Rafe storms forward, snapping out Luca's name. Jackson growls, low and resonant, but he tucks himself against his bedroom wall, his arms crossed, his head down, clearly working very hard to not engage and to let me handle it.

Jesse and Rafe stand steady at my sides, glowering at Luca, but Luca doesn't look at either of them. He just keeps his eyes fixed on me.

"No, Luca," I say, crossing my arms and lifting my chin. "I didn't."

My wolf nips at me, hard, reminding me that I very much wanted to - and that I would have - and that I wouldn't have the opportunity to be so high and mighty about this if Jackson had given me what I wanted.

But, well. This just proves that Jackson was right, doesn't it? It's better to have waited, instead of having this be the fallout. If I had lost my virginity this morning and had the follow up be this huge fight? It would have ruined it, for sure.

Luca stares at me, hard, for another long moment - and then something snaps in him, and he drops his arms, and drops his head, and stumbles back a step, sitting down hard on the edge of Jackson's bed, completely defeated.

I let out a little gasp of dismay and feel Jesse and Rafe loosen beside me, no longer angry now that we see how much of Luca's anger was a front - how much of it was a desperate fear that he'd lost me, that Jackson had marked me, claimed me, and that we were finished.

But now that he sees that... that nothing has changed - not really...

*God damn it," Luca whispers, his voice trembling. "...I can't do this..."

"Luca," I groan, stepping quickly to his side. He wraps an arm around my hips, leaning his head against me, even as he turns his face away slightly, I think....well, I think still not really able to handle my temporary change in scent.

"I can't do it, Ariel," he murmurs, and I raise my hands to his head, cupping it in my palms and holding him close." If I have to worry about this constantly? About being by your side at every moment, because if I don't, you're going to run off to his bed?"

Luca looks up at me now, and the heartbreak in his eyes, on his face...

Tears spring to my eyes and I shake my head at him, feeling absolutely terrible. I never, ever want him to feel this way.

But...

I mean, how do I balance this? How do I do it?

"I thought it was bad, Ariel," Luca says, his eyebrows going up as he tells me the truth - every bit of it. "When I came in here, and checked your room, and saw that your bed hadn't even been slept in? Because I knew where you were - knew immediately - but..."

TABLARUS

I gape a little down at my mate, realizing that what he's saying is that...that they've actually been out all night, that they're just getting in now, and that the first thing he did was come to my bed. I glance at the clock, wondering how the hell they're still up, how on earth they look so sober.

But as I glance over at Jesse, and see him leaning his arm on Rafe's shoulder, his eyes dropping a little, I see that it was all adrenaline. That they're exhausted and also a little tipsy.

"Luca," I murmur, stroking his hair, about to tell him to go get some rest, to go to bed.

*No, let me get this out," Luca says, frowning up at me. "Ariel - when I came in here, and thought that he'd marked you?" he shakes his head, his face again going pale. "...I thought I was going to die. Literally...die."

I clench my teeth, my heart breaking again anew.