The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 262

A little bell dings in the train carriage, as it always does when we’re about ten minutes away from our destination. My head turns almost automatically towards Rafe and Jesse, who likewise turn towards me. We all nod, confirming that we all understand that we should prepare for our arrival to the capital, perhaps even come up with a plan or a story for how I got here, and why, and so on.

But even as I look towards my brother, Luca’s arms tighten around me, and I look back up at him. “Do you have a second?” he asks, looking down at me with so much true sincerity in his eyes that I’m a little taken aback.

“Sure,” I say, nodding to him, and then I glance back at Rafe and Jesse, silently letting them know I’m taking a minute, before I slip out of Luca’s arms and, taking his hand, lead him over to a quiet corner of the carriage. There we sit on a tiny little loveseat, so close that I’m basically in his lap.

Luca takes a quiet moment to just look at me, lifting a hand to stroke his knuckles gently down the length of my cheek, his eyes searching mine.

“I wanted to say I was sorry,” Luca finally says, quite softly, turning his hand to cup my cheek as he looks into my face.

“For what?” I breathe, raising my hand to cover his. “Luca, I haven’t said it enough, but I’m the one who should be sorry – and I am sorry –“

“No,” he interrupts, shaking his head. “You were – well, I mean, Ariel, I’m still not thrilled about how everything went down. But I understand it better now – and I get why you did what you did. But…I behaved poorly, didn’t I?”

“Luca,” I murmur, feeling terrible that he feels so bad – because honestly, I think that all of his reactions were really, really normal. Most Alphas, when they meet their mates, are very volatile and protective – everything he did and said fits that concept – he was just trying to keep me close, to keep threats to our bond away.

“No,” Luca insists, his mouth twisting with disappointment. “Jesse was right when he said I was bullying you, manipulating you. I didn’t mean to, Ariel, I hope you can believe me with that –“

“I do,” I breathe, nodding fervently and meaning it, passing all the trust I can along the bond to him.