The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 784

Why the hell…

A little knock comes at the door.

“Ariel, sweetheart?” It’s Pippa. “Are you okay?”

“Yes!” I call, my voice tight. “Um, just a minute.”

Panting, I turn back to the mirror and spit out the toothpaste, scowling when I realize that I’m still a prisoner, even if my magic somehow bizarrely works here. But, is that the only magic that works?

I take a deep breath, shifting my eyes to a towel rack against the wall and calling upon my gift of heat, willing them to burst into flames. I also pull on my mark, my connection to Luca, hoping desperately for any stir of wind, but…

I huff in disappointment, my shoulders drooping, because even if I can shift into the Dark world and the bizarre cages there, I can’t pull on my fire magic.

What the hell is going on here?

Slowly, I turn back to my mirror, my mind racing as I try to decide what to do. My wolf paces in my soul, anxious and worried, plans flitting through her own mind – all of them aiming in one direction: to get us home, to get back to Jackson.

I look down at my chest, relieved at this, because honestly half of me was worried that she’d want me to pursue things with this new mate. After all, when I first came in contact with Jackson and Luca – even walked into the same room as them – she’d gone absolutely mad, encouraging me to find them, to get naked, to crawl into their beds.

No, my wolf says, shaking out her fur and baring her teeth. This one – he is our mate. But he is wrong – his wolf is off. Wrong, like that Prince we saw at Midwinter, at the meeting. The one standing next to Ben’s mate. He was wrong – incorrect – unnatural -

I exhale slowly, nodding, knowing that she’s right. That Gabriel – we knew, instantly, that he was right when he claimed to be our mate. It is…undeniable, as true as it was when I saw Jacks and Luca at that spring the first night and knew that they were mine.

But my wolf is also right that the Prince is…wrong. Something is strange about him, and we have to find out what.

I lift my head, dread coiling within my belly, and look closely at myself in the mirror. At my pale face, my worried eyes. “What the hell am I going to do?”

My wolf howls, anxious and completely without answer.

My lips draw to a thin line as I consider my options. Obviously, my best and most powerful tool – the magic – is not available to me. So? What else do I have?