The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 895

“Cool!” I say, tucking my hands behind my back. “I left school for a little bit too. To like. Fight in the war and stuff.”

“I know,” she says, sighing and looking away like she hates to give me a compliment. “I think it’s…really cool that you infiltrated an all-male academy and kicked the assess of all the Alphas in there and also in Atalaxia. That was really badass, Ariel.”

“Thanks!” I say, perky, grinning at her.

She turns her face back to me, the corner of her mouth pulling up into a smile she can’t help. I wrinkle my nose at her and nod towards the room, inviting Maryam and Hank further inside.

The mood in the room stays high even as the conversation turns a bit, then, to more serious matters. The children, as they frequently do when they’re bored with us talking about politics and “adult stuff,” shift into their pup bodies and chase each other around the room, nipping and wrestling a little in the corners. I laugh as I watch them, not missing the fact that while Hank looks perfectly at ease with this, Maryam – sitting in the corner of the couch – watches with wide-eyed surprise.

Rafe settles next to her, offering her a drink that she just rolls her eyes at. He sighs and drinks it himself all in one go.

I snuggle close to Jackson’s side on a little loveseat, filling my family and friends in on all the details of my experiences in Atalaxia, which takes quite some time. Jesse, Ben, Jacks, and Elias jump in on the story too, elaborating with their perspective on the experiences. Dad and Roger listen closely to the close of the story, their glances at each other letting us know that they suspected that the King was dead but that they hadn’t had confirmation of it yet.

“Um,” I say, a little awkward, glancing down at my wrist. “Has there been any communication from…the royal family there?” I glance at Elias here, who likewise looks at my dad. “From Prince…um, from King Gabriel?”

“No,” dad says on a sigh, holding my gaze and then looking over at Elias. “Our army has the castle under siege but even without Gabriel’s magical ability to create a barrier they’re pretty effectively locked down.”