The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 384

Chapter 0384

And by the tension in his shoulders, I can tell that he's working very, very hard to embody that.

"Come here, Ariel," he murmurs, standing by the door and beckoning with one hand, the other resting on his hip.

I send one last desperate glance at Daphne before walking to stand in front of my father.

When I stand about a foot in front of him he takes a deep breath in through his nose and reaches out to brush my hair back over my shoulder. "Well, baby trouble," he murmurs. "You smell...different."

The amount of deliberate understatement in that last word makes me fight back a groan.

I bite my lip, tucking my hands behind my back. "Is it bad?" I whisper.

"No, baby," he sighs, shaking his head at me and giving me a small smile, stroking his broad hand over my hair." It's not bad, not at all. Just...not as easy for a dad. Which is something Rafe and Mark might understand one day, but fortunately for you, you never will."

I can't help it then - I pitch forward that last foot between us and wrap my arms around my dad's waist, crushing myself against his chest. "I'm sorry," I whisper, meaning it desperately, "I don't want to make you...sad."

"I'm not sad, sweetie," he murmurs, his arms wrapping around me and hugging me close. "I'm just... adjusting. You're my little girl, and now someone else has a claim on you, and that's... an adjustment. Two someone else's, at that."

"Well, it's not like you have to give me up," I murmur, shutting my eyes, wanting always - always to be his little girl.

"Oh, they'd have to kill me before I did that," he whispers, and I grin, looking up into his face, nodding.

His face shifts, though, into more serious lines as he glances over at Daphne, giving her a brief nod of acknowledgement and greeting.

"What is it?" I ask, pulling back a little and standing on my own two feet. "What's wrong?"