The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 408

Luca looks off into the fire now, his arm heavy around my shoulders, as he confesses what might be his deepest truth. “I’m very afraid, Ariel, that I don’t have any substance at all. That I’m just flash, and that the moment I run out of interesting twists and turns that…everyone will see that I’m just a fraud. And that I’m boring, and never will do anything interesting or important. And that…you’ll see that too.”

My heart sinks to hear Luca say this because I couldn’t believe anything less to be true of my sweet, brash mate. I scootch closer, not protesting because…well, he told me a secret, didn’t he? And I don’t want to immediately throw that in his face by telling him that it’s not true.

But I know he can feel it, down our bond, in every pulse of my heart. That that’s not at all how I see him.

And he groans a little, and grits his teeth, and lowers his forehead to press against mine. “You’re too good for me in every single way, Ariel Sinclair,” he murmurs, shaking his head slightly. “It took me way…way too long to realize that. But your dad…really helped me see it. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life endeavoring to deserve you. Whatever it takes.”

“Luca,” I say, mournful now, because – I mean, whatever my dad said to him, it was clearly too much. Luca was beat up by it and has lowered himself too far.

“Ariel, please –“

“No,” I say, definitive, pulling my face away from his and looking clearly into his eyes. “You said your part, now I get to say mine.”

Luca sighs but nods, recognizing the fairness in that.

“I know you’re not going to believe me if I say that none of that is true,” I whisper, looking up into his brown eyes. “Because I am…biased.”

He smirks a little, because that would indeed have been his argument.