The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 476

The run is as grueling as I knew it would be, with Rafe, Jesse, and Jackson each taking turns to backtrack and run at my heels, forcing me to pick up speed or get trampled down by their gigantic feet.

By the end of it, I’m bending over with my hands on my knees, my head hanging, trying to catch my breath while the three of them chat casually about their plans for the day.

“Come on, little man,” Rafe says, clapping me on the back and making me stumble a few steps forward. “You smell terrible. Let’s get you showered before breakfast.” He just grins when I straighten up and glare at him.

I scowl, following along with them, but glance anxiously up at Jackson when he drapes a casual arm around my shoulder. “Do I really smell?”

“It’s a nice musk,” he says, giving me a sad smile that breaks into a laughing grin as I tilt my head back and groan with embarrassment. Together, the four of us hurry back to the rooms to clean up before breakfast.

Breakfast passes quickly as we fall easily back into the rhythms of the school. Ben and I sit on either side of Luca, giving him some tips about how to pay attention in lessons when things get particularly boring – something he’s apparently never tried before – but before I know it, we’re slugging down the rest of our coffee as we stand, Ben and I still planning to head for the library for our free study period.

“Remember,” Rafe says, stepping close to Ben and pointing a finger in his face. “You’re on bodyguard duty now and when you walk him to class. If Ari even –“

“Oh, enough,” Ben says, rolling his eyes at Rafe and ducking under the finger as he heads for the door. “We’ve survived this long, I’m sure we can make it out of the library alive.” I laugh and hurry to keep up with Ben, waving over my shoulder at my brother, my cousin, and my mates, who all wave back.

“Finally,” Ben murmurs, tossing me a grin as we start for the elevators that will take up to the library on the top floor. “An Alpha-free moment.”

“Oh, you’re an Alpha too, Benny,” I say with a happy sigh. “Plus, they’re not so bad.” We step into the elevator and begin to move swiftly upwards.

“Because you’re inured to the presence of two of them, and making out with the others,” Ben says, dry, shooting me a glance out of the corner of his eye.