The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 272

“You,” June says, narrowing her eyes and pulling one arm free to point at Luca, “you just made an enemy, sir. Where’s the other one? Maybe I’ll like him better.”

I laugh at my little sister and loosen my arms a bit, a little tickled that she already knows about my mate situation so I don’t have to awkwardly explain why I brought two boyfriends home. Mom must have told her, and whoever else she thought needed to know, to avoid some weird scene.

I step back a little from my sister, still holding her so she doesn’t run away, and beam as I look her over. “I like your new hair!” I say, meaning it and nodding eagerly as I take in the hair that she’s dyed pitch black, covering up the rose-gold that matches mine and our mom’s. “You look so cool. You’re all spooky now.”

“I’m not spooky,” she protests, scowling and raising an anxious hand to her head.

“You look like Rafe,” I say, grinning, meaning it. Juniper – lucky girl – got our dad’s beautiful green eyes, and with her hair all dark now? Her familial connection to Rafe, dad, and Mark is more prominent now than it’s ever been.

“Ariel,” Juniper says, appalled, her mouth dropping open. “That’s the cruelest thing you’ve ever said to me –“

“No one is paying attention to meeee,” Mark moans, dropping his head back on his neck dramatically and making me laugh. I immediately drop June and move to his side, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“You are nineteen, Mark,” Grandpa Henry says on a sigh. “You cannot whine like a pup anymore.”

“No, he’s not,” I murmur, “he’s just a little baby, he can cry all he wants.”

“Don’t encourage him, Ariel,” grandpa sighs, shaking his head at both of us, even if he can’t help smiling. “Or he’ll never grow up.”

“You’ll have to come sit ringside,” Luca says, grinning at Mark and shaking his hand too. “Get the really good view, see all the blood –“

“This is somehow both gross and boring,” Juniper sighs, stepping closer to me as grandpa wheels his chair away, probably off to greet his eldest grandsons. “I don’t know how you managed that, but you did.” She crosses her arms, glaring between Luca, Mark, and me like we’ve done her a true disservice.

“I missed you, June Bug,” I sigh, slipping my arm around her shoulders and tugging her close. Juniper and I – we have a weird relationship, and we’re certainly not besties, but she does crack me up with her constant bad mood. And now that I have her back in person, I realize that I did miss her, in my own way.

“I guess I missed you too,” she says on a sigh as Luca and Mark continue talking about boxing, Luca explaining his strategy for the next two days of training before the fight. “Why did you go and get all badass and cool the moment you left?”

I scoff at my little sister and her words, which are – in classic Juniper style – as much insult as they are compliment.