The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Princess," Elias says with a sad little sigh. "I'm sure there are a great many questions that you -" But a clatter interrupts Elias's words and he jumps a little as the little carafe of cream goes soaring to the ground.

"Oh, Ellie," Pippa says, giving him a half-hearted little glare along with a laugh. "You're impossible." She drops a kiss to his cheek even as she goes to her knees with a napkin, quickly wiping up the spilled

cream.

"Pip, please let me," Elias murmurs, starting out of his chair.

But she just waves a hand at him, murmuring that he should entertain their guest, and continues her work. "She's right," Elias says with a sigh, returning his eyes to me, his face serious. "I really am impossible. I'd be a complete disaster without Pippa to keep me in order."

I nod cheerfully even as I watch his face, kind of...baffled. Because these two - it actually is impossible, right? If he's mated to Ben then he's...he's gay, or at least queer or bisexual, yes? Which I know, here, is illegal at best and more accurately a death sentence. But his relationship with Pippa...it just seems so... real

"Pips, love, would you mind?" Elias says, turning to her as she stands up with the empty carafe and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Poor Ariel didn't even get a drop of cream before I destroyed everything. Would you go and get some more?"

Pippa starts to say a quick yes but then hesitates, looking at me. I intuit her thoughts - that she doesn't want to leave me alone with a man who is a stranger, either because of tradition or law or even merely because it would make me uncomfortable.

"It's okay, Pippa," I say, nodding to her and giving her a happy smile as I nod to her Alpha. "You've got one of the nice ones, haven't you? I don't mind at all."

Her face bursts into a wide and happy grin. "Well, I suppose it's okay," she says, folding the tiny carafe into her hands. "You'll be family within the week, after all. I won't be five minutes on this!"

She waves happily over her shoulder as she scurries for the door. Elias waves goodbye to her, even for a short trip, and then turns to me with a sigh.noveldrama

"Pippa," he says, shaking his head, meeting my eyes as Pippa closes the door behind her. I watch carefully, observing that there is a great deal of sadness in his expression that wasn't there before. "She really is the best of us."

"Family?" I ask, my voice a little tremulous. "I'll be family?"

"Yes," he says on another sigh, looking down into his black cup of coffee before taking a sip. "You have the dubious honor of being mated to my horrible brother, Gabriel."

My eyebrows shoot up at this, as the pieces begin to click into place. Gabriel - Elias's brother. Which means he is the son of Prince Calvin, my mother's friend, and...

"Prince...Prince Gabriel of Atalaxia?" I whisper, suddenly shocked to my core as the family tree comes flying back to my memory. "Second in line to the throne?"

"First in line, if his ambitions have anything to do with it," Elias murmurs, lifting his blue eyes to meet mine again and giving a sorry shake of his head. "Which means that you, Ariel Sinclair, will be his Queen along with his prize. And his weapon, if he can find a way to

control you."

I just stare at Elias, shocked. And then I set my shoulders and remember my role, murmuring something about always wanting to be a queen -

But Elias waves a hand, dismissing it all, looking at me quite solemnly. "It's all right, Ariel," he says, shaking his head. "You can drop the act. I know that you're more fire goddess than you are simpering princess. We can speak plainly here, at least he glances towards the door, "at least while Pippa is gone."

My eyes flick to the door and then back to his face as I try to keep my expression as plain as possible, trying to decide whether or not to believe him. And even though my. wolf yips and urges me to, Faiza's teachings ring in my head. Trust no one. They, too, are trying to lull you into security. Hold your cards tight- always.

"You're too kind, Elias," I say with a pretty smile, tilting my head to the side like he's given me a great compliment that can't possibly be true. "But honestly, anything you've heard about my magical abilities must be much exaggerated."

"Fair," he says with a shrug, his eyes returning to his cup of coffee. But then he clears his throat, dropping his voice low. "Please," he begs, not looking at me, his words hardly more than breath. "Is...is he okay? Is he all right?"

"Who?" I ask, lowering my voice as well as I lean forward.

Elias's eyes dart up to mine. "I don't know his name, Ariel. But I know you know who I mean. Please, just tell me..." he sighs, shaking his head, his hand tight on the handle of his cup. "Is he okay?"