Chapter 130

A little bell dings in the train carriage, as it always does when we’re about ten minutes away from our destination. My head turns almost automatically towards Rafe and Jesse, who likewise turn towards me. We all nod, confirming that we all understand that we should prepare for our arrival to the capital, perhaps even come up with a plan or a story for how I got here, and why, and so on.

But even as I look towards my brother, Luca’s arms tighten around me, and I look back up at him. “Do you have a second?” he asks, looking down at me with so much true sincerity in his eyes that I’m a little taken aback.

“Sure,” I say, nodding to him, and then I glance back at Rafe and Jesse, silently letting them know I’m taking a minute, before I slip out of Luca’s arms and, taking his hand, lead him over to a quiet corner of the carriage. There we sit on a tiny little loveseat, so close that I’m basically in his lap.

Luca takes a quiet moment to just look at me, lifting a hand to stroke his knuckles gently down the length of my cheek, his eyes searching mine.

“I wanted to say I was sorry,” Luca finally says, quite softly, turning his hand to cup my cheek as he looks into my face.

“For what?” I breathe, raising my hand to cover his. “Luca, I haven’t said it enough, but I’m the one who should be sorry – and I am sorry –“

“No,” he interrupts, shaking his head. “You were – well, I mean, Ariel, I’m still not thrilled about how everything went down. But I understand it better now – and I get why you did what you did. But…I behaved poorly, didn’t I?”

“Luca,” I murmur, feeling terrible that he feels so bad – because honestly, I think that all of his reactions were really, really normal. Most Alphas, when they meet their mates, are very volatile and protective – everything he did and said fits that concept – he was just trying to keep me close, to keep threats to our bond away.

“No,” Luca insists, his mouth twisting with disappointment. “Jesse was right when he said I was bullying you, manipulating you. I didn’t mean to, Ariel, I hope you can believe me with that –“

“I do,” I breathe, nodding fervently and meaning it, passing all the trust I can along the bond to him.

“I just – I was so desperate not to lose you. And I was so scared that that’s what was happening. I was grasping at straws, trying to control the situation, and in doing so I was really unfair. Please, please forgive me for it.”

My heart breaks when his voice cracks on his final words, and I can’t help crawling closer to him now, lifting myself fully into his lap, snuggling close to him as he wraps his arms around me. “It’s passed, Luca,” I whisper. “Don’t think on it anymore – we were all in a terrible situation, we all behaved poorly. We’re all forgiven and we can move on.”

“Good,” he says, burying his face against my neck and taking a deep breath of my scent. “And in the future, I’ll…well, I want to say I’ll be better, but I think the best I can do is promise to try. I just get very desperate, when…when he’s around.”

Nodding, understanding, I put my hands on his cheeks and lift his face to mine. “I get it,” I whisper, nodding. “I’ll try to. Try to be fair. Try to…”

But I have no words then, because even the idea of trying to pick between them, of having to say goodbye forever to one of them…

God, my heart threatens to shatter into a thousand pieces.

So, I don’t think on it. And instead I just stare down into Luca’s gorgeous face – even despite his black eye and busted lip - into his beautiful brown eyes, into the sweet, fierce spirit that I can see beneath them. And as I marvel at him a little bit, I smile. And I start to see his eyes crinkle at the corners, and I know that he feels my joy in him and gives it right back.

“I really do think I’m right for you, Ari,” Luca whispers, sincerity in every line of his face as he leans close to me.

I pull back a little, not really wanting to go there right now – especially not while half of me is still mourning that Jackson didn’t get on the train – but Luca gently reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing it softly.

“No, please – I –“ he sighs, and hangs his head a little, shaking it while he gathers his words. Then he raises his eyes again, “I’m not trying to pressure you or convince you of it in this moment. I’m just trying to tell you what I know to be true, all right? That we’re a match, Ari – a really good one. I can handle your life, and your family, and your out-of-the-box career choices, because they all match with mine so well. And if you’ll let me – just…will you please let me show you how good we can be?”

A smile slowly grows on my lips, because who on earth could resist such a sweet request? “Okay, Luca,” I whisper in reply, nodding to him once, leaning forward again. “You show me, and I’ll listen.”

“Good,” he murmurs, grinning at me. His hand twitches in mine, and a muscle in his jaw feathers, and I tilt my head, wondering what the hell he’s resisting when suddenly he gives in and just grabs me to him, laughing and cuddling me close, whipping me around and making me shriek with laughter as he bends me back in his arms and brings his face close to mine.

“Gorgeous,” Luca laughs, smirking and shaking his head down at me, “I’m going to have a lot of fun showing you just how good we can be together.”

“Oh yeah?” I murmur, wrapping my hand slow around the back of his neck, loving the way the short hairs there brush against my fingers. “Just how much fun?”

“You want me to show you?” he murmurs, his voice lowering and his eyes going half-lidded as one of his hands dips lower on my body, traveling down my back and steadily towards my ass.

Breathless, I nod, tugging him closer, wanting his mouth on mine right now, completely ready to lose myself in my mate -

Lose myself, that is, until I hear my brother clear his throat.

I gasp a little, and drop my head back so that I’m looking at Rafe basically upside down.

“If you guys could be convinced to wrap up this scandalous display?” he says, arms crossed and eyebrow raised, “we could perhaps…talk as a group?” I blush scarlet as I realize that my dress is indeed riding up shockingly short.

Luca just laughs, grinning at Rafe and then at me as I scramble to sit and then stand, smoothing my skirt now and reminding myself that I’m no longer constantly in pants. God, it’s going to be harder than I thought to remember how to be a girl.

But Luca gives me a second to straighten myself out, holding out a hand for me, and when I take it he helps me to my feet and we walk with Rafe over to our friends, who are all grinning expectantly and peering out the windows as the train moves through the capital towards the station right at the center. As we move slowly towards the main hub of the city, I can see people outside our car stopping to point at the conspicuous red caboose at the back of the train, gasping and wondering at which of the royals are riding today.

But surely, surely they know, right? Academy is out, after all, and everyone will be waiting for Rafe and Jesse to come home. The big surprise will be me, arriving with them. I turn towards my brother and my cousin, suddenly anxious, and Jesse steps towards us, his face serious.

Together, as Daphne comes out of the bathroom freshly changed and looking amazing in a sage-green wrap dress, Jesse, Rafe and I decide that the simplest thing will be to…not say anything. Like mom and dad so often do, we’re simply going to let the press conclude what they will about me arriving home with Rafe and Jesse, and if anyone pushes on the subject we can just drop some hints about what Aunt Cora said – that I spent my time peacefully in a convent close to the academy.

“Are there even any convents?” Daphne asks, arms crossed, frowning around at us as Ben and Luca bring backpacks over and the train slows further, clearly preparing to stop. “Close to the academy? Or like…any at all?”

I wrinkle my nose in similar confusion, because…I mean, is there? How plausible is our story? But there’s no time to think on it as Jesse interrupts my thoughts.

“It gives me great pleasure that you don’t know the answer to this question, Daphne,” he says, grinning at her and pressing a hand to his chest, giving a little bow. “As it would be a great blow to mankind if you ever decided to join a convent. Also, your dress is amazing and you look great.”

Daphne beams at Jesse while she laughs and thanks him, but I turn my head as I look between them and then glance at Rafe, who I’m shocked to see is…frowning a little bit. What – what’s going on here?