Chapter 0306

“What!?” I gasp, grabbing the magazine and lifting it up, reading the headline and realizing that the other half of the cover is, of course, a picture of Luca in his boxer’s getup – which, essentially, just means sweaty and shirtless. And, of course, he looks stupidly good with his boxing gloves up by his face, his expression all tough and gritty and determined.

But I tear my eyes away from the picture of my handsome mate to read the headline splashed across both of us.

“CONFIRMED: LUCA GRANT MATED TO PRINCESS ARIEL.”

“Ohhh my god,” I murmur, my fingers tightening against the cover in my shock. Because, I mean, it’s not a secret within our inner circles that Luca and I are mated – but this is not public knowledge, and certainly not something my parents would have wanted me to announce so openly and so early on in my relationship.

And, especially, since I have – you know – a second mate that’s going to complicate all of this – this is not at all a good thing for me.

But who did this?

I mean, I know that my family knows, and that Luca told his mom and his uncle, but to everyone else he introduced me to last night – he always said girlfriend, never mate. Because that’s incredibly personal, and considering who I am, and what my position is within this world…

God, spilling this to the press? It’s a huge betrayal.

My fingers hesitate, a little, as I begin to flick through the pages of the magazine, because I am suddenly quite terrified that I know who leaked this…

Someone who…who quite likes the attention of the press. And is incredibly proud to be mated to me. Someone who wants everyone to know that we’re mated, especially since there’s another claim on my affections that he’s quite eager to dismiss.

And suddenly I can’t. I can’t read the article. I sigh, and press the magazine shut in my hands like that could keep my secret inside.

I just…can’t get the confirmation, if it’s there at all, that Luca did this. I don’t know what I’ll do if that turns out to be the truth.

A little unsteady, I look up at my mother. “Mom?” I whisper, not really knowing what I’m asking, staring at her with all of my horror in my eyes.

"Oh, sweetie," she says, her words sounding like her heart is breaking, and she reaches for me in an instant, wrapping me up in a hug and pulling me half off my chair, half onto hers.

"Did he do it?" I whisper, horrified, not wanting an answer.

"The article is unclear, sugar," she replies, her voice grave. "He... he didn't deny it, when he was asked by the reporter."

I sit up straight, surprised and confused, wanting to see her face. "But then, who..."

"It reads that 'a source close to Luca Grant' confirmed that you two are mates," dad says, and mom leans back a little so that I can look into my father's stern face. He's not mad at me, obviously, but I can tell that he's keeping his temper on quite a tight leash.

"And then Luca was interviewed at his gym early this morning," Rafe adds from across the table. I look over to see him standing, his hands in his pockets, his face sorry for me. Next to him, Ben and Daphne look exactly the same. Jesse just looks pissed as hell, and starts across the room to pour himself a cup of coffee that he probably doesn't need, just wanting something to do. As he does, Markie slips back into his seat next to Juniper, watching everything with wide-eyed attention.

June looks at me with more empathy than I'd expect. But, then again, she is my sister. Maybe I don't give her more credit.

"Well," I say with a sigh, reaching for the magazine again. "what does the interview say?"

"The interviewer blankly told himnoveldrama

that she was told that he is mated to you, and asked if he would confirm it," Jesse says, his words clipped a he sloshes creamer into his coffee before t turning to me, his cup tight in his bands. "Apparently Luca Blushed and was very charmingly evasive, but he smiled and didn't deny it."

"Which we all know is tantamount to confirmation," Rafe says, his voice dry and disappointed.

I groan a little, looking down at the

magazine in my hands, devastated by this betrayal. I start to flick through the pages now, noting the pictures that they captured - pictures of Luca and me holding hands at the train station. Luca and me leaving his gym yesterday. Luca and me kissing on his front porch last night.

I gasp at this last one - because while paparazzi might easily have caught the other two - this one?

It's just too intimate - like the photographer knew just where to stand to get this shot.

Like someone tipped them off.