Chapter 0292

My eyebrows go up, because Luca’s told me about his uncle – the man who raised him, kept him

out of trouble, turned him into the champion he is today.

“Uncle,” Luca says, grinning at the older man and slipping his hand out of the first glove, starting on

the second himself now that the first is gone. “This is Ariel Sin-“

“I know who she is,” Bruce says, gruff. Then he lifts his eyes to me, giving an awkward little bow.

“Your highness,” he murmurs, clearly not happy about saying my honorific but doing it anyway. “It’s

a pleasure to meet you. You’re welcome here, and to our family. We’re honored to have you, and

glad Luca finally met a mate so he’ll stop being such a damn ass with women.”

My eyebrows go up because…well, I wasn’t expecting such a warm welcome from this gruff man. I

clench my teeth to keep from laughing, giving a solemn nod to Bruce as Luca bursts into laughter.

“I’m not an ass with women,” he sighs, shaking the sweat from his hair and handing the second

boxing glove to his uncle. “I’m just –“

“A damn ass,” his uncle says, cuffing Luca over the head again, softer this time, with a tiny smile on

his lips. “Now go get a shower, so you can be presentable for your mother and your grandmother.

Miss Ariel,” he says, shifting his eyes back to me and giving me a nod, “I’ll look forward to seeing

you again at home.”

Bruce walks to the other side of the ring as Luca climbs out from between the ropes, hopping down

to the floor. My mate reaches for me as he nods his hello to Conner, wanting to give me a sweaty

hug, but I squeak and swat at him. “You’re all sweaty!” I protest. “And I have to meet your mom!”

Luca just laughs again and I beam at him, completely swept away by this very attractive, very

sweaty Alpha as he runs a hand through his wet hair, slicking it back. “Fine, fine,” he sighs, shaking

his head a little and spraying me with sweat in a way that makes me shriek again but which…well,

which I don’t hate. I mean, I like my mate all sweaty after a workout, I guess. Especially when he

looks like that, all shirtless and muscular, smelling deliciously of boy and apricots and sunshine.

“Come on,” Luca says, nodding towards the locker room and clearly inviting me to go with him. “I’ll

be fast. Mom and Gran are waiting, after all.”

Conner nods to me, murmuring that he wants to look over the gym, and I follow Luca towards the

locker room. He leads me inside and I’m surprised to see that it’s tiny – just one shower, and some

towels, and a little set of lockers.

“This is just mine,” Luca says, shooting me a grin as he quickly pulls off his shoes and socks before

stepping into the little shower stall, pulling the curtain shut. “Being the champ has its perks.”

“I guess so,” I say, a little impressed as I sit on the little wooden bench in front of the lockers and

listen as Luca turns the water on. As steam starts to rise above the curtain bar, Luca’s hand reaches

out from behind the curtain, dropping his sweaty shorts on the ground outside.

He starts talking, then, telling me about his day and how his mom and uncle reacted when he

revealed to them that he has a mate, and that his mate is the princess. But if I’m being honest, I

barely hear him.

Because I am suddenly very aware that my super-hot mate is naked on the other side of a flimsy

curtain, water running all over his sore, muscled body.

And that we are…absolutely all alone in this private locker room.

And I’ve got no big brother and cousin out there protecting my chastity for once.

I mean…what is a girl to do?