The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Oh, Ari," Daphne murmurs, leaning close to me and plopping Mittens into my lap before putting her arms around my shoulders, pulling me in for a hug. "Why on earth could you possibly be worried about Jackson now? He's fine!"

"He's not fine," I sigh, leaning against her for a pleasant moment before sitting up straight and shaking my head at my friend. "The last thing I remember before I passed out was Jackson throwing up at the sight of me -"

"He what!?"

I nod vehemently. "He got sight of me, Daphne - or scent or something - and just threw up all over the hall

"

"Oh my god."

"I know," I moan, letting my head tilt back. "I'm just...terrified. What if he can't stand to be in the same

room as me anymore? What if I make him physically ill because I bear someone else's mark?" I hang my head, starting to tremble a bit at the idea. "What if he doesn't love me anymore?"

"Oh, Ariel, that can't possibly be true," Daphne murmurs, stroking a hand soft over my hair. "That boy is obsessed with you."

"He was. It's - what if it's different now?"

"It won't be. A mark or a lack of a mark isn't going to change everything he adored about you."

I bite my lip. "But what if he... what if our being mated was the only reason he liked me? What if now that things are different with me he realizes how boring and silly I am -"

"Oh, you stop that right now," Daphne snaps, her voice harsh. I look up at her in surprise. "You are not boring and silly, Ariel. And I understand your concerns, but you're letting your fears run away with you. I bet you anything - I'd even bet Mittens here -"

The little cat spins to look at her, appalled.

"- that Jackson is in his wolf form, all curled up at the bottom of your bed, missing and worried about you

"Why do you think he'd be in my bed?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.

Daphne smirks a bit. "Jesse's got a lot of great traits, but his pillow-talk habit of spilling secrets is very good for me and very bad for everyone else. Come on, Ari," she says, smirking and raising an eyebrow at me. "I know where Jackson sleeps."

I gasp but then laugh despite myself, my best friend tumbling into laughter with me a moment later. "God damn it, Jesse," I growl, shaking my head a bit. "What else do you know?"

"I know," Daphne says, smiling at me quietly, "that Jackson loves you, Ariel. Bond or not, mark or not. I have every faith in the world that he's just sitting, miserable, worried as he waiting for you to come & back. You should text the boys," she says, nodding to the kitchen where I know the phone is. "I'm sure they'll confirm it."

"Yeah," I say on a sigh, looking that way too. "I suppose I should."

But then I frown, because mom and Cora's faces are...very serious.

"All okay in there?" I call out.

Cora and mom look up at me and then at each other.

"We're going to take this in the bedroom for a second, girls," mom says, picking up the tablet and carrying

it away to the other room. "Nothing to worry on, so don't freak out. Just...taking a minute.

Despite my mother's words, I feel my blood go icy with fear.

"What are you talking about, Dominic?" Ella says, frowning at her mate as she closes the bedroom door and flicks on the light. Cora stands close by, arms crossed, likewise waiting for an answer.

"Let's go over this again," Dominic says with a sigh, Roger peering curiously over his shoulder. "You brought Ariel to this spa and she cried the whole way on the helicopter. You healed a couple of cuts and bruises during the trip, but then you gave her some sleeping medicine and she slept for sixteen hours, and then you fed her ice cream for breakfast and she got a facial? And she's...fine?"

"She is not fine, Dom," Cora says, shaking her head at her brother-in-law, her lips drawn into a thin line. "The girl is devastated -"noveldrama

"No, you don't understand," Dominic snaps, interrupting, harsher and less patient than he usually is. Cora and Ella, look at each other worried.

"When I broke the bond with Lydia,"

กวน

he continues was shattered, Ella. And not just emotionally - physically Roger nods solemnly behind Dominic, remembering those days, even if they hadn't been close. "I didn't eat anything but broth for two weeks - I lost about fifty pounds for the first few days my legs didn't function -"

Ella's and Cora's mouths drop open in shock.