The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

I fall to my knees at his side, my shoulders shaking. "What the hell were you doing outside?" My question is tremulous, a whisper.

"Um," he says, glancing backwards at Jesse and Rafe. "I was just...being close. Because it was hard to be far. And Jesse said I should let you take charge? And wait until you asked for me, in case you...didn't want to see me?"

Jesse groans. "That's not what I said!"

"Why are you listening to Jesse?" I ask, shaking my head as tears well in my eyes. "He's the worst at emotions.

"Hey!"

"I don't know, Ariel," Jackson murmurs, sitting up and reaching for me the moment he sees me starting to cry. "You're right - that was dumb - I'm so sorry -"

I groan in relief the moment Jackson wraps me up in his arms, pulling me into his lap and cradling me against his chest, pressing as much of my body to him as he can manage. He murmurs again and again

his apologies, and I whisper back for him to stop - that he doesn't need to- that I need to -

And then I just cry, and Jackson just holds me, and his wolf moves fast across the bond to mine. She shies at first, wary after Luca's wolf's attack, but Jackson's wolf skids to a stop and lets out an

encouraging yip, waiting for her to come to him. And when she does, finally pressing herself warm to his side, a fierce and possessive grumble echoes in his chest.

Both Jackson and the wolf.

"Cool, well, we'll let you...have a minute..." Jesse murmurs, stepping over us and heading out of the

room.

"We'll be back in half an hour," Rafe says, his voice anxious. I glance up at him to see him looking worriedly down at me, like I can ask him to stay if I want him to.

I sit up straighter, holding my brother's pretty green gaze. "It's fine, Rafe," I say, my voice croaking. "Thank you. It's fine we'll be fine."

Jackson grumbles his agreement and the door shuts behind us. I turn in Jackson's lap, taking his face in my hands, tears slipping down my cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Jacks," I whisper, shaking my head at him.

"Ariel, you didn't do anything -"

"No, I mean - didn't I?" I shake my head, confused, not remembering correctly - just so...so so filled with grief, and yet so deeply happy to be here with him, to feel him, to smell him.

But then I go rigid, wondering if my scent has changed. I mean, my mom said that it hadn't - not that she could tell. But she's not an Alpha. And she's not my mate.

"Jacks," I whisper, gulping and looking at him seriously. "I'm not blameless in any of this. I had a lot of time to think about it - and Luca - he was very bad to me, but he...he wasn't totally wrong - I was bad too -"

Jackson snarls at the very idea of this and I can feel down our bond his line of thinking and the flashes of memory that come along with it that any attempt to excuse Luca's rejection of me, the fact that he stormed away from the Castle and left me naked and sobbing in his room -

"Please," I whisper, shaking my head, shaking all over. "I - I can't talk about that right now - I can't think about it."

Jackson groans, guilty, and wraps me up closer in his arms.

"I'm just really sorry, Jacks," I whisper, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I know the last three days were really really hard for you. And it's not going to be...you know, cake. Going forward."

"Cake?" he asks, pulling back confused. "There's...cake?"

I laugh a little, the sound sputtering as I shake my head. "It's an expression," I whisper. "Like, it's not all going to be easy."

He frowns at me. "I didn't know cake was easy," he whispers. "I thought it was...hard to make."

I laugh a little harder now, shaking my head, taking his face in my hands, loving him so terribly, incredibly much. "It's not important."noveldrama

Jackson growls his agreement and leans closer to me, brushing his nose against mine, leaning his forehead close as he takes a deep breath. "Ariel. How are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm a lot better," I whisper, meaning it. "Mom and Cora and Daphne took good care of me. It was what I needed."

"Good," he murmurs, breathing a long sigh of relief. "I mean, I know you're not...fixed, or whatever. That things have changed. But...good. I'm so glad you're better."

I go a little still at his words and take

a deep breath, moving slightly away from him so that I'm sitting across from him on the floor. He looks seriously down at me as I sit before him, my shoulders hunched, my eyes wide.

"Have things changed, Jacks?" I whisper, gazing up at him, not sure if I want the answer. "Between us?"