The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"There is no bond!" Rafe shouts, turning back towards him. When Jesse's steps slow, his mouth drawing to a thin line, Rafe laughs and crosses his arms. "Go ahead, Jess. Tell me there's a bond. Honestly, say it, truthfully, and I'll believe you. I'll get on my knees and beg forgiveness."

Jesse glares, raising his chin. But he doesn't say a word.

"That's what I fucking thought," Rafe growls, pointing a finger in Jesse's face. "If she was a mate a bond would have snapped into place, that's how it works Jesse -"

"That's not how it worked in my family!" Jesse snarls, smacking Rafe's hand away. "Dad and mom's bond took ages - they didn't know - he went on faith for months, but he knew it was true, he - "

Rafe gapes at Jesse before he breaks in, enraged. "That's completely different, Jess! Your mom is human - her wolf hadn't awoken! The moment her wolf woke up the bond snapped into place! You and Daphne have wolves! You'd know!"

Jesse gathers himself up, all of his pride, all of his conviction steeled in his core. "She's my fucking mate Rafe. And I'm sorry if you don't like it, if you have feelings for her? But she's mine. I'm in love with her, and I'm going to marry her, and I'm sorry we didn't tell you-

"What fucking ever, Jesse, you're so fucking pathetic," Rafe snaps, turning again and stalking back towards the Častle.

"Pathetic!?" Jesse storms after him.

"You never should have touched her, Jess," Rafe growls, glancing over his shoulder. "I have feelings for that girl. You should have respected that."

"I tried," Jesse pleads, chasing after Rafe's long stride, grabbing for his cousin, desperate to get him to turn, to talk to him again. "Rafe, if she wasn't my mate

"Oh, would you fucking lay off of that stupid mate bullshit!?" Rafe shouts, shoving Jesse to the side when he walks next to him. "She's not your mate, you're just fucking into her because I was into her first, like you always are with these girls -"

Jesse stops in his tracks, staring after Rafe, appalled again.

Realizing that Jesse's not following, Rafe turns about ten feet further down the path, glaring hard at his cousin, not willing to let it end there. "You're just fucking with her, Jess, because you're desperate to be even with me. You did it with Lindsey and Kristy too you can't stand not to pick a girl up after I've finished withnoveldrama

her -"

"I -" Jesse sputters, pressing a hand to his chest. "I'm fucking with her!? I'm fucking with Daphne!?" "Yes," Rafe growls, taking three cruel steps closer. "You're messing with her head if you know you have a mate out there, lying to her, pretending it's going to work -"

"That's what you were doing!" Jesse shouts, appalled, sweeping a hand out to encompass Rafe's whole hypocritical self. "That's like - exactly what you were doing!"

"I never told the girl I was going to marry her," Rafe growls, pressing a hand to his chest. "Plus, I never slept with her! And we broke it off!"

"You didn't break it off, Daphne

dumped you Jesse shouts, his voice ringing out through the forest as he stares at his cousin, stunned at his level of hypocrisy. "And lam not lying to her - she's my fucking mate, whether or not you decide to believe me!"

"You know the only real reason you want Daphne to be your mate, Jess?" Rafe says, stalking towards him, shaking his head with pity he forces himself to feel, even if his

wolf is howling with jealousy annet

hurt pride. "Is because it's the first time, ever, that a girl has dumped me and told you that she liked you more. And you're kissing her ass for it because you've been hungry for that your whole life. And you know it will never happen ever again."

Jesse's face goes pale and falls slack.

Rafe seethes, staring into his cousin's eyes, his chest pounding with his rage.

But when Jesse fails to move, fails to make a noise, Rafe checks himself, standing straight, his own face

falling when he realizes that he has gone too far.

"Fuck you, Rafe," Jesse says, his voice shaking with hurt and rage.

Jesse works hard to clench his jaw but finds that he can't do it. His mouth is trembling too hard.