Ch. 426..430: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 426-430

Chapter 0426

"You're aware that not all wolf communities were happy with your rise to power twenty years ago, Dominic, when you declared wolves and humans equal citizens in the nation," Hank says, shrugging like it's obvious.

Dominic nods, because it's true - and he's well aware.

"Well," Hank continues, "some of the more militant groups are eager to see your rule end and the nation returned to what they understand as more 'traditional' policies with wolves on top and humans down low. And especially a group like The Community, with its views on women's role in society? The Community doesn't have any real power beyond a couple of dozen very fierce warriors, but any information they do have they pass to the Atalaxians. They're traitors, Dominic." Hank's voice falls low here, laced with regret. "There's no way of beating around that bush. The Community is vehemently anti-Sinclair, and it worries the hell out of me that you've got one of them in the Palace spending the holidays with you."

Ella tenses, watching Sinclair clench his jaw and tap his fingers against the table in front of him a few times, clearly thinking.

"That's it, Hank," Sinclair says, snapping his gaze back up to the computer. "We're sending a chopper for you - today, now. I want you here, asking Jackson McClintock some questions. Seeing what he knows."

"Dominic!" Hank groans, holding his hand out, palm up, pleading. "Please, I have work to do -"

"You're just sitting snowed into a cabin, Hank," Sinclair snaps, glaring hard at his old friend. "What on earth could you possibly be doing?" "Paperwork! Planning! Writing reports and essays for medical journals! Processing tests! Writing aid proposals!" Hank takes another breath to continue his list but Ella talks over him.

“Oh, Hank, you know we'll give you all the aid you need!" she says dismissively. "The helicopter will be there in what, four hours?"

"Three," Sinclair says, likewise standing and peering at the screen, brooking no more protests. "Pack up your family, Hank, bring them too - Ella will want a visit and it's better than leaving them starving in the snow."

"Dominic!" Hank shouts, half enraged and half dismayed. "Ella!"

"Byeeee, Hank!" Ella coos, reaching for the mouse to end the meeting. "See you soon, can't wait!"

She presses the button and then exhales a long breath, looking up at Sinclair, who looks steadily down at her. "EI-"

"No, Dominic," Ella says evenly, cutting off his idea before he can even say it.

Sinclair sighs, putting his hands on his hips and looking away.

"Our faith is with Jackson right now," Ella insists, quiet and calm, as she always is in moments like these.

Sinclair sighs again, heavily and nods. "Until he proves otherwise," Sinclair says quietly. "We believe our daughter and her mate. But god damn, I wish the Goddess had given us an easier path than this."

"Had given Jackson an easier path than this," Ella corrects, taking a deep breath. "Because if what Hank is saying is true, Dominic..." she grimaces. He nods, finishing her sentence. "Then this is far worse for him than we thought."

We're all gathered on the other side of the roof, far away from the rooftop garden, dressed in our Cadet uniforms with our backpacks stuffed with whatever gifts we can fit in them to bring to school. I sigh, anxious, as a helicopter settles down onto the roof top. Jackson, next to me, doesn't squint at all in the wind it makes - just watches in fascination, not even blinking.

"Amazing," he murmurs.

"You're going to get something in your eye in all this wind," I mutter, smacking him on the arm and then reaching up, standing on my tiptoes to shade his eyes. He just smirks at me and swats my hand away. "God, why does our method of transportation have to be so loud?"

Jackson just smirks, glancing at me, before returning his eyes to the machine as its blades start to slow.

"I can't believe you're stealing mom," Juniper growls, stomping over to stand with me and Jackson, giving us a little side glare like we honestly had something to do with it. Rafe, hearing her, comes to stand closer, his arms crossed across his chest.

“What did she say to you, June?" he asks, frowning over at where our mom is giving Mark a kiss goodbye and what can only be a warning to behave himself while she's gone. "She didn't say a word about why she's coming to the Academy with dad today. I don't get it."

"She didn't say anything," June groans, being very dramatic and looking more like Mark in this moment than she'd be happy to hear. "She just said she's going for the night to get you guys settled - and that I have to stay with Aunt Cora and the ducklings." Junie shudders, pressing her eyes shut and hugging herself like it's the most horrible fate. "It's so sticky over there."

Chapter 0427

 

Jesse laughs, coming over to us, his backpack slung over his back. "Rosie's all ready for you, June," he says, grinning and patting her on the shoulder. "Says she's giving you a makeover."

Juniper groans louder now, tilting her head back and venting her rage to the sky. I can't help but laugh, but I don't miss that Rafe doesn't join in on it. "What?" I ask, turning to him. "What's wrong with mom coming to school?"

"Something's up," he murmurs with a shrug. "She wasn't planning on it this morning. Something...changed."

"No point in worrying on it," Jackson murmurs passively, turning his eyes from the helicopter to frown at Rafe. "She'll tell you when she wants to, not before."

"I love this attitude," Jesse says with a happy sigh, grinning at my mate. "Your tacit nonchalance in the face of Sinclair chaos is why you fit in so well, buddy."

Jackson huffs a laugh and sends a grin Jesse's way, but down our bond I can feel that Jesse's words touched him quite a bit. Jackson - he's laughing it off like a joke, but he likes very much being told that he fits in with us, I think especially because he feels like such a mismatch.

Juniper whips her head back up at Jesse's words, a wicked grin taking over her face. I turn to her in surprise, wondering what the hell she's got up her sleeve.

"Yeah, well, Jesse's not the only one noticing that you're fitting in." Juniper quips, gleeful. She reaches into the little messenger bag she's got slung over her shoulder.

I lean towards her, taking the bait, desperate to know what's going on. "Wait," I say, frowning, "who else is noticing?"

"The press," Juniper says, whipping a skinny tabloid magazine out of her bag and holding it out for all of us to see. I gasp, grabbing the paper out of her hands, my mouth falling open with shock and a little bit of delight when I see that the cover is pasted with pictures of Jackson - Jackson walking with our group out of the train station, Jackson standing with mom on one of the palace balconies, Jackson helping Jesse and Rafe haul in yule logs from the truck outside, even one of me and Jackson standing close, chatting, laughing with each other. God, when had the press gotten that? And

more.

"Oh my god!" I whisper, reverent, staring at them. But I burst out laughing when I read the hot-pink headline emblazoned over the top. WHO'S THE HUNK!?

"Ohhhh my god!" Jesse gasps, leaning close to me, his face the mirror image of mine. "This is - this is amazing -"

"What is it?" Rafe asks, frowning, trying to get in to see. Jackson likewise peeks.

"No worries!" Juniper quips, thrilled, pulling more copies out of her bag and handing them around. "I have enough chopper reading material for everyone!"

I look worriedly up into Jackson's face as he takes a copy from my sister's hand. He frowns for a moment, but the second he realizes that it's him on the cover he goes pale, his mouth dropping open, and then he blushes scarlet when he, too, reads the headline.

I squeak, unable to help it, and immediately rush for him, wrapping my arms around his waist and looking up into his face, my magazine copy still gasped in my fist.

"What...what is this?" Jackson murmurs, passively folding one arm around me while he stares at the magazine cover.

"Looks like an expose," Rafe says cheerfully, looking up at Jacks with half humor, half worry. "The press got curious about you hanging around with the Royals all Midwinter break."

"And the theories abound," Jesse says, flipping through the magazine with wide eyes. He bursts out laughing, looking at Jacks. "Everything from a new plain-clothes bodyguard to Mark's boyfriend."

"Mark's boyfriend?" Jacks asks, kind of appalled, frowning at Jesse. "He's like...a million years younger than me."

"Plus, straight." Juniper chimes in, still delighted at her revelation.

"Is he?" Rafe asks, curious, looking at our little sister.

"Mark's not-so-secret p**n collection under his bed would suggest so," Junie says with a sigh, like she'd much prefer that he either be gay or that she hadn't stumbled upon that particular collection, making us all burst into laughter.

 

Chapter 0428

"Oh, you're making that up, Juniper," I sigh, flicking through the magazine myself now with a happy sigh. "My baby Mark doesn't have a p**n collection – he's just a little baby. Plus, p**n is all on computers these days anyway."

June shrugs. "He likes it vintage."

"Are you okay with this?" I ask Jacks, peering up at him as he stares down at the cover of the magazine, I think still a little baffled by it. His blush has faded now and honestly he looks a little pale.

Jackson takes a moment and then looks over at me. “I don't know, should I be upset?"

I slowly shake my head. "I wouldn't be, if I were you," I say quietly. "I mean - we're in the public eye, tabloids run stuff like this all the time. If you keep hanging out around us it's bound to happen."

Jackson nods slowly, considering it.

"Yeah, don't worry about it Jacks," Juniper says, stepping close and putting a hand on his arm. "Last year they ran a whole issue on whether I was sent to a boarding school to have a secret Atalaxian baby."

He looks over at her in surprise, and then drops his eyes down to her stomach.

Juniper bursts out laughing and smacks him hard on the chest. "I mean, I didn't!"

Jackson blushes again and apologizes, making us all laugh, but we're interrupted when mom and dad come over to the helicopter with us.

"All right," dad says, gesturing towards our mode of transport. "Everybody on. Except you, Junepiper." He gathers her close and gives her a little kiss that she pretends to hate before sending her off, back into the palace and downstairs to catch a ride with Mark to Aunt Cora and Uncle Roger's. Everyone else starts to move towards the helicopter but I stand very still, shocked. "Wait!" I call.

Everyone turns to look at me, dad with a frown on his face. He looks at me curiously, waiting for an explanation.

"Why...why are we getting in now?" I ask, a little frantic, gesturing back towards the door to the palace. "Luca isn't here yet!"

Rafe grimaces awkwardly and Jesse quickly turns to the helicopter, taking Jackson with him in a clear indication that this is family business. Dad turns to looks at me with pity in his eyes.

"What!?" I breathe, appalled.

“Ari, sweetie,” mom says, coming to put her hands on my shoulders, shooting dad a look that clearly reads that she'll handle this. Dad sighs and climbs into the helicopter while Rafe comes to stand with me, offering his silent support.

"Mom!" I protest, shaking her hands off my shoulders. "Luca's not coming!? Is he - what -"

"He's taking the train, baby," mom says, soft and calm, "with all the other cadets."

"Why!?" I exclaim, starting to get mad about it. Livid, if I'm being honest.

"Well, why wouldn't he!?" mom says, throwing her hands out a little. "You're not upset about Ben and Daphne taking the train -"

"They're coming from much further away! Luca is right here in the city! Mom!" I cross my arms and glare at her, seriously angry now. "It would have taken fifteen minutes for Luca to get to the palace - just as long as it's going to take him to get to the train station. He's only not here because you didn't invite him!"

"Fine," mom sighs, crossing her arms and glancing anxiously towards the helicopter. "Your dad is...still mad. About that little act Luca pulled the morning after his boxing match."

"But Luca apologized, a lot! And...gave dad whatever was in that envelope that you won't tell me about!"

"Your father gets over his anger in his own time in his own way, Ariel," mom replies, calm but standing strong in her position. "There's no rushing him, you know that. Luca is doing everything he can to make amends and your father will get over it - he's just not there yet."

I narrow my eyes. "Really? You're just going to let dad take the blame for this, when we all know you're the one who makes all of our family's travel arrangements?"

"There were six seats, Ariel," mom says, blinking innocently at me. "What can I say. Chopper was full."

"You're playing favorites," I growl, taking a step forward to glare at my mother.

 

Chapter 0429

 

"I am not!" Mom says with a sigh and a dismissive wave of her hand, clearly done with this argument. "It just made sense. Now if we can please get on our way, beloved daughter?"

I scowl and storm away, not looking back over my shoulder, pissed as hell.

Ella moves to follow Ariel, but Rafe reaches out, tugging on her sleeve and making her hang back. Surprised, Ella looks up into Rafe's face. "You are playing favorites, you know," he says, smirking down at her.

Ella's mouth drops open, appalled, but when Rafe just raises an eyebrow at her she gives up the act, a sly grin shaping her lips.

Rafe laughs and shakes his head as the two of them start off towards the helicopter. "You're not being fair, mom. You always play favorites."

"A game from which you benefit deeply, my little meatball," Ella says, wrapping an arm around her eldest son's waist and pulling him close to her side. Rafe slows his steps. "So, you really like Jackson better?" he asks quietly, glancing towards the helicopter where Ariel sits curled at Jackson's side, fastening her seatbelt.

"Oh, come on," Ella says, dry, and Rafe looks down into his mother's beautiful face. "You want me to choose between the guy who made millions publicizing the fact that he's mated to my daughter and the guy who carried her for hours across a battlefield and then sobbed for thirty minutes straight while I worked to heal her?"

Rafe bursts into a smile. “I didn't know you saw that.”

"I see everything, Meatball," Ella says, tugging him towards the helicopter. "It's really not a contest. But...don't tell Ariel I have favorites, okay? Luca's family too now, and I do love him. Jackson's just...special to me."

"Secret's safe with me," Rafe murmurs, climbing into the helicopter and then holding out a hand to help his mother up.

I'm still scowling as mom and Rafe climb into the helicopter, and when we take off and start to fly south towards the Academy. But as I turn to look out the window, the sight of Jackson reading through the magazine article about him breaks my mood and makes me smile.

"What do you think?" I ask, leaning my head against his arm and peering at the magazine open on his lap.

"It's weird," he murmurs, glancing at me with a little smile and then back down at the page, where more pictures of him with the Royals are printed alongside rampant speculations about why he spent Midwinter at the palace.

"You're gonna have fans now, Jacks," Jesse says, leaning over me a little to look as well. I laugh to find myself squished a bit between the two big Alphas, my cousin and my mate. "All sorts of girls trying to find you on social media, wanting to slip into your DM's."

Jackson glances up at Jesse with a frown and then shakes his head with a sigh. "I'm not even going to ask what a DM is," he murmurs. "I don't want to know."

"You might," Jesse says with a wicked grin. "Lots of pretty girls in this city, and you didn't get to meet any of them because Ariel kept you hidden away in the palace where none of them could get at you."

I growl, possessive, and elbow Jesse in the ribs. He laughs and grins at me, wicked.

"I met girls," Jackson murmurs absently, still flipping through the pages.

Jesse's gasp of delight rivals my squeak of horror as I turn my protest towards Jackson now. "What!?"

"At the bar," Jackson says, frowning and sending me a confused glance. "The night of the fight. A couple of girls came and introduced themselves - one bought me a drink. Two drinks, actually."

“What!?” I nearly shriek, making everyone in the helicopter turn to me.

"What's happening," Jackson asks, putting the magazine down and glancing between me and Jesse with a frown. "Is that bad? Am I...should I not be meeting people?"

I just stare at Jackson, completely conflicted, while Jesse cackles with glee and elbows me back. "Can't precisely forbid him, can you, Ariel?" Jesse says. "Not when you're out the same night with another man. Why shouldn't he do the same?"

Chapter 0430

"I wasn't out with another girl," Jackson protests, frowning at Jesse but still clearly not getting it. "Is that...bad? Is..." he frowns, clearly thinking back on it. “I just thought she was being friendly. Plus, free drinks.....”

I just scowl at Jesse and wrap my arm possessively around Jackson's, not liking this at all. "No, Jacks," I say bitterly. "It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong." But I keep scowling, glaring at Jesse who is delighted and, I'm sure, planning to milk this for all its worth. Still, a little part of me is quite smug and pleased that we're heading off to an all-boys academy where the only other eligible girl is my friend and dating my brother.

I raise my foot and give my still-smirking cousin a sharp kick, but he just laughs a little and turns away, waving a hand at me to let me know he'll drop it. For now.

"I like this one," Jackson says quietly, and I blink, pulling myself out of my thoughts and turning my attention to him.

"What?" I ask, looking up into his face.

"This one," he says, tapping the magazine. I look down to see his finger tapping on the image on the cover, the one of him in profile looking down at me with a beautiful smile on his face, of me laughing as I look up at him, the wind blowing my hair a bit. And I smile, all of my jealousy immediately wiped away. Because Jackson liking another girl...god, I'm wasting my time worrying about that, aren't I?

"Yeah, that's a good one," I say, wrapping my arm tighter around his and pressing myself closer. "Maybe we can get a copy. Have it framed." “Oh," Jackson says, turning to me with surprise. Then he smiles too. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

I nod once as he turns back to the magazine, looking through it again, and I look over at my mom who is sitting across from us. She sends me a quick wink, letting me know that she's heard and that she's on it.

I smile at my mom, grateful, not really angry at her anymore. Because I can't wait to see Luca again, but if he'd been here, we wouldn't have had this moment.

And so I turn my attention away from all of that and towards the future: to the Academy where we're going and the war that awaits us beyond that. As my stomach turns with anxiety I realize that my mate drama is the least of my worries - and that it's time to pay attention again to the things that really matter.

As we start to land at the Academy on the lawn by the candidate barracks, I sigh and slip my cap onto my head, carefully tucking my hair back beneath it and mourning, passively, that I'm going to have to do this every day again. Not that it's a big deal it's just...annoying.

"Ohh, is this Ari Clark!?" mom says, leaning forward and grinning at me gleefully. "Ugh, you're such a cute boy." She presses her hand to her chest, clearly meaning it and turning to my dad. "Should we have another? A little boy this time that looks like me -"

"No more children, Ella," dad murmurs passively, like this is a discussion they have all the time. Mom sighs but there's no more time to think on it as the helicopter touches down and we all start to climb out.

"Jesse," dad says, nodding to him as we walk through the gates and start into the castle. "If you wouldn't mind going to your room and settling in? The rest of us have a meeting with Ari's professors."

My mouth falls open just as Jesse's does as our little group makes its way down the hall.

"Why am I being left out!?" Jesse protests.

"Cousins," dad says, dry, "don't need to be part of this." We all move towards the elevator and my stomach plummets. Because honestly, I forgot dad's ultimatum - I passed the Examination and all of my finals, but he did insist that all of my professors know that I'm a girl. God, what if the Captain protests? What if Alvez does something weird?

"Why does he get to go!?" Jesse protests, pointing a finger at Jackson.

Dad just quirks an eyebrow at Jesse. "Because he doesn't ask as many questions as you."

Jesse scowls but gives in, glaring at all of us as he climbs into a separate elevator from ours.

"It's so cool here," mom whispers eagerly, bumping her shoulder with mine as the elevator doors shut and we start to move upwards. "I wish I lived here."

"Mom, you already live in a palace," Rafe laughs, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Now you want a castle?"

"Yes, it's much spookier here," mom says with a tragic sigh. "Very atmospheric. Like there could be a ghost. Or six ghosts. Ten!"