Ch. 451..455: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 451-455

Chapter 0451

 

"Is that really what you want?" Jackson asks, worried, his arms still tight around me like he doesn't want to let me go. "To have Luca here? Or...to spend some nights with him?"

"No," I answer instantly, and as I say it I realize with a bit of surprise that it's true that...that I really don't want to spend my nights with anyone but Jackson. Anxiety twists in me at the realization – what does that mean? Does it mean that my relationship with Luca is...less? Or...

But my wolf blatantly ignores my worry, trotting down the little bond within my soul like it's a bridge and curling up at Jackson's wolf's side. His wolf grumbles his pleasure and curls around her, tucking his nose in next to hers and wrapping his tail close so that she's nearly encircled. And I realize that...my connection to Luca aside, this is what my wolf wants, where she wants to be at night. Curled up with Jackson's wolf, safe and warm and

secure.

Jackson simply nods once, accepting my answer and not pushing for anything else. Then he presses his lips to mine and curls up next to me, wrapping me up tight against him in a way that is strikingly reminiscent of our wolves.

And so I decide not to worry about it - not now, at least. Because right now everything just feels so...completely right.

Instead I close my eyes and let myself drift off, warm and comfortable and complete.

Too few hours later, the curtain to my nook rips open and the pinkish light of dawn streams in.

"Up!" Rafe barks, a little too gleeful about it. "Time to get to work, lovebirds!"

I just groan and turn my head away from my stupid brother, pressing my other cheek to Jackson's chest, over which I am - of course - sprawled.

Jackson likewise just wraps his other arm around me, not responding to Rafe.

But my brother's lack of footsteps let me know that he is still standing there. "Go away," I mumble. "I hate you. Go away."

There's a long beat of silence. "Do you guys seriously sleep like this?"

I turn my head back towards my brother with a sigh and crack an eye open. "It's more comfortable than it looks. Do you want to try it?"

Rafe just bursts into laughter as Jackson snarls, tightening his arms.

“Up!” Rafe shouts again, leaning forward to give me a hearty smack on the calf before striding towards and into the bathroom.

"I don't like this part," Jackson murmurs. "I wasn't counting on a Rafe alarm clock."

"How about a Jesse one!" Jesse shouts, moving far more quickly than anyone should at this time of the morning and leaping over us and into the nook, landing on the bed on Jackson's other side.

“Jesse!” I gasp, my eyes flying open to glare at him as I sit up. "You're going to break my bed! Three wolves is too much -"

"Two point five at best, tiny cousin," Jesse says, beaming at me, wide awake.

"This is my nightmare," Jackson sighs, lifting a hand to cover his face, still not opening his eyes. "It's...it's too much chaos to wake up to."

"This is what you signed up for, roomie!" Jesse says, pitching his voice louder than necessary as I slip off of Jackson and come to rest more reasonably at his side. "Sinclair chaos at all hours."

Jackson just shakes his head once, refusing this as a choice.

I sigh and press a hand to his shoulder, sitting up fully. "It's no use, Jacks,” I sigh, starting to stretch. "They'll never let you sleep in. Just give in or he'll start singing."

"Which would be a blessing for you," Jesse says, prodding Jackson's shoulder. "I have an amazing voice."

Jackson just sighs and pulls his hand away from his face, opening his eyes seemingly just to glare at Jesse.

"If you can't stand the Sinclair level of chaos," Rafe says, coming out of the bathroom with his face freshly washed, his voice overly cheerful, "then maybe you shouldn't sleep here! Sinclairs only."

I sigh as I stand, glaring at my brother, who just grins at me, clearly not intending at all to make this any easier on poor Jacksson.

"Well, that's not a problem, if that's a prerequisite," Jackson murmurs, pushing himself up so his back is against the headboard. He runs a hand through his very messy hair. "I'll become a Sinclair if you want me to."

Jesse and I both stare at him, baffled, and Jesse speaks for both of us when he says “wait, what?”

Chapter 0452

Jackson blinks, clearly still working to clear the sleep away as Jesse and I peer at him from either side. "McClintock isn't a real name," he murmurs, looking between us. "We don't...have last names in the Community - they just assigned McClintock to me when they gave me my identity paperwork, which was surely forged. The name doesn't mean anything to me."

"Wait, so," Jesse says, a devious smile curling his lips. "You're like...just Jackson? Like a pop star?"

"What?" Jackson asks, turning to him with a frown.

"Jacks," I say, a little breathless, completely captivated by the other part of his story. "Are you...do you seriously want to be a Sinclair?"

He turns his head back to me and takes a deep breath, blinking and still trying to wake up. "If you're a Sinclair then I'll be one too," he says, quite simply, holding out a hand to me. "If...that's how last names work. But I don't know how it works."

I just squeak with delight, touched to the depths of me, and I completely ignore his hand as I hurl myself back onto the bed and into his arms. Jackson laughs and catches me even if he doesn't get it - doesn't understand my reaction or indeed how incredibly sweet he is by offering to give up his last name for mine - for ours, my family. Because, of course, it's usually the opposite - if he marked me and we had a mating ceremony, most people would assume that I'd become Ariel McClintock. Jackson, oblivious to all of this, just wraps me up in a hug and holds me close.

Jesse beams at Jackson too, looking between the two of us, I think as touched as I am. "Sure, buddy," Jesse says, reaching out a hand to clap Jackson warmly on the shoulder. "You can be a Sinclair if you want to. We'll be glad to have you. Honored."

"Oh god, what is this?" Rafe asks, striding over to us already dressed in his Cadet uniform. "Are you three seriously still in bed? We have a workout to run!"

"We're coming, we're coming," I sigh, untangling myself from Jacks and pressing a kiss to his gorgeous cheek as I hop out of bed. "You don't have to be all big brother about it - it will take six seconds to get ready."

"Clearly, I do have to be all big brother about it!" Rafe protests, opening his arms to the side in his frustration. "Let's go!"

Jackson just smiles as he gets out of the bed next, looking around at the three of us as I scoot off to the bathroom. "Actually," he sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure I mind it so much. The chaos...it's not so bad."

"A true Sinclair," Jesse says, getting out of the bed last and wrapping an arm around his shoulder, beaming at Jacks.

"Wait, what?" Rafe asks, frowning between the two of them.

I just laugh and disappear into the bathroom, letting Jesse handle it.

About an hour later, I'm groaning my misery, absolutely drenched with sweat as I trail after my three gigantic Alpha trainers back into the castle. "Would you hurry up?" Jackson asks, laughing a little as he turns to me. “Breakfast soon, and if we're late there won't be any coffee left."

"I can't," I groan, my feet literally dragging as Jesse and Rafe likewise glance over their shoulders at me, grinning at my pain. "I'm so tired - I am weak after the luxuries of Midwinter - why did you all make me run so fast so soon -"

"You have to be able to keep up, Shrimp!" Jesse calls over his shoulder as Jackson pauses for a second so that I walk at his side. When I still linger behind he wraps an arm around my shoulder, obliging me to pick up the pace, which is terrible.

"He's not wrong," Jackson says, glancing down at me, clearly amused. "Having shorter legs isn't an excuse, Ari."

"Yes it is!" I protest, throwing my arms in the air. "Why am I held to a different standard!? Why do I have to move my body faster just because all of you gigantic freaks just happened to grow longer legs!?"

"Explain that on the battlefield," Jackson murmurs, ignoring my complaints and giving me absolutely no pity. "You can't fall behind just because you're pint sized."

Chapter 0453

I scowl at my mate, and then glance down at myself as we move further into the cool darkness of the castle, making our way to the elevators that will take us back up to our rooms. "I hate that you work out with us now," I mutter. "Before, I was able to be mysterious, to keep my weaknesses hidden -" "No, you weren't," he murmurs calmly as the four of us step into an elevator.

My scowl deepens. "Well, at least you didn't see me all red-faced and sweaty and smelly, as well as slow and weak."

Jackson laughs, shaking his head as the elevator starts to move upward. "You're perfect, Ari," he sighs, bending his arm in half and shocking me by resting his elbow on top of my head, leaning his weight on me like an arm rest. "Perfectly scented, perfectly sized. At least for me, when I need a good leaning post."

My mouth falls open with a squeak of enraged protest as Rafe and Jesse burst into laughter. I shove Jackson away, but we're both laughing too as he stumbles a step to the side, grinning at me as he grabs me into a hug, pulling me to his side. As the door opens on Jackson's floor so he can shower and get changed in his own room, he dips his head lower to give me a kiss. Absently, naturally, I tilt my chin up-

"Whoa, whoa," Rafe says, reaching out and smacking a hand hard against Jackson's chest. "We're back at school, kids. Let's...behave ourselves." Jackson stands straight, going a little pale as he glances into the hallway that is luckily empty. "God, I can't believe I did that," he murmurs, running a hand through his hair as he steps into the dorm hall where his room is located. "Sorry. See you all in a few."

The three of us wave to him as the doors close and the elevator moves up one more floor. "You've got to be more careful, Ari," Rafe says, giving me a stern look.

"Yeah, don't get sloppy now," Jesse says as we step out and move for the twining set of stairs that will lead us up one more floor to our room. "That's my job."

"I know, I know," I sigh, inwardly resolving to be better. "You're right - I'll remember."

My brother and cousin murmur their approval as we arrive on our floor, but we all pause with interest when we see Luca standing by our door, perfectly dressed in a Cadet uniform. Absolutely not sweaty and red-faced like me. I scowl, hating that both of my mates are getting a very non- polished view of their Princess today.

"Oh, thank god," Luca says, turning towards us with worry. "Ari, we've got to go - we've been summoned -"

"What?" I ask, moving immediately for him, Jesse and Rafe following close behind.

Luca holds out a note to me, looking anxiously towards the stairs. "Please," he says, "we're going to be late

Frowning, I take the note out of his hand and am surprised to see my dad's handwriting, asking Luca to collect me and come to a pre-breakfast meeting. I flip the note over, seeking more information, but it's blank.

"What's it for?" Rafe asks, looking between the two of us.

"Look, I don't know," Luca says, clearly anxious, "but can we just go? Your dad hates me enough as it is - I don't want to add tardiness to his list of dislikes -"

"He doesn't hate you, Luca," Rafe protests.

"A discussion for another time!" Luca says swiftly, taking me by the hand, "come on, Ari, let's go!"

"But I have to get changed! And a shower!"

"No time!" Luca pulls me towards the stairs.

"Bring Ari to breakfast!" Rafe calls after Luca and I groan when I realize that I'm not going to get any chance to get cleaned up today. "You're on bodyguard duty!”

“Got it!" Luca calls, and then – hand in hand – we start to fly down the stairs to this mysterious meeting, apparently with my parents.

But what on earth could they want with the two of us?

Chapter 0454

Luca and I fly through the halls of the castle and I have to laugh a little, because there's something fun and exciting about rushing around with my hand warm in my mate's. Luca, feeling it too, sends me a grin over his shoulder even as he moves fast, even as I can still feel his anxiety at facing my father again thrumming in his heart.

I send him a little pulse of love and support as we arrive at the door where our meeting is apparently going to be held and Luca, grateful, gives my hand a squeeze. We slow and Luca raises a hand to knock on the wood when suddenly it opens and, to my shock, a familiar person steps out.

"Tony!" I say, my face bursting into a grin at the boy I saw every week in magic class last semester. "Hi, how are you? It's good to see you!" My heart swells with warmth to see him and, as my eyes sweep over his tall, lanky figure I'm surprised to find that I'd missed him.

"Oh, hey, Ari," Tony says, giving me a distracted smile and glancing again over his shoulder. "Um, are you going in there next? Do you...did you know that the meeting is with...the King and the Queen?"

"Um," I say, giving a little shrug. "Yeah?"

He returns his eyes to me with a frown. "Oh, I forgot they're your...aunt and uncle, right?"

"Yeah," I say, a little awkwardly, reminded again that we need to bring Tony into the loop a little more. Tony returns his eyes to me and then blinks rapidly, leaning away a little as if in surprise. And then he frowns, glancing back towards the room - towards the Queen inside who looks, I'm very aware, exactly like me.

I laugh a little, seeing him put the pieces together and I quickly hope that we have time for a little chat sooner rather than later.

"Hi," Luca says, stepping forward, a little frown on his face as he drops my hand and holds his out to Tony. "I'm Luca Grant. It's nice to meet you." “Holy shit,” Tony says, focusing on Luca for the first time and reaching out to shake his hand. “What a morning for meeting celebrities. It's nice to meet you, man."

The two shake hands warmly and I frown between them. Have they really never met?

"What track are you?" Luca asks, frowning and letting his eyes drift over Tony as he slips his hands into his pockets. "How do you know Ari?" "Um...we have...class together," Tony says, cagey, and I realize that of course Luca doesn't know about Tony being in our magic class - we agreed to keep it a secret. And as I look up at Luca with a frown I realize that...well. That he might not know...anything about any of it. I mean, he was there that day I melted the glass but...

Honestly, have we told him anything? I wrack my brain, trying to remember. I mean, I know that I promised not to tell him Jackson's magical gift but... does he even know about mine?

Feeling my hesitance and slight guilt, Luca turns to look at me with a frown.

Tony takes the opportunity to slip away. "See you in class, Ari!" he calls, waving to me. "Good luck in there!"

"Bye, Tony!" I call after him.

"What's going on?" Luca asks me, stepping closer, looking down into my face. "How do you...how do you know him? Is he espionage?"

"Um, can I tell you later?" I whisper, grimacing a little as I look up at him.

"Ari?" my dad calls from inside the room. Anxious, I glance inside, not wanting to keep him waiting. Luca sighs and gives a shrug, lifting his chin towards the room. Together, we step inside, and Luca closes the door behind us.

To my shock, my mom does not jump up to greet me immediately. Instead, she stares into space a little bit, looking shaken and worried.

 

Chapter 0455

"Mom?" I ask, my voice tense, moving immediately to her side. Dad, too, looks over at mom with concern.

Mom blinks, coming back to herself, and holds out her arms to me as she stands, wrapping me in a warm hug when I come close enough. "Hi, baby," mom murmurs, holding me tight.

"Are you okay, mom?" I ask, pulling back a bit, and studying her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I'm all right," she says with a little sigh, glancing towards the door. "Just..."

I glance towards the door too. As Luca and my dad murmur greetings to each other, Luca reaching across the table to solidly shake his hand.

“Just what?" I ask, ignoring Luca and dad. “Was it something with Tony?"

She sighs and shakes her head - not denying it just...wanting to move on. "It's nothing, Ari - just...a strange interaction."

"What was strange about it?" I push, wanting to know.

“Just, something odd about the way my magic interacted with his," she says with a sigh, shaking her head. "Odd and...intense. I've only experienced something like it once before - my magic calling to someone else's like that - and this time it was very different. A long time ago, before you were born."

"What was odd and intense, mom?" I ask, worried.

"He was just so cold, baby," mom says, turning to me with another sigh. "He felt...god, he felt like...." She looks worriedly towards the door where tony left.

My eyes go wide as I stare at my mother's drawn face. "Like what?"

"It felt like he was...already dead..." she whispers, shaking her head.

I go completely pale. Tony - Tony feels like he's death to her? "You felt that from his magic?"

"Wait, that guy - he's got magic?" Luca asks, his mouth falling open a little as he spins back towards the door.

I grimace, knowing that Luca wasn't supposed to know that. Mom sighs, realizing what she did and clearly feeling guilty about it.

"Let's move on," mom whispers, tugging on my sleeve and gesturing towards the chair next to her. "We wanted to meet with you and Luca about something else - something much better."

I nod, agreeing to move on, but instead of sitting I quickly cross to give my dad a quick hug and a kiss.

"It's a good meeting!" mom says, smiling around at all of us. "No need for all of this seriousness."

"It is serious, Ella," dad says, giving her a little frown as he returns my kiss and I move back to my chair at Luca's side.

"Yes, but it's also fun," she says with a happy sigh, giving me a smile as she folds her hands in her lap. "Spending money is always fun."

Dad sighs and pulls a little folder out of the briefcase at his side, but I can see by the smile pulling at his lips that he's not actually frustrated by mom that he thinks she's funny and right. I beam a little, looking between them, loving their relationship, basking in the glow of it and letting it wipe away the weird thing my mom said about Tony's magic.

“All right,” dad says, firmly placing the folder in front of him and looking between Luca and I. “Let's get started."

I sit up straight, prim and focused, curious and a little nervous. At my side, I can feel that Luca feels largely the same, though his curiosity is run through with a slightly desperate desire to do and say the right thing.

I reach out and take his hand under the table, wanting him to feel my support, my insistence that he doesn't need to impress my dad - that I love him no matter where he stands with my father.

Luca squeezes my palm, interlacing our fingers.