Ch. 531..535: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 531-535

Chapter 0531

Twenty minutes later, when we're fully ensconced in the dreamscape and sitting quietly on the side of the cliff, Jackson looks at me with raised eyebrows. "Well?"

I sigh, letting my exhaustion take me as I look up into Jackson's sapphire eyes. "Rafe got dumped. At least, I think he did. I mean, I'm pretty sure." Jackson just stares at me, his lips parting in his disbelief.

I bite my lip, waiting for him to process it. But he just stays...completely still. "Jacks?" I ask, my face screwing up in confusion. "Are you...okay?"

He starts a little, coming back to himself, blinking rapidly for the first time in like, an entire minute. "I mean...what? Daphne - she broke up with him? Why? Are you sure?"

I shrug. "She kind of...implied that that's what was going to happen, and considering how Rafe looked when he just came back to the room...yeah, Jacks. I'm sure."

He exhales like the air has gone completely out of him, deflated. “Wow, I...I can't believe she did that. What is she even thinking? Rafe is...Rafe is so great."

I smile a little, slipping my hand into his. "Yeah, but she...didn't love him, Jacks. She didn't feel that way about him."

He turns to me with a frown. "Well, why not?"

I grin. "Because she didn't," I say, leaning forward and shaking my head at him. "You can't control your heart, Jacks - no matter how great a person is, like Rafe."

He frowns like he doesn't believe me, or just doesn't get it.

"What," I say, giving him a little nudge down the bond. "What are you thinking? What about that doesn't make sense?"

"I just..." he sighs and looks evenly at me. "I don't get it. Rafe is a great person. I don't see what Daphne thinks is lacking."

"It's not about lacking," I say quietly. "It's just...about who is a match for her. Like with me and you - we each know the other has faults, but," I shrug, "we click. Obviously."

Jackson frowns at me like I'm a little crazy. "Wait, you see faults in me?”

I burst out laughing, totally confused about how he got there from what I just said.

He grins too suddenly, I think realizing the idiculousness of the conversation, and then he quickly gathers me up in his arms, shaking his head as he looks down at me: "Ariel you're an absolutely perfect person - even if you weren't my mate, I'd fall in love with you the second I saw you -"

"The second you realized I was a girl, you mean," I say, narrowing my eyes a little, even as I smile.

"Sure, the moment your elaborate

subterfuge ended, I would just

be...gone," he says, rocking me back a little in his arms, making my heart sing with joy as I fist my hands in his shirt needing something to hold onte as I completely allow myself to be swept away.

“What does that have to do with Daphne?" I ask, letting my eyes flutter shut.

“It means that...” he sighs, "I know that I'm wrong, but I can't help thinking she's a little foolish. Rafe - he's nearly as good as you, as far as great people go -"

I laugh, opening my eyes and looking up at him again.

"And I just...don't get it."

"He wasn't meant for her, Jacks," I murmur, reaching up to cup his cheek in my palm, loving the new stubble that's growing there. "It's different." "Even if you weren't meant for me," he says, quiet seriously, bringing his face close to mine. "Even if I had another mate I would...dump her. When I met you. Because after you, how could another girl ever meet that new standard?"

I burst out laughing again, tugging him closer, loving him even if he's being ridiculous.

"This is nonsense, Jacks -"

"It is not," he insists.

I sigh, looking seriously up at him. "Okay, I give in," I murmur, raising my chin, wanting a kiss and the end to all this talking. "But even if you don't get it. be nice to Daphne, okay? She needed to do this. It felt right to her heart."

“Okay,” Jackson says, nodding and dipping his head to run his cheek along mine. Shivers run through me at the way his stubble rushes against my skin. "I'll be nice. But...." he pulls away a little bit, studying me.

"What?" I ask.

But he just shakes his head, frowning for a moment. "Nothing."

Chapter 0532

 

"No, Jackson," I say, pulling away a second. "What?"

"Nothing," he whispers, his face suddenly a little said. "I was...going to ask you for a promise you couldn't keep. So. I won't ask it."

I tighten my hands in his shirt, desperate to know what it is that he wants, desperate to give it to him -

But how seriously he looks at me right now? I exhale slowly and let it pass. Let him have his secret.

"Please," I whisper, a little desperate to move on from this, tugging him closer to me. "Please kiss me, Jacks."

He leans forward then, pressing his mouth to mine, kissing me long and slow. And as he does, I'm well aware that whatever he asked me for in this moment I'd give to him - no matter how much, or how unfair. And in the distance of the dreamscape, somewhere, my wolf howls -

Because she, too, knows that it's the truth.

Jackson and I kiss for a long time after that, serious and intent, slow - none of our usual eager joking, or laughter, or experiments. Instead, he just holds me close and we pass a great deal of emotion across our bond - devotion and sincerity and assurance.

Because honestly, I think the situation between Rafe and Daphne freaked us both out - reminded us that...relationships can end.

And that both he and Luca have asked me to end one of my relationships.

So, at some point...it's going to have to happen, for me at least. And even though he tries to hide it away, I can feel that Jackson is hoping with quite real desperation that it's not him who has to collapse into his bed like Rafe did tonight.

That...that he's worried that losing me might actually kill him.

“Don't think that,” I say, my lower lip shaking a little as I break our kiss, holding on to him quite tight like he might fly away.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, dropping his head, I think a bit ashamed that I sensed that worry.

"It's - don't be sorry, Jacks," I murmur, stroking my hands through his hair. "Just - you don't need to think about it, okay? It's..."

I hold myself before I say "it's not

going to happen," even though that's truly what I'm thinking and feeling Because if I say that say that out

—

loud to him, and mean it - promise it - doesn't that mean that I've chosen him? That I'm leaving Luca?

And I am absolutely not at all ready to do that.

Jackson turns his head away from me, in turn sensing more than I want him to, and I sigh, falling back a bit on the soft grass on which we're laying.

"Can we...just change the subject, Jacks?" I say quietly, rubbing a hand up and down his arm. "It's been a lot tonight - a lot of emotion. We can face it again when we feel...clearer."

He nods, I think hoping that I'm right, and then he exhales and turns towards me, doing his very best to move on as I suggest.

"What do you want to talk about

instead?" he says, a little smile

coming to his mouth, running a hand

l.ne

down the length of my body - apparently not done touching me, even if we have taken a break from the kissing.

-

"Hmm," I say, breaking into a grin when I immediately stumble onto a topic one that surprises even me Jacks, sensing my cheer, leans inte it, likewise wanting the distraction. "I can think of something," I say, quite low and teasing, wiggling my hips a little as his hand slips down over them.

"Oh yeah?" he murmurs, coming closer so his body leans over mine in that way I particularly like. "Think of what?"

“Come here," I whisper, crooking a finger towards him.

Jacks lowers his head and I take his face in my hands - his gorgeous face, so precious to me - and tilt his head to the side, bringing my lips quite close to his ear.

"Jacks," I whisper, breathy and light. "Can you..."

He growls, low in his throat, ready to say yes to whatever I ask.

I grin, unable to help myself. "Can you teach me to read battle schematics? Like you did with Luca tonight?"

I feel Jackson's utter surprise as he bolts up straight, staring at me like I'm crazy. "What!?"

And I can't help it - I burst out laughing, rocking back and forth with it while Jacks holds me in his arms.

Chapter 0533

"Ariel!" The word bursts from Jackson even as he grins, I think swept away by my laughter even as he's confused by the direction of my thoughts. "Seriously, what are you talking about? What on earth makes you want to do that?"

"I was jealous!" I say, throwing my hands out, my laughter subsiding. "When you were teaching Luca - it was so interesting! And I - I don't know any of it! And it's very clear that you all have this like, cool, super useful knowledge of battle strategy that I don't have - and I want to know it, and I feel left out!"

"Ariel," Jackson says with a sigh, taking a second to run his fingers through my messy hair - which he had a great deal of involvement in messing, I mentally note - sorting it out and tucking it back behind my ears. "You don't need to know that stuff -"

"I do too!"

"And when would you even study it?" he asks, frowning at me. "I mean, I'm happy to teach you how to read the maps and about the old battles - I would love to do that. I just...you're already so busy with studies. When would we fit it in?"

“WellIII,” I say, grinning a little wickedly as I look around at our surroundings. "What about here?"

Jackson just stares at me for a second. "Seriously, Ari?" he asks. “You have a magical dream state where you can take your mate and do literally whatever you can imagine...and you want to use it to...study?"

"Well, considering you won't have sex with me," I say, sitting up very primly and giving him a neat little glare. There's a beat and then Jackson roars with laughter when he realizes that I'm right.

"Yes, Jacks!” I say, laughing too and giving him a shove on the shoulder that brings his attention back to me. "You can just teach me a little bit every night - and we can cuddle while you teach me and then make out after."

A slow smile takes his lips. "And...how do you propose that we do the actual studying? We don't have the maps."

I twist my mouth to the side and then look up into the sky, holding my hands out.

Suddenly - much faster than I expected – a heavy weight hits my hands and Jackson flinches back a bit, staring at the textbook that just materialized there.

"What...what the hell," he says, staring at it with wide eyes.

"I mean, it's empty," I murmur, opening the book and letting him see the fresh white pages. "But I figure...maybe you can fill it in? You know it all by memory, don't you?"

Jackson stares at the book for a second and then reaches out a hesitant finger, touching it. The page ripples almost like the surface of water and I squeak in surprise as, suddenly, a map materializes on the page.

"This is insane," he whispers, baffled and - I can tell - just a little bit thrilled that this is even possible.

"It's so cool!” squeak, holding the

book closer to him with one hand and staring at the map. "Okay, so

like, what do these marks mean? et

And these numbers?" I trace my fingers over the map, trying to the action and decode the

hollow

meanings.

"Ariel," Jackson murmurs, gently taking the book from my hands and setting it aside. Then he loops his arms around me, folding his hands together behind my lower back so that I Can lean against them and still look into his face. "Do you think that you're... pushing it, a little bit? With everything that you've got on your plate already?"

"Jackson McClintock," I snap, whipping a finger into his face, "if you even try to tell me what I'm capable of handling -"

But my words stop mid-sentence when I feel Jackson's wolf give a little warning rumble. Jackson raises one eyebrow, and tilts his head at me, silently asking me to listen.

I just stare at him, my mouth open a little.

"I am not telling you anything," he says quietly, even. "I'm just asking you to consider your limits. If you tell me you're not passing them, I'll believe you."

I blush a little to have jumped to conclusions and I let my finger drop, biting my lip as I consider his question.

et

"You fall asleep in like half a second tonight, Ari," Jackson says quietly, looking over my face, considering me. “And you basically fall asleep with a pen in your hands, because you study up until the moment you go to bed. Then you wake up early for sniping practice... is it worth it, to add more when it's not necessary? Should you save this for another time and use the dream state just to

rest?"

I tilt my head to the side, considering his words. "Well, it's not like I get a ton of rest in the dream state," I murmur, scootching a little closer to him and wiggling my butt a little in his lap to make my point.

Chapter 0534

He laughs, tightening his arms, pulling me a bit closer.

"But Jacks," I say on a sigh, looking up at him. "If you can pass me energy in the morning after our runs and that keeps me going all day...shouldn't I take advantage of it? I mean, not forever, but right now our time is limited and I want to learn everything fast. If I can learn something that is useful - that will help us in this war..." I pause, giving a shrug, letting him finish the sentence on his own.

Jacks huffs a small sigh and I can feel his internal wish I would rest for my own sake - but it's all very fleeting as he pulls me closer, giving me another one of those long and slow kisses that makes me wonder why the hell I want to study at all when I could just do this all day.

When he breaks it, though, Jacks is smiling. I loop my arms around his neck, smiling back. "My clever, determined girl," he murmurs, raising a hand to stroke my cheek. "I'm very proud of you and all your hard work, even if all your plans are predicated on stealing my energy in the morning."

I burst out laughing. "You have more than enough!"

"It doesn't come from nowhere," he says, grinning at me. "I worked hard to build up those stores of energy that keep me going for weeks."

I frown a bit because - well, isn't it magic? "You worked hard? Where does it come from? It doesn't...hurt you, does it, when you give it to me?" "No, it doesn't hurt. It comes from food," he says, nodding to me. "I'll have to eat more if I'm giving you energy too."

"How much more?" I ask, my eyes a bit wide, worried.

He laughs a little. "Like, one more croissant in the morning, Ariel - you're very small -"

"Jackson!" I gasp, giving him a little smack and then a growl. "You had me feeling all selfish -"

"It is a burden, Ariel - you know Jesse takes all the croissants first thing when we sit down, I'm going to have to fight him for it. My friendships are at risk -"

"Oh, you poor thing," I say, deeply sarcastic as my guilt drops from me in the same moment that I drop my arms from my mate's neck, rolling my eyes and beginning to turn in his lap. "Poor Jackson needs a double helping of delicious potatoes and eggs at breakfast! Oh, what a martyr!"

He laughs and then snarls playfully, pulling my back tight against his chest as I grab for the book and open it again in my lap.

net

"Quit feeling sorry for yourself, big puppy," I say If the worst sacrifice you're going to have to make for my continued education is double cinnamon rolls? You can deal with it. Now sigh happily, looking down at the book as I feel his laughter résonating in his chest. "Where do we start?"

"Here," Jackson murmurs, pressing a kiss to my neck and pointing to the page, where a river - marked in blue - runs.

I pay rapt attention as my brilliant, super-hot command-specialized mate begins to teach me everything he knows about battle strategy.

Our lesson goes for a long time,

mostly because both of us get really

engrossed in the content. As soon

et

as I start to figure out the logic behind the battle history maps I get really excited, starting to see how they use visual symbols to encode not only what happened, but also the complicated choices that the commanders made along the

course of the battle.

"So, what happens next?" Jackson murmurs, taking on the role of teacher and quizzing me as he points to the arrow labeled "9," very close to the end of the battle.

I exhale, leaning forward, studying the symbols around the number as well as the terrain, trying to determine...

But I sit up stark straight in the same moment that Jackson does, both of us going rigid as we hear a panicked yell echoing all around us.

"What the hell is that?" I breathe, panicked in turn, my head turning everywhere looking for the source of it - but -

I mean, nothing in the dreamscape has changed -

Jackson's arms tighten around my waist as drop the book. "I don't think it's here, Ariel," Jackson says, his voice tight. "Quick, wake up, I think it's -"

But he's interrupted when the shout comes again - louder now, unending - terror and panic and a cry for help -

And I shout too, because I recognize it this time - the sound of my cousin shouting -

I grit my teeth and press my eyes shut, willing myself awake.

Chapter 0535

 

My eyes fly open in the real world and I'm instantly in action, as is Jackson – because the shouts here?

God, they're even louder and more panicked than those we heard dreaming.

I leap out of bed, ripping the curtain open, already starting across the room when I stumble over my own feet, my jaw dropping open when I see the sight before me.

Rafe - already across the room - staring helplessly at Jesse's bedside as our cousin sits up in bed, his arms held out in front of him, shouting in his panic as shadows writhe all around him - moving in circles around his arms like snakes, encircling his waist, his torso -

Even wrapping around his neck -

"Holy shit," Jackson whispers behind me, but then he barrels past me over to Jesse's bed, reaching for him.

I follow, urging my feet faster, running to Rafe's side as Jackson leaps onto the bed, skidding to a stop in front of Jesse and reaching for him, but not touching him not yet.

"Jesse!" Jackson shouts, "stop screaming!"

Jesse just looks at Jackson like he's insane and keeps going.

"What happened!?" I gasp, grabbing hold of Rafe's arm and looking up into his face.

"I have no idea!" Rafe exclaims, staring at Jesse, looking more confused and at a loss for what to do than I've perhaps ever seen him. "I just - he started screaming and I woke up!"

"Jesse!" Jackson roars, clenching his fist in front of Jesse's face, the Alpha command loud in his voice.

Something about it works, snapping Jesse out of it, and his shout fades.

"What is this," Jackson snarls, menace in his tones, though I know it's not for Jesse - it's for anyone that did this to him - is trying to hurt him -

I wrap my arms around the bulk of Rafe's arm while my brother stands stock straight, terrified, both of us staring at Jesse and Jackson.

"I - I don't know!" Jesse says as the shadows continue to writhe, slow and menacing, all around his limbs, his neck, his hair. I watch them, the serpentine way that they move, trying to figure them out -

And as I search for the beginning and end of them I notice...

My eyes go wide with shock as I realize that the shadows are leaking from Jesse himself - from his pores, and his nose, his mouth, his eyes. Jesse's gaze darts to me when he hears my little gasp before I stop breathing completely, horrified.

“Jesse, pay attention to me," Jackson commands, drawing Jesse's eyes back to him. "Are you in pain? Or are you just scared?"

Jesse takes a moment, panting, his eyes darting from side to side, more shadows puffing out of his mouth with each breath, smokey grey and diaphanous, slipping downward to get caught up in the eddies of his other shadows, which continue to move.

"They're...they don't hurt," he says, the words spilling out of him in a raspy stutter as he - I think - comes to the realization himself.

I feel some of the tension go out of Rafe as Jesse says this and I feel a similar sense of relief rushing through me.

"Jess," Jackson says quietly,

hesitating for only half a second before he reaches forward, putting his hand flat on my cousin's chest But Jackson doesn't look down at his hand, even as the shadows begin to curl curiously around it, licking at his skin like they're... they're testing him, even sniffing him.

Jesse starts to breathe easier, glancing down at Jackson's hand, seeing that he's not hurt either.

"I don't think this is bad, okay?" Jackson says, his voice much calmer now, infusing calm into the whole room. "I think...these shadows are yours." Jesse's eyes go as wide as mine now and we all stare at Jackson, completely shocked.

"What?" Rafe breathes, barely audible.

"I wondered," Jackson murmurs, glancing over at Rafe before returning his eyes to Jesse. "What his magic would be, since his magical affinities are darkness and spirit, heavy on the darkness. I mean, something like this...it makes sense, right?"

We all just stare at him.

Because, I mean...I had forgotten about that completely.

"Why do none of you read the textbooks," Jackson mutters, shaking his head and turning his full attention back to Jesse. "Concentrate on me, Jess, okay?"

Jesse draws in a deep breath,

sucking in some of the shadows

along with it, but he nods shakily to Jackson as he does. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the shadows begin to slow in their rotation and I realize, wide-eyed, that Jackson is right that the shadows are tied to Jesse. As Jesse calms, so do they.

"This happens, okay?" Jackson says, nodding slowly and talking soft, like you would to a scared animal. "It's a magical Burst - your magic all flying

at once because you don't know how to manage it yet. It happened to me all the time when my magic first manifested."

"You - you know what your magic is!?" Jesse gasps, his mouth falling open, shadows sucking in and then tumbling out in a way that makes my stomach turn.