Ch. 551..555: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 551-555

Chapter 0551

"Nope," my mom says, beaming around at all of us. “Cora and I are going to take over your magic class! Isn't that great!? We're going to be your new professors!"

We all look around at her, our mouths open, because...

How on earth is this ever going to work?

Silence reigns in the room, even as mom beams around at all of us. After a few second, her face drops a little. "What?" she asks, looking around. "What's wrong with that?"

"Mom, how on earth are you going to do that?" Rafe asks, shaking his head at her. "You're a Queen - you can't just drop everything to come and hang out with us. I mean, dad couldn't get away from the war for even a couple of hours today - and you're proposing to what, come live here?" "No, your father would miss me too much if I came to live here," mom says with a scowl, smacking Rafe on the arm.

"Not to mention your other two children," Cora says, dry. "Remember them? Juniper and Mark?"

"Oh, they wouldn't miss me," mom says, again waving a dismissive hand that makes me smile. “Though they do need me. No, Rafe, obviously Cora and I will just come once a week to work with you. We'll take the helicopter with Hank when he comes to work with Jackson."

"Who's Hank?" Tony asks, sitting forward with interest.

"My mom's human ex-boyfriend," Jesse whispers loudly, making me burst into a grin.

Cora gasps a little, turning to smack Jesse on the shoulder. "A very well-respected doctor who is working with Jackson on..." he hesitates now and looks between Jackson and Tony. "A side project."

"You royals just get...more interesting as the minutes pass," Tony says, grinning widely and leaning back into the couch, looking around.

Rafe narrows his eyes at Tony, suspicious. But Tony either doesn't see it or ignores it. I scowl a little, annoyed at Rafe for still suspecting Tony when I already trust him with my whole heart - something in my instincts telling me to do so. I catch my mom's eye in that moment and she smirks and gives me a little nod, letting me know she feels the same even if...

Well. Even if her own magic did have a strange reaction to his. What could that have been, anyway? Like death...

“Well, let's get started," Cora says with a sigh, leaning forward and peering around at us, the more scholarly and analytical side of my aunt coming forward, I think a bit eager to have a problem to work on.

"Wait, mom," Jesse says, putting out a hand towards her. "Obviously, I'm pumped at the idea of you coming here every week to work with us but..." he hesitates, looking between his mother and his aunt, "what on earth qualifies you to be our professor?"

Cora stares at her son for a moment, eyebrow raised, clearly silently asking him if he wants to re-think that question. Jesse bursts into a grin, I think both entertained and slightly terrified of his mother in this instant.

"I think what qualifies us, nephew-mine," mom says, likewise a little miffed, "is first that both Cora and I are experienced magic users, and second... that no one else wants the job."

"What?" I ask, leaning forward, laughing a little.

"Alvez was one of like, two

applicants we got when we advertised this a few years ago," mom says, laughing. "And he was nice! At least...before he got possessed." She shrugs. "There are not a lot of magic users out there, and those who are aren't precisely thrilled at the idea of moving to a remote castle to secretly teach a bunch of Alpha boys."

"And girls, now,” I say, holding up my cookie in a little toast to myself.

“And girl,” mom agrees, giving me a wink and holding her own cookie up towards mine. We pretend to clink them and then laugh, taking bites. Everyone ignores us.

“Any other questions, beloved first-born?" Cora asks, turning towards Jesse.

"Yes, actually," he says with a wry smile, turning towards his mom with his arms crossed, clearly about to quiz her about her qualifications. But before he can, Cora just raises her eyebrow again, lifts her hand and snaps her fingers once.

Instantly, a cloud appears above Jesse and dumps a great deal of rain all over him in a single gush, making him gasp and leap out of his seat as a tiny, adorable grumble of thunder rolls through the room.

 

Chapter 0552

The rest of us burst into laughter as Jesse skitters like a wet cat, panting as he looks down at himself, soaked to the skin with freezing water.

"Anyone else?" Cora asks, grinning around at the group of us. We all just keep laughing, shaking our heads no, I think all kind of thrilled at the change in professors. I mean, I know that Cora and mom don't know much about the practical theory of magic - at least, as far as I know - but we do know that they care and will try their best.

"I will have my revenge on you, mother," Jesse snaps, flicking water at her with his fingers as he strides away towards the bathroom, his boots squelching ridiculously as he goes, sending the rest of us again into another collective fit of laughter. "I have shadow magic now!" Jesse calls over his shoulder. "I'll...do something with that!"

"Can't wait to see what you've got, baby," Cora calls to him, dry, as she waves over her shoulder.

Rafe sighs and heads over to Jesse's chest of drawers, clearly planning to get him a dry uniform to change into. "We're all having a very nice lunch and all," he says, dry. "But could we please try to come up with a plan? Ariel was seriously attacked by a dark god this morning," he reminds us, his voice a little frustrated. "We need to...think about what it means that he was here, this whole time, apparently lurking and learning about what the five of us can do."

We all turn back to each other then, properly chastised as Rafe carries the clean uniform to the bathroom and raps on the door, trading the clothing to Jesse for a towel with which to sop up the water on the arm chair. But to his surprise - to all of ours, really - Cora just flicks her hand and evaporates the water on the chair into another little rain cloud and then sends it whipping towards the window.

"Could you open that, Rafe?" Cora asks, her voice peaceful.

Rafe gapes at her for a second and then walks to the window, opening it and letting the little cloud zoom out. "I didn't know you could do that," he murmurs, watching the cloud go, I think as impressed as the rest of us.

"There's a lot you don't know about me and what I can do," Cora says with a happy sigh as Jesse comes back out of the bathroom, changed but with bare feet. She looks around at the rest of us with interest as my cousin and my brother settle back down in our little circle. "Now. Let's talk about what you can do."

We go around the room then, bringing mom and Cora up to date on our magical skills and our progress. Even Jackson confesses willingly, letting Tony in on the secret of his magic that he's been keeping close to his chest all year. Then Cora and mom quiz us about every detail of what happened this morning - both about Jesse's power development as well as the appearance of the dark God. By the time we've finished turning over every detail, hours have passed. We've mostly cleared the table of its food, night is falling outside the windows, and honestly...I'm feeling myself a little ready for dinner.

And even though we're all feeling a little exhausted, Rafe looks down into his lap more frustrated than the rest of us. Isigh, looking at my brother, hoping his frustration being the only one who hasn't developed his gift yet isn't eating away at him too much. Mon puts aencouraging hand on his knee but otherwise ignores him, I think realizing that to talk about it with everyone would just embarrass him right now.

"You guys are all so cute," my mom says, beaming around at all of us and shaking her head. "And so powerful and so rich with potential. But mostly cute."

"Aunt Ella, you're our professor now," Jesse says, comfortable again and lounging across his chair with one leg over the arm like he usually does. "It's creepy for you to call us cute."

"No it's not, I'm a Queen, it trumps professor. I can say what I want. Plus, you all really are so cute." She clasps her hands beneath her chin and sighs with happiness.

"Tony is creeped out," Jesse says, pointing at Tony. "So is Jackson."

"No, I'm not," Jackson counters immediately, even as he smirks.

"Ridiculous," mom says, wrinkling her nose at Jesse and then Tony in turn. The way Tony grins back at mom I can tell that he, like Jackson before him, is already falling under her spell. "Besides, I can't wait to work with Tony. His magic is more akin to mine - connected to the body."

"Yes, you take Tony and Jackson," Cora says thoughtfully, looking around the group. "I'll take Ariel and this bag of bones," she says, leaning forward to smack Jesse's foot as it hangs over the arm of his chair and making him grin.

“What about me?” Rafe asks with a sigh, looking up between our mom and our aunt.

"We'll pass you back and forth," Cora says happily, beaming at her nephew encouragingly. "Until we figure something out to spark your gift."

 

 

Chapter 0553

 

"Well, what is that going to be?" Rafe asks, casting out a frustrated hand. "Nothing's worked so far."

“Actually," Cora murmurs, leaning forward and peering between us all. "I kind of...have a theory about that."

"Really?" Rafe asks, eager. "Well, what is it?"

"Oh, we'll discuss tomorrow," Cora says with a sigh, standing up and stretching her hands up over her head. "I want to take the evening to compare notes with my sister and co-Professor."

Mom's eyes go wide. "We were supposed to take notes?"

Cora laughs, reaching a hand out for her. "Mental notes are fine, Ella. Come on, let's go eat dinner and get some rest, check in with our husbands and let them know the heir, the spare, and the profligate duke are alive and well."

"The wordplay," Tony murmurs from his spot on the couch, looking between Cora and Jesse, “makes more sense now."

"You haven't met his dad," Jackson replies, dry. I grin and press myself more completely to my mate's side as Cora crosses to mom, holding a hand out.

"Why do we have to go?" mom whines, looking around at all of her favorites. "We were having fun - we can have dinner here!" she nods eagerly, looking around at all of us. "Maybe call Daphne up? I haven't seen her in..."

Mom's words fade off as Rafe looks bitterly away, as the rest of us - Tony excepted - go quiet.

"Who's Daphne?" Tony whispers to Jackson. But Jackson just quickly shakes his head no and Tony gives a little grimace.

"Ella," Cora says, raising an eyebrow and further extending her hand. "Time to leave the children alone. They have a draft to do in the morning and these two -" she points between Rafe and Jacks, "have a lot to think about."

I whip my head to Rafe, my mouth hanging open because - is that seriously tomorrow!? I groan again, angry at myself, because - as the Captain rightly pointed out - it's my job to ensure that I know these details.

Still. Would have been nice if someone had bothered to keep me up to date. I've been very busy.

"But I like them," mom says with a pout, looking sorrowfully up at Cora even as she takes her hand.

"And why you tell them that is a great mystery to me," Cora sighs, pulling mom to her feet, even as she grins. "You know you get more from them when they fear you and crave your love."

"You are a dark sorceress," mom sighs, giving Cora and little glare and then opening out her arms to us. "Hugs, all around, from the good witch in the group. And then we'll see you tomorrow."

I'm in my mom's arms first, giving her a big hug, whispering to her that I'm very glad that she's here, clinging to her a bit. Mom - she really does make everything better, and after our rather harrowing morning I have to admit that I don't really want to see her go.

Still, Rafe peels me away from her after a minute, wanting his own goodbye.

I sigh, crossing my arms and looking up at Tony, who I find at my side. “Sorry if this was weird,” I say, grimacing a little. "But...welcome to the group, whether you wanted it or not."

"Oh, I want it," he says quietly,

looking down at me with his eyebrows raised. "I'm not sure I knew I did but..." he sighs, running a hand through his black hair, I think putting his thoughts together as he does. "There's something about this little magical group, isn't there? I'm at home here in a way I'm not elsewhere." He shrugs and then blushes a little, I think embarrassed to have admitted so much.

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grin, though, delighted to have him here, and I lean closer to him, knocking into him with my shoulder. He stumbles to the side a little, laughing, and I'm quite gratified that he moved at all. Tony is lankier than the other Alphas in our group- slimmer and less muscled, though still quite tall. “We like you, Tony."

He looks down at me with a grin. “I like you too, Ariel. And the rest of them. Although..." he frowns a bit, looking towards my brother. "Rafe, I think, is not sold on me yet."

I look around at the rest of the group

as well, noting the way that Jesse stands close to his mom, an arm casually around her shoulder as they chat, clearly deeply connected in their own way despite her pranks and his swears of revenge. And then to Rafe and my mom, and Jackson standing with them, the devotion between all three. Happiness and pride swells through me at the sight of them all.

"Rafe is protective," I say with a shrug as mom shifts her attention from Rafe to Jackson, standing on her toes to give him a hug as well. "Just...give him time."

"If you say so," Tony says with a sigh. But then, as mom releases Jackson and turns towards Tony, he gives me a wink and moves forward to shake my mom's hand. He laughs, though, when she swats his hand away and wraps him up in a hug as well.

Chapter 0554

After mom, Cora, and Tony leave, I send an experimental shout down my bond to Luca telling him to come up for dinner. I mean, we're too far apart right now for us to pass emotions, but Jackson heard my wolf all the way from his room before - can Luca do the same?

As I begin to clear the plates from the table and send them down in the dumbwaiter, wondering if I'll have to just go downstairs myself and grab Luca and Ben, I'm startled a bit out of my thoughts when Jackson places a gentle hand on my back. I jump a bit, nearly dropping the plates in my hand, as I snap my head up to look at him.

Jackson grins down at me. “You have to get better at paying attention to your surroundings if you're going to be an effective spy,” he murmurs, though there's no real critique in his words. I grin, stepping closer to him as he starts to take the plates from my hands, wanting to help.

"How do you know that looking distracted wasn't just part of my cover? That I wanted you to think I was distracted so I could lure you in?" "Because," he says dryly, smirking at me as we walk towards the dumbwaiter together. "I could feel your worry down the bond."

I scowl as he pulls open the tiny elevator's door and we begin to stack the dirty plates inside. "Yeah well," I sigh. "A real target wouldn't be able to feel my emotions."

"Good," Jackson growls as we finish stacking plates. "I'm selfish about those - I like keeping that all to myself." I grin as Jackson pushes the dumbwaiter door shut and presses the button for the little bell that's next to the door before putting a hand on my hip, pulling me towards him as he sits down on Rafe's bed and looks seriously into my face, settling me so that I'm standing between his knees. "Seriously, Ariel? What's wrong?" I bite my lip and shrug. "It was...just a scary morning, wasn't it?"

Jackson shakes his head, raising a hand so that his thumb brushes over my cheek. “I know it's more than that,” he whispers. And I close my eyes, a whoosh of air coming from between my lips as I let myself remember it, let myself...notice it.

This new thing that's awake in me now, a darkness that curls and smirks just...just like he did. I lean a little closer to Jackson, wanting him near, and his hands are instantly there, folding neatly around my

waist, holding me steady.

"I want to tell you," I whisper, nodding. "But...I want to tell mom as well. Is that okay? If I told you both together, tomorrow?"

"Of course," he answers, moving his hands around my back and letting me fall against him, wrapping me up in a tight hug that does wonders for my fears.

I sigh, tucking my head close against him, my forehead resting against his neck as I take a deep breath of his scent. Jackson who is just...so good to me. And so safe. The darkness is still there, but in Jackson's arms it seems to matter less.

"Of course, Ariel," Jackson murmurs, running his hand softly up and down my back. "Whatever you want, love." I nod my head against him, taking one deep breath after another.

But a minute or two later, I raise my head when I hear the door creak open.

"Um," Ben calls out, peeking into the room. "Don't you guys feel like you should start...locking this? Or something?"

I grin, standing up straighter, peering towards the door with a bit of delight as I see Luca come into the room after him.

"Oh, well, if the door couldn't hold

back Jackson and Luca," Jesse answers, dry, looking up from his spot at the center of the room where he and Rafe are breaking up what's left of the old door, "then what's the point of a lock?" Ben and Luca laugh as they come in and immediately help my brother and cousin stack the pieces of the door up by the fire, where I can use them as firewood.

"How'd you two know when it was time to come up?" Rafe asks, peering interestedly at Luca and Ben as Jackson and I make our way over, greeting our friends.

Chapter 0555

 

"Oh, I just had a little feeling, like a voice on the wind," Luca says with a happy sigh, gathering me up into his arms for a hug and beaming down at me. "That was cool, by the way. I didn't know we could talk that far."

"Well apparently we can!" I say, laughing a little, likewise pleased. Subtly, in my heart, I feel Jackson close down our connection, though - not wanting me to have full access to how my increasing connection with Luca makes him feel. Still, the fact that he needed to close it down at all...kind of tells me what I need to know.

Still, I put it aside, knowing that it's not going to do much to address it now.

"So," I say, putting my hands on my hips and looking between Luca and Ben. "How are we handling this?"

"You two," Rafe says, pointing between me and Jesse, “are filling in these two," he gestures at Luca and Ben.

"Are we?" Jesse asks, curious.

"Yes, because we two," Rafe continues, pointing now between himself and Jackson. "Need to get our strategy together for the draft."

"Right," Jackson says with a sigh, dropping his head into his hand and then dragging his palm down over the length of his face. "I can't believe...we have to do all of that. After everything that happened today."

"Life keeps moving, even if we have a weird morning," Rafe sighs, likewise shaking his head a little and looking tired.

"Weird morning," Ben says, hands on his hips. "Seriously? That's how you're categorizing it after the door got shattered and the Queen got summoned, and Rafe was all...put through a meat grinder? And...did...I mean did I see it right? Does Jesse have some kind of weird...shadow?"

“I mean, sort of,” I say with a sigh, slipping a hand around Ben's waist and pulling him towards the couch. "Come on, Jesse and I will catch you up. But also," I turn towards my brother and Jackson even as they start over towards Rafe's bed, where they'll work tonight. "Can you guys make sure you put Tony on our draft team?"

"Seriously?" Rafe asks, turning to stare at me. “You want Tony? Even though we've...never worked with him?"

"We have worked with him all year, Rafe," I say, snapping my hands immediately to my waist. "Plus, he is our friend!"

"Being our friend does not mean he's a good strategic pick for the draft, Ariel," Rafe counters, frowning at me. "Besides, he's your friend- I still don't get the guy."

"Tony is trustworthy," I counter, crossing my arms and glaring at Rafe. "What's there to get?"

"Why do you think he's so trustworthy, Ariel?" Rafe asks, taking a step towards me, glaring back. "We barely know him!"

"Oh, we know him," I say, waving a dismissive hand that makes me feel like mom. "Besides, I just know!"

"Your gut feeling aside, Ariel,"

Jackson says his arms folded over his chest as he looks warily between Rafe and me. "I'm not sure how important it's going to be to have an another ambassador on our team," he says, giving me an apologetic shrug. "Especially if we already have Ben."

"Wait, what?" Ben asks, stepping forward to peer at Jacks.

Jackson just stands still, looking at Ben. "You're going to need to tell me what part of that was confusing."

"Um, the part where you said that Tony guy was an ambassador," he says, taking a step towards Rafe and Jacks, peering at them curiously. "He's not a warrior?"

"He is not a warrior," Luca replies, frowning at Tony now in turn. "He'd have been in our classes."

"Well, he's not an ambassador," Ben

says, giving us a shrug. "I mean, I

always thought he was a

et

little...scrawny, for a warrior. But he wasn't in my class, and Ariel would have mentioned him as an espionage Cadet. Right?"

Everyone turns to me then as my mouth falls open and I shake my head. Because he is certainly not an Espionage cadet.

So...what the hell is he?