Ch. 681..685: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 681-685

Chapter 0681

Jackson walks at my side as we all together troop out of the castle. He doesn't need to say anything at all for me to know that he's dead proud of me, and thinks I'm amazing, and eloquent, and finally stepping into my power. No, I can tell all of that simply by the way he stands steady at my side, by how his wolf prowls around mine in a predatory circle, snarling with a happy possessiveness that fills me with a great deal of joy.

Rafe walks at my other side, his shoulders back and his chin high. He looks down at me as Jesse moves ahead with the Captain, leading us to where we went yesterday with mom and Cora.

"Proud of you, trouble," Rafe murmurs, just loud enough for me to hear, brushing the back of my hand with his. "You look like mom, but you talk like dad. Scary stuff."

I beam up at my brother, laughing a little, taking his words for the high compliment that they are.

"Does that mean you look like dad and talk like mom?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him.

He bursts out laughing and knocks his shoulder into me, sending me bouncing into Jackson, who holds me steady. But I just grin and look at my brother, who shakes his head at me. "Yeah, if I start telling everyone how adorable they are and start calling them 'Meatball,' then you can start to worry."

I grin and glance over my shoulder at where Daphne and Tony follow, whispering eagerly with Ben. Luca walks alongside them, stoic and quiet. I send a questioning pulse down our bond and he immediately sends back a warm beat of support. I nod to him and turn my attention forward, knowing I'm liable to trip in the falling dark, but still - even as I do, I can tell that Luca's walls are up again.

That whatever is happening with me, I can tell that Luca's uncomfortable with it, even if he doesn't want to be.

When we get to the secluded area, the sun very nearly down at this point, Jesse hesitates, gesturing towards the mostly-burned pile of wood from the bonfire yesterday. "Ari, what do you want to do here?" he asks. "Should we go into the woods and get more, or -"

"Oh, no, that will do!" I say, quite cheerful, moving to my cousin's side. "That's plenty."

"How?" the Captain asks, frowning at me. "You said fire capable of burning down cities - and that's all you need?"

"I just need something to burn to start the fire," I say casually, gesturing towards Jacks with my thumb, "everything else comes from him."

Jackson gives the Captain a happy little nod before taking my hand.

The Captain sighs, looking down at our joined hands but clearly willing himself to get used to it. "All right, whatever. Go ahead, Cadet - you've got my attention, show me what you've got."

"Okay!" I say, reaching out my other hand to take Jesse's.

He looks at me in surprise. "You don't want -"

"Nope, want you right here," I say, giving his hand a squeeze and looking over my shoulder. "Luca, could you stand behind?" I ask. He nods and comes forward in silence, raising a hand and placing it on the back of my neck like Jesse did yesterday. As he does I feel him let the wall down - just a little bit, just

enough.

I give my mate a grin before peering for Tony. "Will you stand close?" I ask, my eyebrows going up. "In case I need you?"

He nods and takes a step closer to me. "Cooler's right here, babe."

et

The Captain raises his eyebrows at Tony's perhaps too-casual nickname, and Tony laughs for a second think having forgotten that we're not in magic class with the Queen and the Duchess and the same jokes don't carry. Rafe Daphne, and Ben all stand together a few steps away, Daphne and Ben looking desperately interested, Rafe just looking proud. Content belongs

Settled and confident, I take a deep breath. "Everyone ready?" I ask, eager to show the captain but also excited to work with the magic again. My wolf yips happily in my soul, pouncing around, ready for the show.

"Fire first," I murmur, letting everyone in on the plans. "Then wind and shadows."

Then without another word I begin

net

to draw on my magic and my bonds with my mates, starting to burn. It all happens very quickly this time, the fire leaping to life and then beginning to swirl in the air. Jesse holds off for a minute, letting the conflagration grow higher and higher as I pull on both Jackson's magic to give it power and my connection to Luca to let it fly.

 

Chapter 0682

At night, the whole thing is a great deal more powerful and stunning, a red and burning whirlwind that reaches for the sky. I play with it more this time, making it hotter so that we can all feel the heat radiating off of it, experimenting with the brightness and the colors, pushing it this way and that to see how much I can move it around. I'm quite pleased when I see that I can use Luca's wind to blow it like an actual tornado, whipping it around the open space before us, though of course I'm careful to keep it from getting too close.

"Hooolly fuck," the Captain whispers. I glance over at him, desperately pleased to be able to make such a stunning point. He looks over at me as well. "Can you...can you talk to me while you do that?"

"Sure," I say with a shrug. "It doesn't need my full concentration."

"What more can you do with it?" He asks, eager. "Can it go...wide, as well as tall?”

I tilt my head to the side, experimenting, and am desperately pleased when the fire goes wide and low, creating a wide ring on the ground instead of a tall funnel.

"God damn it," the Captain says, his face bursting into a grin. Then he looks over at me. "How...how big can it get?"

I glance over at Jackson who looks down at me, quite casual. "I've got... acres of power left in me, Ari. I'm not kidding when I say this is a croissant." When I look back at the Captain his face is twisted in confusion. "A croissant?"

I laugh. "He just means it can get big. Really big."

I squeeze my mate's hand, loving him a great deal.

"You ready for the good part?" I ask the Captain.

His eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. "This isn't the good part?"

"Jesse?" I say, turning to him with a smile. "If you would?"

"Oh, it would be my pleasure," he murmurs. And then he sends his power coursing through me.

All of our eyes snap to the fire when it instantly turns black, and we gasp. Because at night it becomes perfectly clear -

Even though we see the movement ahead of us, and feel the heat of my flames on our faces?

With Jesse's shadows, it's basically invisible.

"Yup," the Captain says, his eyes shining with excitement even as his voice is low with awe. "You were right, Sinclair. This changes everything."

The Captain hurries off after we

safely lower the flames to the

ground, murmuring something

et

about needing to make some calls. But he nods to me and doesn't mention anything further about expulsion so...I think in this case, we call it a win.

As soon as he's gone Daphne gives a little shriek of joy and throws herself at me, wrapping me up in a hug and nearly taking both of us to the ground in her excitement. "That was so cool! I'm so excited! And I'm going to get so much funding to buy cool fireproof fabric!" she gasps and pushes me away, staring into my face. "I might even need a new

sewing machine." Content belongs

I laugh, delighted that this development benefits her as well, and pull my friend into another hug. "Get all the machines you want," I whisper, "you know Jesse will buy them if the school won't."

She gasps and pushes me away, blushing. "You shut your mouth!"

I quickly give her a wink and draw my fingers over my lips like a zipper, letting her know the secret's safe with me. She laughs and turns to the man in question, talking to him excitedly about the shadows and something about mittens? don't understand, but I turn towards the rest of my friends anyway.

We spend a few minutes talking excitedly about the potential for invisible night-time fire, but all the while I keep half of my focus on Luca, realizing that he's quiet. And starting to realize, a little bit, that it's deliberate.

"Okay," I say with a happy sigh. "Can we go back upstairs? I didn't even get all the way through my cheeseburger."

Everyone agrees to it, happily trooping forward, but I hang back until it's just me and Luca at the back.

Jackson looks over his shoulder with a frown, of course, but I send a little pleading nudge down the bond, asking him for a moment. He grumbles about it, inwardly, but does as I ask and walks with Jesse and Rafe back towards the castle.

Leaving Luca and I alone for a much-needed chat.

Chapter 0683

"Hey," Luca says, giving me a small smile and wrapping an arm around my shoulder as we, too, start towards the castle. "That was insane, as usual." "Luca," I say quietly, looking up at him, brushing off the niceties. "What's wrong?"

His face tenses and he looks away from me. "Nothing's wrong."

I stop in my tracks, not letting him do this. "Luca."

He sighs and looks back at me. "What do you want me to say, Ariel?"

"I want you to say the truth, Luca," I reply, staring up at him. "You don't like this. I can tell that you don't like this. And you can't just...hold it in and be silent about it. You're part of this and you're my mate- I need to know where you stand."

Luca huffs a little, looking down at me. "I do like it -"

I take a deep breath, looking up into his face, shaking my head. Because he's lying and we both know it.

He groans, turning away from me for a moment, putting his hands on his hips and hanging his head. I give him the time, letting him put his thoughts together.

"What do you want me to say, Ariel?" he asks. "I'm not part of your little magic group - I haven't been one of the ones who's been talking about magic all semester, experimenting with it. I've been actively excluded from that group for months and then I'm summoned by your mom and all of a sudden you ask me to hold your hand and there's a fire tornado?" He turns back to me, his eyes worried and hurt. "Yeah, I'm a little freaked out by it all!"

I bite my lip, a little at war with myself. Because quite suddenly I'm aware of what Tony pointed out earlier - that Luca here is feeling very real emotions, and he's allowed to be freaked out by the magic. But he is again making this all about him.

There's no support for or recognition of the incredible things that I did yesterday and today. It's just...all about what he feels.

Suddenly, I very much want my mom to send that therapist to the school as fast as she can. Because I am way, way out of my depth regarding how to talk to him and not get bowled over.

"I'm really sorry that you feel that

way, Luca," say quietly. "But I'll do whatever can in the future to ensure that you're included. And Km sorry if didn't fight for you to be included before - but I didn't know that we could do this. I'll try to do better in the future." Content belongs

I reach for him then, and he takes my hands and pulls me close. "It's okay."

"I'd like your support too, though," I say, my throat tight. Because I honestly feel like I'm kicking him when he's down, and I'm not used to advocating for myself and...this is really hard.

He looks up at me in surprise. "What? Do you...do you seriously think that I don't support you?"

"I think you want to," I say quietly. "But when I think you could have come and talked to me about how you were feeling last night instead of just sending me a note. And I think you could be more excited for me at this development, instead of standing around quietly with your jaw clenched." Content bélongs to

"I needed space last night," Luca says, gasping a little. "I'm allowed to take space!"

"You are," I say, gritting my teeth for a moment against the urge to just agree with him and make him feel better. "But it made me feel really, really sad and worried that you didn't come to dinner last night without. taking a minute to explain it to me and check in on how it made me you don't like the magic and we should talk about why. But I shouldn't have to railroad you into that conversation, Luca...I would hope that you'd want to talk to me about it." Content

feel. And today - I can

belongs to

Luca sighs and drops my hands, putting his arms around my shoulders instead and resting his cheek against my head. "Okay," he says. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of it that way."

I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him close.

But even as I do, I find my wolf turning away from our bond, not wanting to move down it and nudge the wall that we both feel built up again on the other side. Because it's too much - a great deal of effort from us, as always, to ensure he's okay. And very little in return from him.

"I'll try harder," Luca whispers, giving me a squeeze and turning me back towards the castle. "I really will. But now, let's go get you some sustenance, yeah? Probably burned a lot of calories with that fire."

I just murmur my consent, walking back to the castle with Luca and chatting idly, wishing desperately that he'd truly let me in.

But considering that wall that's up between us again?

 

Chapter 0684

God, I just don't know if we're ever going to get there.

We spend the evening celebrating a variety of victories - Tony's top marks, Rafe's great win, Jesse's first command, and my continuing enrollment at Alpha Academy by dint of fire tornado. A great deal of contraband whiskey goes around with lots of merriment and jokes - but the best part?

The best part comes when everyone leaves and I crawl across the bed and collapse over Jackson's bare chest.

His breath all leaves him in a woosh before he laughs and wraps me up against him, kicking a foot out and knocking the curtain off its hook so that it slides shut and leaves us in darkness.

"I'm tired," I mutter, letting myself go limp against him.

"Yes, you had a long day," he murmurs.

"Yeah," I say with a sigh, snuggling against him. "Was a traitor. Shot my mate and turned his command over to my cousin. Lost my virginity. Got my mini mark," I hold up my finger as proof, making him laugh. "Yelled at my Captain and got expelled. Started a fire and reversed my expulsion."

"Busy girl," he murmurs, dropping a kiss to my head. "What was the best part?"

"The mini mark," I say on a satisfied sigh, holding up my finger again.

He laughs sincerely but then growls, wanting a better answer. I grin and sit up, letting my legs fall naturally on either side of him. "No, Jacks, you know what my favorite part was. Of course it was."

"It was really important to me," he murmurs, raising a hand and cupping my cheek in his palm. I sigh happily, resting my head there. "I didn't want you to think that I let it get overshadowed, or that I thought it was just something that happened. It was...probably one of the most important moments of my life."

"Me too," I say, utterly sincere. We stare at each other for a long moment before I lower myself softly to his chest so that our faces are very close in the dark. “I love you very much, Jackson. I'm going to spend the rest of my life making that abundantly clear."

His whole face softens with his emotions and I can feel down the bond that he feels precisely the same. "I regret it now," he murmurs, letting his eyes drift down to my neck and lifting a hand to the spot. "I should have given you the mark. I'm sorry. I mean, it would have made this whole day even harder because everyone would have flipped - but marking you should have been more important -"

"It's okay," I whisper, grinning at him. "Next time."

He nods, moving his eyes back to mine. "Next time," he whispers.

Then I gasp a little, remembering something. "OH!"

I bounce away from him, reaching from my dresser and rifling through one of the drawers.

"What on earth are you doing?" Jackson asks, propping himself up on his elbows and frowning at me.

"Looking for...this!" I say, proudly producing the little brown bottle my mom gave me and crawling back to Jacks, reclaiming my spot straddling his stomach. I hold it out to him so he can see.

"What is it?" he asks, confused.

"Birth control," I say, pulling it back and unscrewing the top.

"Oh," he says, his eyes going wide. "Where did you get that?"

"Mom," I say with a shrug. "She likes to be practical." He watches me

my lips, but the grim set of his mouth makes me pause. "Unless you wait, do you not want me to take this?"

quite seriously as I raise his ned

He blinks at me. "What?"

My eyes go wide. "I mean, if I don't, there is a...very real possibility of a little baby McClintock in six months."

Jackson goes very pale, making me grin. "No, you should definitely drink it."

I laugh a little, taking a sip like my mom instructed me and then re-screwing the cap and tossing it back in the drawer. Jackson's eyes follow the bottle and then he

reaches for me, pulling me close as I settle again close to him.

"Does it hurt you at all?" he murmurs. "To take that?"

"No," I whisper, shaking my head. "Mom says it's very gentle, that I shouldn't notice anything."

I smile a little, because I can hear him frowning. "Should...I take some? Does it work on guys?"

“I don't know,” I say, turning my head and considering it. "Should we ask Jesse? He's a hussy, apparently - he'd have an idea —“

Jackson laughs and wraps me up tight. "No, leave him in peace," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair. "I want you all to myself a little while longer."

"Me too," I whisper, snuggling up

warm against my mate, who brings

me such joy and peace. And incredible amounts of physical pleasure, apparently. "Meet me in the dream state, though," I murmur, sleepy. "I want to try something."

"Yes ma'am," Jackson murmurs, tucking his hand beneath my pajama top and running his palm, warm and possessive, all the way down my back, letting me know that he, too, has plans for when he gets me alone on that cliffside.

 

Chapter 0685

The next morning I can barely run, I'm laughing so hard.

"Jesse!" I shout, tripping over my own feet as I try to keep a bead on him with my paintball rifle. "Quit doing that!"

"No way, you're getting too good!" He shouts back, laughing himself and disappearing again into a cloud of shadows before darting off between the trees. He found out this morning, when we were messing around in our run, that he can cast the shadows over himself, making them cling tightly to his form so that he, in essence, becomes a shadow himself.

It doesn't make him invisible - not really - but in the shade it does make him basically indistinguishable from the shadows cast by the trees. And damn, does it make him hard to shoot.

"Jess!" I growl before I dart off after him, still laughing. "This is so unfair!"

"You're the one with the damn gun, Ari!"

Left, Jackson says, directly into my mind. He's ahead of me, of course, with those long Alpha legs. See where he's running through the leaves and shaking them? Shoot there.

I grin, loving that I have my own magical advantage via the connection to my mate, and I stop short, casting my vision to my left as instructed and taking aim, even as my heart pounds and my breath shudders in my chest. I take in one deep gasp of breath and then see it - the disturbance amongst the branches - and shoot.

A very satisfying gasp of pain sounds out in the trees, and a moment later Rafe's loud shout of laughter follows.

Grinning wildly, I send a pulse of thanks and love Jacksons way and sprint in the direction Jesse went. I find him almost immediately, mostly because Rafe's standing over him, his hands on his hips, cracking up at the sight of Jesse sprawled in a puddle, a bright splash of blue paint right between his shoulder blades.

"How did you do that, Ari?" Jesse growls, sitting up and glaring at me, brushing mud from the front of his shirt just as Jackson comes into the clearing too, beaming at me.

"Oh, I had some intel," I say, laughing and reaching a hand for Jacks. He gives his usual snarl of delight when he takes my hand, pulling me close to his side.

"No!" I laugh, shoving Jackson playfully away. "I want to chase Rafe now!"

"Absolutely not," Rafe says, grinning at me even as he offers a hand to Jesse and pulls him up. "If you can take out Jesse when you can't even see him I don't stand a chance."

"But -"

"Honestly we should get Luca out here," Rafe says, raising his eyebrows at me. "He might be the only one who can give you a run for your money. Quite literally."

I turn my head, intrigued at the idea, and when I glance up at Jacks he just gives me a little shrug, letting me know he doesn't mind. "Cool!" I say, my face breaking into a grin. "Yeah, let's ask him! But let's invite Ben too, I don't want him to be left out."

"Not Tony?" Jesse asks, raising an eyebrow my way and giving me a devious grin.

"Let's let Luca have some space," I sigh, my shoulder slumping slightly. "Tony would take too much pleasure watching me shoot him."

"I'd kind of like to see some of his assassin tricks, though," Jacks murmurs, looking down at me with interest. "You could probably learn a thing or two from him."

I tilt my head to the side at the

prospect, likewise intrigued, but Rafe sighs and turns towards the Castle "As fun as this is, we're running late for breakfast and should head in I feel like the Captain might send information on the next Games, what twists and turns are coming next."

All of us eager to have that information as well, we head quickly back and move right for the dining hall after securing the paintball gun back in its locker. No time for showers, we enter the breakfast hall sweaty and cheerful, with Jesse muddy and painty too.

Immediately, we realize something

is off. The room is far too quiet, too dour. Rafe narrows his eyes as he looks around and Jackson and Jesse step closer to me as we

quickly cross to our table, we

around the room and catch Redman Blythe's eyes on me, predictably glaring.

ne

I flash my teeth at him though, not forgetting that he so casually mentioned my little sister. When we get to the table, I call a hello to Ben、 and put a warm hand on Luca's shoulder, but I sit next to my brother, leaving the open seat next to Luca open for Jesse. Jackson takes the seat on my other side as Hean in close to Rafe, intending to tell him immediately about Blythe's little name drop during the Games.