Ch. 76..80: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 76-80

Chapter 76

I lean forward, wanting to kiss him very much again, but suddenly his words register fully. with me and I give a little squeak, sitting up straight.

“What?” Luca asks, suddenly concerned.

“Wait,” I say, looking at him askance as I let my knees fall on either side of his waist, straddling him with my hands on his chest. “Precisely how slutty were you, Luca Grant?”

He grins up at me, broad and happy. “What answer do you want, Ariel? The truth, or the one that’s going to make you want to kiss me again?”

“The truth,” I growl, giving him a little smack on the chest.

“Do that again,” he murmurs, one hand slipping to my back and pressing me forward a little bit, “I liked that.”

“Pay attention, boy,” I command, pointing a finger into his face, though I lean forward a little more. “Now, spill.”

Luca shrugs, noncommittal, laying casually back on the magical dream bed and letting his hands rest on my thighs. “I have not been a very chaste man, Ariel. If a girl and I liked each other, and we wanted to, I didn’t hold back. Does that upset you?”

I tilt my head to the side for a second, balancing my jealousy with my common sense. “Well, no,” I say, my words slow and measured. “But, how many girls were there?”

“That I’ve kissed? Or that I’ve slept with? Because those are very different numbers –”

My mouth falls open in shock as I stare at him, and he grins at me again, clearly y amused. “You’re very sweet,” he murmurs, his hands starting to rub distracting circles on my thighs.

“Slept with, then,” I say, through my teeth, doing my best to not get distracted by the way. his hands feel on my legs.

Luca’s grin deepens. “Somewhere around fifty?” he says, giving another one of those too- casual shrugs.

My jaw drops again, accompanied by a shocked huff of air.

“What?” he says, grinning at me, his hands pausing on my thighs and taking hold there, like he’d stop me if I tried to run away. “Too many?”

“You hussy!” I gasp, raising my hand before I think about what I’m doing and smacking him again on the chest.

Luca bursts out laughing at this as I raise my hand again.

“And around fifty!?” I raise my hand again, “like you can’t even be bothered to remember some of them!?” My hand falls, aiming for the same place, but before it can connect Luca’s moving, sitting up as he grabs my wrist out of the air, his movement shifting me back at little so that I’m sitting in his lap with his other hand tight against the small of my back so I don’t fall backwards.

“I’m your hussy now,” he murmurs, his voice honestly a little delighted at my outrage. “just think of it as my…education, which I can now put to good use.” And then, almost as if to prove his point, Luca uses the hand pressed to the small of my back to press me tighter into his lap, grinding against me in a way that lets me feel all of him. At the same time, he leans in and presses his lips to the soft skin of my throat, just above my clavicle.

And in combination…

I groan, my head falling back as I feel a heat bloom in my core. My eyes flutter shut as Luca delivers a long, slow lick to my throat, and I find my hips moving on their own, wanting to press tighter against the hard length of him now instead of shying away from it.

“See?” he murmurs, his lips still against the skin of my neck. “It’s not all so bad.”

“Luca,” I say, half moan and half sigh, as I raise my head and take his face in my hands. Because as much as I definitely want to keep going, want to keep experimenting, this is definitely a conversation we need to have.

“Hmm?” he hums, inviting my question.

“How…” I hesitate, not wanting to hurt his feelings, “how can you have slept with fifty women?”

He grins, like it wasn’t difficult at all, and I laugh a little, surprised to find myself grinning

back at him.

“I’m serious, Luca!” I say, looping my arms around his neck and forcing myself to pout a little, wanting him to be just a little more serious. “I mean…” I blush lightly, because I know I’m going to sound naive but…well, I want to know. “You can’t have loved them all. Did you love…any of them?”

“A few,” he says, his face falling into more serious lines as he tightens his arm around my waist, pulling me close. “I’ve had serious relationships, Ariel. But the majority of them…no, I didn’t love them. But sex it’s not always about love.”

—

“Then what’s it about?” I ask, dead curious. Because I’ve never had anyone to talk to about this sort of stuff. My mom made sure I know everything I need to know about the mechanics of sex and babies, and I know that I could always go to her to ask whatever I wanted.

But this sort of thing, the personal side of it? The sort of thing you talk to your friends. about?

Well, my friends are just as naïve as me.

Or at least I thought they were

until Jesse blew their cover. I scowl, a little, thinking about it, and Luca grins at me, lifting a hand and brushing his thumb over my frowning lip like he loves the shape of it.

“Sometimes,” he murmurs, “sex is just about two people who are attracted to each other getting naked and doing really weird things to each other’s bodies.”

I burst into laughter then, my head tilting back on my neck. Luca laughs with me, I can feel his body vibrating against mine. “Luca!” I gasp. “That is the least romantic thing I’ve ever heard!”

“Well, sometimes it’s not romantic!” he replies, laughing with me as I raise my head and smile at him. “But it can be. Or it can be really intimate, and bring people closer.” Almost as if to illustrate he tightens his arm again, pulling me flush against his chest and brushing his cheek up the length of my neck before pulling back a little and staring into my face, his brown eyes warm.

“I think I’d prefer the latter,” I say, my voice a little dry.

“With you?” he says, tilting his head to the side. “It will be all of it, Ariel, at different times. But,” he gives me a soft smile now, understanding, that warms me body and soul. “We don’t have to do any of that now or anytime soon. We’ll go slow. I…want you to like it.”

I take my face in my hands, leaning close so my lips brush his as I speak. “I do like it, Luca,” I murmur. “I just…it’s new.”

He nods, understanding. “Plus,” he says, considering, “you shouldn’t lose your virginity in a dream state.”

“Oh yeah?” I ask, my face bursting into a smile. “Then where should I lose it, the dorm room of an all– boys war academy?”

“Certainly not,” he says, frowning at me like it’s a ridiculous idea. “I was thinking, like, the hallway of that academy, about five minutes from now? We’ll meet halfway, I’ll just like, pin you down in the staircase –”

I burst out laughing, tucking my head against his shoulder and shaking it. “Luca!” I protest.

“I know,” he murmurs, laughing with me, holding me close and rocking me back and forth just a little. “I’m just kidding, gorgeous.”

“Gorgeous,” I say, lifting my head and smiling down at him again. “I like this new nickname. Better than Shrimp.”

“Shrimp is for the rest of the world,” he sighs, grinning at me. “Gorgeous that’s just for me and you.”

“Good,” I murmur, lowering my face to his again, wanting nothing more than to kiss him and kiss him and kiss him for the rest of the night. “I like this – having a secret with you.”

“First of many,” he murmurs, and then Luca turns me again, laying me flat out on the mattress and proceeding to kiss me senseless for hours on end.

Chapter 77

When I wake up the next morning. I am in an absolute daze of joy.

Rafe just smiles at me as he passes my nook on the way to the bathroom, happy to see me happy, but Jesse immediately knows what’s up as I stretch my arms over my head, unable to keep the smile off of my face.

“Ugh, it’s so unfair,” he moans, flopping back into his own pillow pile as the bathroom door closes behind Rafe.

“What, do you want to swap with me?” I ask him, teasing. “Make out with Luca in the dream state instead?”

“No, I don’t want to swap,” Jesse mutters, bitter, lifting his head to glare at me. “It’s just very unfair, Ariel, that you get to wake up in a sex haze while the rest of us are all pent up-

–

“No one is stopping you from making out with the other cadets, Jesse,” I say with a happy sigh, climbing out of my bed and starting to set out my clothes for the day.

“Well, considering they hold very few charms for me, it’s not precisely an appealing option,” he replies, deeply sarcastic. “And considering that you actively are cockblocking me from making out with the one person I do want to get naked with with in this castle.”

“Again, I am willing to share Luca,” I joke, sending him a little grin over my shoulder.

Jesse just rolls his eyes at me. “Please,” he says, sitting up and pressing his hands together in prayer, “please release me from my promise not to hit on Daphne. Even just let me flirt

with her!”

“Jesse!” I sigh, turning to him. “Do you actually like her? Or are you just hitting on her because she’s the only girl around.”

He sits up straight for a second, turning his head like he hadn’t considered it.

“I will invite her over,” I say, pointing a finger at his face and speaking slowly so he hears how seriously I am. “And you can pursue her if you actually like her. But don’t mess her around, okay?”

“I promise,” he says, almost reverent.

“And if she likes another boy instead of you,” I say, turning my head to the side and continuing my glare. “You have to let her, all right?”

“Wait,” he says, going still and narrowing his eyes at me. “Did she say something? Who does she like?”

I don’t say anything, but I flick my eyes towards the bathroom door.

“Oh Rafe?” Jesse says, perking up. “I can handle that. Everyone likes Rafe until they realize that I’m the funny one –”

“If she likes Rafe you have to let her like Rafe!” I say, speaking over him and throwing out my arms in protest.

“Fine fine,” he says, though I can already see his little mind turning, scheming.

“Fine,” I sigh, feeling very generous and happy. “I’ll send her a note.”

“You’re the best, little cousin!” Jesse says, hopping out of bed and darting across the room to wrap me in an enthusiastic hug, rocking me back and forth. “When is she coming over? Tonight? For lunch?”

“Oh, go away,” I say, pretending to be sterner than I am and unable to keep from laughing. “She’ll come when she comes.”

Morning workouts and breakfast pass blissfully, especially considering that Luca’s leg is pressed warmly against mine throughout the entire meal. The only dark point is when Jackson walks by and gives us a little nod of acknowledgement as he goes. I wave back to him, but I hesitate when Luca goes rigid beside me.

Slowly, I turn to him. “Guess we got…distracted, didn’t we?” I whisper, remembering our intent to have a little chat about Jackson last night in the dream state.

“Yes, I suppose we did,” Luca says, narrowing his eyes a little.

I sigh, staring into his pretty brown eyes, taking in the stern set to his mouth.

Are we okay? I ask quietly mind–to–mind, and Luca’s face instantly softens,

Ariel, of course we’re okay, he replies, shaking his head slightly as he slips his hand into mine beneath the table. I’m not mad at you I just don’t trust that guy. But you and me?

We’re fine.

I smile then, pleased to hear it.

But inwardly my wolf paces and I do my best to tuck the anxiety away, because I don’t want Luca to feel it.

You need to tell him, she says to me, nudging my soul with her nose. Not fair – he thinks he’s your only mate. He needs to know.

I feel like howling alongside her as I realize that she’s right.

But honestly, how do you break that to someone? I drop my eyes to the table, but look up again when Luca squeezes my hand. He raises an eyebrow at me and I put a smile on my face, nodding and turning back to the food as Rafe calls my name.

“Hmm?” I say, turning towards him.

“Are you going to be late?” he asks, turning his head at me.

“For what?” I ask, completely distracted.

“Alvarez’s office hours,” he replies, looking at me like I’m a bit of an idiot for letting it slip my mind.

“Oh!” I say, jumping a bit. “Oh my god,” I glance up at the clock on the wall, “I am going

–

to

be late shit “I scurry to my feet, and Luca stands too, dropping my hand so Rafe doesn’t

see.

“I’ll walk you,” he says, dead casual, like he was getting up anyway.

“No, that’s okay,” Rafe stands up, all duty, “I’ll –”

“Seriously,” Luca says, lifting his chin towards the full plate of food and cup of coffee in front of my brother. “Finish up, it’s fine. I’m done.” He waves his hands towards his clean.

plate. “Plus, I’m going to get to the gym, hit the bag a few times.” He lifts his fists then, taking up his boxer’s stance.

Rafe grins, pleased. “That’s a good idea. You’ve got a nation to represent.”

“Damn straight,” Luca says, giving my brother his best celebrity grin before nodding me towards the door. And then the two of us walk out of the Hall together. We chat idly, I think both of us knowing that this is not the time to have a conversation about Jackson McClintock – thank god – and so Luca just tells me about his workout plans.

I mean, not much of what Luca says about that workout makes sense to me, but I’m used to boys telling me enthusiastically about their athletics, so I nod along. When we get to Alvez’s office door, Luca glances around and then puts a hand on my shoulder, letting it slide slowly down my arm until our fingertips barely brush.

“See you at dinner?” he murmurs.

“Workout good,” I reply, smiling up into his perfect face. Luca grins back and then starts down the hall just as Alvez’s door opens.

I turn in surprise to look up into my professor’s handsome face. “Ah, Sinclair,” he says, and go stiff to hear him use my actual last name, even though there’s no one around to hear.

I

“So nice of you to heed my summons and join me for a little…chat.”

But the way his mouth spreads into a wide grin?

I’m very, very aware that this is going to be much more than a chat.

Sighing inwardly and doing my best to be polite to this man who is holding my secrets over my head like a sack of bricks, I put on my best Princess smile and step into Alvez’s office.

He closes the door behind us.

Chapter 78

–

“Please,” Alvez murmurs, gesturing towards of all places – his desk. As I hesitate, he sinks. into his rolling chair, which scoots back a few inches. Seeing my confusion, his smile grows. “I’m unfortunately low on seating in this little room – castles, such wide sweeping halls, such…tiny little workspaces.”

My eyebrows raise as he gestures towards the desk again and I realize that he wants me to sit there. But I just sigh inwardly again, doing as he says and lifting myself up onto the desk so that my legs dangle. I cross them at the ankles, leaning forward with my hands pressed to the edge of the desk, watching him warily.

There’s such pleasure on Alvez’s face, in the way he lets his eyes rove over me. Is it that he enjoys seeing me unsettled? Or is this just…how he is?

“We’ve met before, Princess – before the Academy, I mean. Do you remember?”

I sit up a little straighter, surprised. “We did?”

Alvez nods slowly, folding his hands in his lap. “At the Palace, during my interview with your mother and your aunt. You popped in, asking a question about evening plans.”

“Oh,” I say, my heart sinking a little – because that sounds very plausible. “I’m sorry, no, I don’t remember.”

“Understandable,” he says, giving a little shrug. “I’m sure that your home is rather a revolving door of visitors. But I certainly remembered you.”

I blush a little, because the way his voice pitches lower when he says the word suggests not just that he remembered me, but that he…noticed me. Like noticed me, notice women.

the way

that men

My stomach twists and his grin deepens, giving me my answer.

–

He does like this making me uncomfortable. I can see it clearly now in the take in my blush, the way my hands grip the edge of the desk.

way

his eyes

God, how am I supposed to handle this? I wish, quite suddenly, that my brother were here –

he’d solve everything, probably by punching Alvez right in the face.

–

But Rafe he has a pretty strong trust in authority, especially in people hired by our own parents. I don’t think that there’s any way he’d suspect that Alvez was making me uncomfortable unless I actually told him.

And I can’t tell him, right? Because Alvez – he’ll rat me out, get me kicked out of the Academy, and probably Rafe too.

God, he’s really got me tied up here.

“So,” Alvez says, using his feet to pull his chair closer to me, peering up into my face from his lower spot in the chair. “How have things been going with your magic, little Princess?”

I shrug, eager for the change in conversation but not wanting to open up about my magic either not that there’s been any developments. Jackson and I, when we did our

–

“homework” outside under the tree, we didn’t exactly try to do anything magic, did we? We just held hands and talked.

“Oh, come on,” Alvez prods, his voice low with a little laugh in it. “Why so reticent, Princess? I’m trying to help you here.”

I flick my eyes up to his, a little spark of anger in me now. “Are you?” I ask quietly. “Because it feels like you’re trying to intimidate me.”

He clicks his tongue, turning his head to the side. “And what gives you that impression?”

“The fact that you’ve called me, alone, to your office?” I say, surprised by my willingness to confront him, “and that you keep calling me Princess, reminding me of your secret. And that I’m completely under your control.”

“Oh, that’s where you have it wrong,” he says, leaning forward now and reaching out a casual hand, letting it rest on my knee. “The opposite is true, Princess – you’ve got me quite under your spell.”

–

My eyes widen, my

mouth falling open a little at his bold touch, at his words. My reaction pleases him, I think or at least, his grin deepens. But this just makes me scowl, even though I don’t brush away his hand, or move in any way. I don’t know what the rules are here and I find that I’m terrified to make him mad.

But how do I get the upper hand here? Or, at least, get out of this?

“No developments in my magic,” I snap, though my voice is soft, almost a whisper as I stare tensely down into his face, wondering what the hell he’s going to do next. “Not since the marble.”

“Ah, yes,

the fascinating marble,” Alvez murmurs, his thumb starting to make slow circles around the inner part of my knee. “That you melted. All by yourself.”

I raise my chin, daring him to call my bluff.

“And what of your connection to Cadet McClintock,” Alvez murmurs, his thumb still moving, though making broad strokes now instead of little circles. “Did you experiment. more with him? Complete your homework, like a good girl?”

My breath hitches, then, as his hand presses upwards, caressing the top of my thigh and working its way around to the outside as Alvez smiles at me, possessive and hungry.

I just stare at him, shocked, until he gives my leg a quick little slap that makes me jump. “Pay attention, Princess,” he murmurs, his smile deepening. “Did you do your homework?”

“Y–yes,” I say, sitting rigid on my professor’s desk, “but…um…”

“No developments,” he says, his voice low, like he’s disappointed in me. Slowly, his hand. begins to move again, moving slowly so slowly upwards. An anxious heat starts to curl in me, and I don’t know what to do, panic mixing with something else.

With with fury? I don’t know what. Some kind of heat.

I don’t respond, not saying anything else.

“And,” Alvez continues, his eyes locked on mine, “what of McClintock’s power? Did your magic’s affinity with his produce any results regarding his own powers?”

I frown slightly at him now, confused. “But you saw him yesterday,” I whisper, “so he’ll have already told you –”

I gasp when Alvez smacks my leg again, this time harder, and getting dangerously close to my ass. My professor leans forward, smiling at me, enjoying himself. “Don’t worry about

what McClintock and I talked about yesterday during our office hours,” he murmurs, slow and pleased, “I’m asking you now. This is our time, after all. Just you and me.”

I lean back, away from him, my heart starting to pound as he puts his other hand on my other knee, starting to press against it, clearly obliging my legs to spread open. I squeeze my thighs, wanting the opposite, when suddenly

–

A knock comes at the door – a deliberate rapping sound, but too hard to be casual. Alvez freezes, his head whipping towards the door. Neither of us move.

The knock comes again and Alvez scowls, glaring up at me. “Who did you call here?”

“N–no one,” I say, shaking my head.

“Professor Alvez?”

I sit up straight when I instantly recognize the voice calling outside.

The professor scowls at me but stands and walks towards the door. When he pulls it open, Jackson’s eyes flick over him only for a second before they move immediately to me, sitting on the desk, Alvez’s chair still sitting directly before me.

“Yes, Cadet McClintock?” Alvez murmurs, leaning against the doorframe and blocking Jackson’s path should he want to enter. Alvez is annoyed and makes sure that Jackson hears. every inch of it in his voice.

“Yeah, I had some questions about magic,” Jackson says, not taking his eyes from me, his voice bored and not even bothering to pretend that he’s serious about that.

“Well, then you’ll have to make an appointment,” Alvez replies, pressing himself up from the doorframe and starting to close the door. “I’ll be happy to speak to you at another time

“Nah, I need to come in now,” Jackson says, breaking through the arm that Alvez has spread across the door and moving immediately to the window on the other side of the room, which he leans against. He taps the side of his head. “I’ll forget all my questions if I leave now. And considering how much progress you’d like me to make,” he shrugs, “I’m sure you’d hate me to do that.”

I work very, very hard to t

the smile that pulls at my lips.

Chapter 79Alvez glares at my mate, who leans his heavily muscled body so, so casually against the wall by the window. And I realize, quite suddenly, that Alvez is playing a very, very tricky game here. Because while he is the professor, and does have power over Jackson…

I mean, he can’t exactly make Jackson do anything, can he?

If it were me barging into an office and refusing to leave, Alvez or really any Alpha in the castle could just sling me over their shoulder and hurl me out of the room.

But Jackson?

He’s so physically powerful that the only person who even really has a chance of tossing him bodily out of this office would be Rafe, and then they might have to call in my dad for backup.

And Alvez is clearly very aware of this fact as he leans against the open doorway across the room, glaring daggers at my mate, who is so obviously here because he knows what was going on in this room. Or, at least if not precisely, that Alvez didn’t call me here to help me with my homework.

Jackson doesn’t know what Alvez has over me, but he clearly did not like me being behind closed doors with this man, and I’m deeply grateful for his help.

“Ask your questions, McClintock,” Alvez snaps, arms crossed. “And then go. You’re interrupting Cadet Clark’s time here.”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” I say quickly, sitting up straight and smiling between Alvez and Jackson. “Our magic calls to each other after all, right? Maybe he can help.” I turn my smile singularly on Jackson now, and I don’t miss the fact that the corners of his mouth twitch, just subtly. “Professor Alvez, after all, was just asking after your magical progress, Jackson.”

“Oh really,” Jackson says, slowly turning his head to stare at Alvez now. “After I assured you yesterday, for an entire hour, that I hadn’t made any progress at all. I’m surprised you had more questions, sir.”

Alvez’s eyes narrow as he looks between us. “I considered that your partner perhaps had

observed changes that you had not.”

“Shame.” Jackson says, his shoulders tensing as he glares at our professor, “to be wasting Cadet Clark’s time in office hours talking about me, especially considering that his own powers are so much more developed.”

“Are they, McClintock?” Alvez asks, his voice low and subtle now as he moves away from the door, starts to prowl towards Jackson a bit, their eyes locked. “Are you sure?”

I go rigid as I realize the import between Alvez’s words that he suspects the truth, that Jackson’s keeping his abilities hidden.

But Jackson stays perfectly still, saying nothing and giving nothing away.

I watch, fascinated, as my professor squares off against my mate, as the two stare at each. other for a long, tense moment.

And then I clear my throat, reminding them that I’m here.

Alvez flicks his eyes to me before returning them to Jackson. “Ask your questions, McClintock,” Alvez orders. “And then go.”

Jackson takes a long, leisurely breath, leaning back against the wall, clearly making himself comfortable. “I forget them now, all of a sudden, professor,” he murmurs, looking up towards the ceiling. “You’ll have to forgive me big guys like me, sometimes we’re more brawn than brain. Takes a second to remember the details.”

“I’m very aware of your performance on the intelligence examination, McClintock,” Alvez sighs, crossing his arms, clearly seeing through Jackson’s performance, as he’s meant to. “Don’t insult my own intelligence by trying to pretend you’re too stupid to remember.”

“Must just be sleepy, then,” Jackson says, faking a yawn, his eyes flicking back to me. “Give me a minute, I’m sure it will come back.”

Alvez sighs, moving away from Jackson and flopping back into his chair, glaring up at me like I planned this. I just shrug at him, hoping to communicate quite honestly that I had nothing to do with it. Even if I am a bit thrilled at the result.

–

The rest of the meeting falls along more predictable lines. Alvez leans back in his chair,

Spier ra

asking me about how it feels to access my magic, giving me suggestions about new things to try. And, honestly, the suggestions are actually helpful he suggests that since sun is the signet to which I’m largely aligned, I should concentrate on manifesting heat in different forms.

When he shifts his attention to Jackson, though, asking about how physical touch with Jackson changed or amplified my magic, I play as dumb as I can. I don’t deny that Jackson’s presence was helpful, but don’t add any more detail.

Eventually, Alvez sighs, looking at me beneath lowered brows, clearly frustrated. “All right, cadet, it doesn’t seem like we’re getting any further with this,” he snaps. “Continue the good work, and please come to class prepared to demonstrate what you can do for the others.”

“What?” I ask, a little surprised by the request.

“As you and Tony are the only ones who admit to manifestations of your gifts,” Alvez says, deliberately flicking his eyes to Jackson here, “I’d like you to show the others in the hope that it will…inspire or awaken them. Tony will be asked to do the same.”

“Okay,” I say, hopping down from the desk and trying to decide how I feel about that. Because, I mean, I don’t think I’m going to be able to do anything without holding Jackson’s hand – and I don’t know how he’s going to feel about that.

Luckily, it looks like I’m going to get a chance to talk to him about it as he pushes himself up from the wall.

“Have you remembered your question, McClintock?” Alvez snaps, spinning his chair towards my mate.

“Seems to have just flown away today,” Jackson sighs, smirking a little and drifting a hand through the air like a bird flying. “Sorry about that hope it wasn’t an inconvenience.”

“Stick to your appointment times,” Alvez murmurs. “It isn’t fair to take

work space.”

up another student’s

“Oh, I don’t mind,” I say, breezy as Jackson comes to my side and we head together for the door. “Thank you, professor! I’ll work on your suggestions!”

He doesn’t say anything or look our way as we leave, clearly still pissed at Jackson’s

deliberate interruption. Jackson, likewise still displeased, slams the office door shut behind

1. US.

The moment he does, I impulsively throw my arms around his waist, hugging him tight and pressing my check to his chest. “Thank you,” I breathe.

Jackson freezes, his arms out by his side, and I look up into his shocked face.

He doesn’t say a word, just staring down at me unmoving, and I can’t help the smile that stretches over my face. “What?” I ask, loosening my arms and tilting my head back. “I can’t say thank you?”

“I um ” he blushes, of all things, and then looks to the side, using one hand to give me a soft, brief pat on the shoulder as he clears his throat. “Yes, that’s fine. Should we get you back to your rooms?”

Grinning, not knowing precisely what just happened by kind of tickled by it anyway, I unlock my arms from around his waist and tuck my hands behind my back. “Sure,” I say, still grinning at him.

Jackson looks back at me, the faint blush still on his cheeks, and to my delight he scowls more and sets off down the hall. But I don’t miss the fact that he shortens his stride so that I have no trouble keeping up with him.

I sigh, content to have my big, brutal, interrupting–office–hours mate walking by my side. Because, honestly, I’m starting to figure out that he’s…kind of a sweetheart, deep down.

1)

Chapter 80

“So, what was going on in there?” Jackson asks softly as we move through the quiet halls, glancing over his shoulder as we go.

“Don’t you know?” I ask, frowning up at him.

He just looks at me blankly, not answering.

“Well, then why did you interrupt?” I ask, confused. Because it’s one thing if Jackson interrupted because he knew that Alvez was going to be a creep, but quite another if he interrupted for…well, why else would he have interrupted?

“I don’t trust that guy,” Jackson sighs, the words slipping between clenched teeth. “Something’s…off about him.” He moves his eyes to me again, searching my face. “Was I wrong?” His words are tense.

I sigh, shaking my head. “No, you weren’t wrong, Jackson,” I say, looking forward as we climb into an elevator and Jackson presses the brass button, closing he doors. “I was…very uncomfortable in there.”

–

Jackson grunts in a self–satisfied way, pleased I think to have his instincts confirmed. “I

don’t like the way he looks at you,” he says, quite soft. “I knew it was going to be trouble when he gave me that note, asking you to come alone.”

“How did you know the note said to come alone?” I ask, looking up at him.

Jackson turns, instantly frowning down at me like the answer is obvious. “Because I read it.”

I burst out laughing, shaking my head at him. “Jackson, you can’t just read my mail.

“I was helping you!”

“That’s not an excuse!” but I’m smiling, and he smirks back at me, figuring out that I’m not actually mad. Because he really did help me – I’d have been in a very tricky situation, I think, had Jackson not come pounding on the door.

“Don’t let yourself be alone with him,” Jacksons murmurs as the elevator raises us up into

the air. “Bring Rafe or..or come get me. Or something.”

“All right.” I say softly, studying my mate’s profile as he pretends not to notice that I’m looking at him. And inwardly, I wonder how the hell he’s justifying this whole hero act to himself.

Because, I mean, it’s pretty obvious to me that Jackson is protective of me because some part of him knows, deep down, that I’m his mate or that I’m special to him, in some way. It’s happening, I think, on almost a bodily level he’s driven to ensure my safety by the same biological mechanism that makes a hen protect her chicks. But how…how the hell is he justifying it to himself?

—

He must know, my wolf says to me, sitting back on her haunches and turning her head curiously in Jackson’s direction. He must have figured it out and he’s just…playing it cool.

But as I study him, I’m not so sure. Jackson – he’s smart, but in some ways he’s so outside of our world, our culture. Would he be able to pick up on the little clues that Ben noticed, which might communicate to others that I’m a girl?

Or, like Luca, would he even be willing to address his attraction to me, if he feels it? I’ve heard that Northern communities are much, much less progressive with things like homosexuality and gender

fluidity. Even if Jackson did feel a stirring towards me, would he let himself go there, the way Luca was so willing to?

I sigh as the doors open to the dormitory floor, shaking my head at my mate, wishing I could just…ask.

“What?” Jackson asks, stepping out of the elevator and turning his attention back to me. “Why are you sighing? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I murmur, shaking my head as I continue to look up at him, at the stark panes of his face. “I just….wish I had you figured out.”

Jackson almost stumbles a step as we walk down the quiet hall

almost, though. He’s too graceful, really, to actually do that. “Me?” he says in disbelief, gesturing towards himself. “You think I’m the mystery here?”

–

I smirk a bit, my eyes dancing, silently admitting that he’s right that I’m certainly the one keeping secrets. “You’ve got them too, you know,” I say quietly as we reach the stairs at the

end of the hall and begin to climb them up to my floor. “Things you’re keeping back from

Jackson’s the one who sighs now, shaking his head. “I’ll gladly tell you everything you want to know – every single thought in my head, Clark, for the secrets you’re keeping from me.”

Guilt builds in me as we make our way to my door. And

radiating from the entire hallway, from the silence bemehow, by the quietness

my own door, I know that I’m

the only one here that Jesse and Rafe are away, probably exercising. That Luca and Ben are likewise off doing their own thing.

It would be so easy, to just…tug Jackson inside…

To tell him everything…

But even as my wolf howls at me to do it do it do it, I shake my head up at Jackson, knowing that it’s still not right. Not yet.

Jackson sighs again, intuiting the direction of my thoughts, knowing that I’m still holding

on to my secrets.

And again, it’s not that I don’t want him to know. It’s just…as always, the timing. It’s not right. Not now not when I’m still figuring things out with Luca, when we’ve got finals and the Examination looming, when Jesse and Rafe still think I have one mate, even if they think it’s different people.

It’s just not right to blow up everyone’s world with this, not yet.

I stare up into my mate’s dark blue gaze, willing him to trust me, to just…give me more time. But he just snaps his head away, frustrated.

“Jacks,” I murmur as he shifts his weight, taking a step away. I grab his hand, ignoring the pulse that pounds through the hall when I do. He turns back to me, his jaw clenched in frustration. “I promise,” I say quietly, shaking my head. “I promise that one day I’ll tell you everything, all right?”

“Why one day?” He exhales the words all in a rush, shaking his head at me, even as he moves closer. “Why not now, Ari? What’s what’s holding you back?”

—

But I shake my head as I stare up at him, knowing that the reasons why I’m holding back are part of the secret. “Can’t it be enough? The promise that I’m going to tell, as soon as I can?”

“Would it be enough for you?” he murmurs, stepping closer. Despite me, my eyes flicker half–shut as his scent floods my nostrils, making something warm and hungry stir in my core. God, if I could just…

I dismiss the ridiculous impulse to beg him to give me his shirt so I could tuck it under my pillow, breathing in that scent all night, and force myself back to full consciousness. To my surprise, he’s just smirking at me.

“Goodbye, Clark,” he says, putting particular emphasis on the farewell that he usually omits. “Tell me next time Alvez calls you alone. I’ll think something up.”

“Thank you, Jackson,” I say, tightening my hand, not letting him go just yet. “You saved met from… some weird stuff back there.”

“Are you going to tell me about that, at least?” Jackson presses, shifting his weight back to me curiously. “Like what did he do? Did he…”

But my answering smile just makes him groan and pull his hand from mine, because it’s very clear that I’m not going to tell him a damn thing