Ch. 766..770: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 766-770

Chapter 0766

Jesse just stares at the girl standing before him, wondering if this is some sort of game, some ruse she's playing to trick him into feeling sorry for her. Because he's got a tender heart - he knows that, as much as he tries to hide it from everyone else. Could this girl have figured that out and is now using those big brown eyes, that sad question, to trick him? But even as he thinks it his wolf nips him, hard.

Can't you see it? His wolf hisses, livid with Jesse. This girl is neglected and all alone. The God of Darkness has ruined her wolf - and he's been using her to spy on you. She has nothing, and you cannot even be kind to her?

Jesse's wolf nips him again, hard, ashamed.

And Jesse flinches and blinks again, staring with pity down into Midnight's sweet, broken little face. Because even if it sounds absurd, when Jesse looks into Midnight's dark eyes he knows...that it's absolutely true. That she is some kind of...bizarre orphan of Darkness, raised here alone, with the sole purpose of spying on him and his family.

Or perhaps as...punishment? For him, for his family, for the Goddess? God, but Jesse doesn't know - he doesn't understand anything at all.

And as he realizes it, Jesse's heart reaches for this strange lost girl. For his fated mate, the girl the Goddess picked for him.

"Of course I like you, Midnight," Jesse says, quiet and gentle, taking a step closer but not taking her hand, still wary of the corruption in her soul. "Go ahead. Show me your house.

Midnight's face breaks into that dazzling smile, the truly happy one, not the fake one, and she laughs as she spins and begins to dash away across the packed dirt of the wasteland before them. "Come on!" she says, cheerful. "It's just over this hill!"

Jesse sighs, hangs his head, and with absolutely nothing else to do and no idea where his life will take him next, follows. With each and every footstep, Daphne's name echoes in his heart.

I don't have long to kneel at Daphne's devastated side, doing my best to comfort her as she adjusts to the impossible news that the man she's in love with - who she was so sure was her mate - isn't. And that he's been swept away to another world by a dark magical person who actually is his fated mate, confirmed by the Goddess herself.

The Goddess left, finally, to get more information about Jesse and to leave us to our grief as we fall apart. In the few quiet minutes after her departure my dad leaves me with my friend to hold her while she cries. But it's too short a time before he comes and presses a soft hand to my shoulder. I look up at my dad, at the grief and worry on his face and nod once, understanding. There's just...too much to do.

I murmur a few words to Daphne, explaining, and help her get to her feet. Honestly, I'm not even sure if she hears anything, she's just too lost to her grief. Ben - sweet Benny - is waiting with open arms and I pass Daphne over to him. He gives me a steady nod as he wraps his arms around Daphne and pulls her in for a hug.

I take a moment to nod back to Ben, and to shift my eyes to Daphne, watching as she cries into his chest, Jesse's little shadow cat curled mournfully on her shoulder. But that's all I have time for as Jackson slips a hand around my waist and gives me a little tug, pulling me along to the small group on the other side of the tent that needs my attention now.

Because, of course, I have a thousand roles to play today. Not just friend, but worried sister, and nation's princess. And the magical source that has the power to make a change in this battle that is so clearly ramping up.

That is, of course, if I can access my magic.

I grit my teeth, looking up at Jackson

as we cross the tent. His eyes are already peering down at me, his mouth set in a determined line. But he simply nods and sends a very intense swell of love and support down our bond that does wonders formy poor wounded heart step closer to him, pressing myself to his warm side as we join Rafe, our parents, and my aunt and uncle in the corner.

Mom can't help the little tears that swell in her eyes as Jackson and I step close. Her gaze sweeps between us and a little trembling smile takes her lips - because she likes us together, I know. Likes his kindness and his steady presence and the way I am the center of his whole world. And she was worried for us after Luca marked me - but now here we are with our arms around each other.

 

Chapter 0767

It does her good, I know, to see her daughter so loved when she's not around to do it.

My dad inhales sharply through his nose when we step close and I shift my gaze to him. "Things are complicated, Ariel, but we need to -"

He gasps mid-sentence - we all do - as a huge sound breaks through the air, something loud and horrible soaring through the air over our heads. I gasp and clutch Jackson's shirt in my hands, and he wraps his arm more firmly around me, one hand tucked behind my head. We all turn towards the sound as it passes us and then wait a beat before -

BOOM.

A huge explosion sounds somewhere in the distance, but obviously on our side. Clearly, the attack has begun.

I snap my head to my father to see him pale, his jaw set. "Roger," he snarls, a command.

"On it," Roger says, striding away, tugging Cora with him as he goes, unwilling to be away from her any more than he has to.

"Ariel," dad snaps, drawing my eyes back to him. Mom and Rafe step closer, closing our circle. "Something - something is happening. We're still scrambling to figure out all the details. We don't know if it was coincidence, or designed to align with the funeral for the two Cadets since they knew I was away from the battlefield, but soon after Juniper was taken the Atalaxians started this assault. It is...a big one." Dad sighs, dipping his face into his hand, clearly trying to hold it all together - his role as King, and as father whose youngest daughter is missing, who is about to ask his eldest daughter to risk her life. "Whatever you need, dad," I say, taking as much of a step forward as I can, wrapped in Jackson's arms as I am. Jackson moves forward with me, understanding the gesture. "I'll do whatever you need." Mom raises her hand to dad's shoulder, her whole heart in her eyes as she looks up into her mate's face. "We're running low on resources, Ari," dad murmurs, dropping his hand and looking me in the eyes. "It's - it's dire. Moon Valley has incredible technology but...we're just so much smaller than Atalaxia. They just have more - more weapons, more people. You may be the only thing left in our arsenal that can tilt this battle - this war - in our favor. Especially if they decide to throw everything they have at us."

I nod, swallowing as I do, understanding.

"You know I'd never ask," dad says, shaking his head at me, his throat tightening and strangling his voice in a way I've never heard before. "I know what you've been through these past weeks - and I know you're still hurt, and healing-but Ariel"

—

"Dad," I say softly, shaking my head, breaking from Jackson's arms as I step forward towards him and place a hand on his arm. "You don't have to ask, okay? I'm here. I want to be here." Onod, looking up at him, my whole heart in my own eyes now. "This is my nation too, right? My people as much as yours. I'm ready. Or at least - I'll do whatever I can."

Tears well in dad's eyes as he reaches for me, pulling me into his chest and wrapping me in a tight hug. "I don't know what this world did to deserve you, Ariel," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair. "But I'm so incredibly grateful that I

wel

get to be your dad."

I tuck my face close against his chest, fighting tears - tears of love for him, and fear about what's to come, and worry about...about whether or not I can do this. Whether or not what magic I have with my bond to Luca broken will be enough.

"Dominic," Roger barks, he and Cora stepping close.

Dad loosens his grip on me, looking over at my uncle.

"It's bad," Roger says, nodding around at all of us. "It's what we feared - the full assault. We have to move."

Silence reigns as everyone in the circle turns their eyes to me.

I loose a long breath and stepping away from my father, stepping back until I feel Jackson's warm chest behind me. His hands rest light on my hips as he senses that I want him near but don't want to be held right now. That I need to stand on my own two feet.

"Okay," I say, lifting my chin and looking at mom and Cora. "Let's do this. Is there somewhere we can go?

I need to...figure out what's up with my magic."

Mom swallows hard and then nods to me, taking Rafe's hand, clearly wanting him along. "Yes," she says, quiet and worried. "Come on, out back. We'll see what you can do."

 

Chapter 0768

I slowly exhale as I concentrate on the little stack of wood at the center of the empty space between the tents that my mother lead us to. A little anxious, I glance around at all of the very flammable canvas fabric around us.

"Steady," Jacks murmurs, smirking down at me from his place at my side, sensing the direction of my thoughts. "You control it. You won't set the camp ablaze unless you want to."

I huff a laugh and shake my head, hoping that he's right. Then I glance to my other side, where mom, Cora, and Rafe are waiting, watching me carefully, impatient though they're trying to hide it. Jackson takes my hand and I feel the power start to flow between us. Just a trickle right now, but more at the ready whenever I want to pull on it.

"I mean, we're not going to have the darkness," I say, my voice small, my eyes moving to Cora's. She swallows hard as she nods to me, raising her chin. My mom steps closer to her sister, taking her hand. "Or...the wind."

"Flame is still great, Ari," Rafe murmurs, his green eyes wide and full of support. "It's kind of the important part. Let's just...see what you can do."

"Okay," I whisper, squeezing Jackson's hand. And then I exhale again and turn back towards the stack of wood, concentrating on it.

Instantly, it bursts into flames, bringing a little smile to my mouth. Because despite all of the horrible things that have happened, I do love the magic. It's warm and peaceful and right. I pull on Jackson's power then, letting the fire roar happily as it grows in size, far bigger than it should be with such a little pile of wood to feed it.

I take a minute to let the joy and the magic fill me, taking a deep and peaceful breath. And then I begin to experiment, making the flame go bigger and smaller, seeing what I can do.

"It's still very effective," Rafe murmurs, glancing at our mom. "Even without the wind. The fact that she can just look at something and make it burst into flames - I mean, as long as her visuals aren't interrupted..." Rafe and mom continue, discussing military applications, but I sigh and little and turn back to my happy little fire. Or, happy gigantic inferno, more accurately.

But even if Rafe is right that my magic is still a very destructive force, I miss the wind. Being able to turn it into that wide and flaming gyre...

Man, but that had been cool. And it had felt good and right, singing through my body. After all, that's how I had been able to move it around.

A little wind ripples through the little square clearing now as I remember what it had been like when the fire danced along with me, moving as moved. The wind moves towards the fire which seems to reach for it, eager for the fresh oxygen that it brings. I smile when the wind plays with the tendrils of fire, letting them grow a little, pulling it towards the sky.

Then I smile, turning my head to Cora. "Is that you?" I ask, curious, nodding towards it. "Bringing in the wind?"

But she just stares at me and slowly shakes her head. "I'm not doing anything, Ariel."

I frown, glancing back towards the fire as the wind dies down. "You didn't?" I whisper. Because, I mean...we're entirely surrounded by tents and it's a calm day. If Cora didn't do it...

My mom gasps and I turn to see her grasping Cora's hand, looking at me with wide eyes.

"What?" I ask, feeling wary, taking a step closer to Jackson, who is ready for me as he always is. Jackson steps behind me, keeping hold of my hand with his, letting me lean against his broad chest.

 

Chapter 0769

"Sweetheart," mom whispers, glancing back at the fire. "Baby...try it again, okay? Can you...can you pull on the wind? Like you did before when... Luca was here too?"

I frown at her and shake my head. "Mom, it needs physical contact," I say. "That's how it's always been. And he's...not here."

She looks at me, her expression pleading, and she glances once at Jackson like she's worried for him. "But he is with you, baby," mom whispers, raising her own hand to wrap around her neck, high up and close to her jaw.

I gasp a little, realizing that she's touching her neck precisely where Luca marked mine. My own hand flies up to the mark - the indelible piece of Luca that I'll always carry

And then I snap my head back to the fire that still burns in the middle of the clearing, and I pull hard on the wind, just as I would if Luca were here holding my hand.

The wind soars through the clearing, ragged and uneven. I pulls it in shaky bursts, not the smooth torrent it was before - but it's there - and it's so clearly responding to my call -

I moan a little, in relief as much as grief, as the wind mixes with the fire, lifting it high into the air. We all watch, breathless, as the fire climbs into the sky. And I shake my head because it's not the same. The whirlwind sputters and starts, climbing and then falling and then climbing again, rough and uneven. But it's there.

I let it fall, letting the fire collapse to the ground, and groan as I turn into Jackson, burying my face in his chest, my shoulders shaking as I try to put the pieces of this together. He wraps one arm around my back, his other hand softly cupping the back of my head as he stands steady and holds me tight. I take a few deep breaths, trying - trying hard to understand it - to put the pieces of it together.

And as I do, the Goddess's words come back to me. That I need my mate's marks, that it's important to my magic. That this, maybe, was what she was talking about the whole time. That getting the marks wasn't even about my romantic relationships that it was always about the magic. About giving me a piece of them as part of me so that I'd be able to do...this.

Whatever this is.

Even when they're far away.

"Baby," mom murmurs after a long moment, coming close. "Sugar, are you all right?"

I take a few deep breaths, trying hard to pull myself together, and then I turn my face to my mother, my cheeks damp. "How is it possible?" I breathe.

"Ariel," mom says, stepping close and again glancing up at Jackson with that worried expression. "Luca... your bond with him isn't fully broken, all right?"

My eyes go wide as mom quickly

explains, Rafe and Cora coming to stand close behind her listening. She tells me everything - about dad

saying the physical effects of th nets

rejection should have been so much worse, and checking on the bonds, and finding that my bond with Luca is still...there. Ragged and thin but there.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whisper, shaking my head, wrapping my arms as far around Jackson as they'll go, wanting to keep him close.

"You were already in so much pain,

baby," mom whispers, shaking her head at me. "We never meant to keep it from you forever. But we wanted to give you space, to let you heal piece by piece. I'm sorry if that

was wrong."

I nod, looking down at the ground, considering it. But ultimately deciding that...I get it. That she was just trying to protect me and let me heal.

 

Chapter 0770

Then I look up at Jacks, incredibly anxious about how he's going to react to the news.

"It's okay," he says, quite soft, looking down at me like we're the only two people standing in this clearing. He lifts his hand to my face, softly stroking my cheek with his thumb. "Doesn't change anything for me. I'm still not letting that jackass anywhere near you - but if you still have part of a bond?" he shrugs. "At least we know some weird other mate isn't going to come and mess up our lives. Yeah?"

"Yeah," I say, giving him a tremulous smile, nodding.

"It's fine, tiny," he murmurs, dipping his head to press a kiss to my forehead. "It's precisely fine. Don't worry about me."

I close my eyes for a moment, turning my head and pressing my cheek to his chest, again wondering how

I got so lucky as to have this calm, patient man as my mate. He holds me tighter, letting me feel his support.

"Ariel," Rafe says after a moment, quiet, making me open my eyes and focus on him. "How does it feel, the magic now? It looked...different."

"Yeah," I sigh, standing up straighter and pulling away from Jackson for a moment. "It...feels different than when Luca was standing right here with me. It's...unsteady. Harder. Do you..." I bite my lip, looking towards my mom. "Do you think he can feel it, mom? I don't...I don't want to be taking the magic from Luca, not if he were unwilling to give it."

"He gave you the mark willingly, baby," mom says, stepping forward and cupping my neck with her palm, looking me sadly in the eyes. "I think he gave you the magic along with it, even if he didn't mean to. I think it's okay. I don't think it's a violation."

I nod, exhaling a long breath, choosing to believe her even if I still have questions.

"So it's...it's harder to call now?" Rafe asks, anxious and getting us back to the problem at hand. "But not...too hard?" He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair, glancing towards the tent where dad and

Roger are working to plan th and nee

counter-assault. Explosions still

—

echo in the air, though further away now. "It's just Ariel, it's a big deal if you can still use Luca's wind - or, your wind now, if that's what it is -"

"Yeah, I can do it, I think,” I say, nodding a little. "Just, um..." I look at mom and Cora, anxious. "Can we stay out here for a little bit? Experiment, see what I can and can't

do?"

"Sure, trouble," mom murmurs, patting my shoulder and glancing at Cora, who nods. "We can take a little time."

"I'll go update dad," Rafe says, giving me a steady nod and then striding for the door.

I exhale and turn away from Jackson, reaching again for his hand.

"Let 'er rip, tiny," Jacks murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair, ever-supportive and lovely as he always is. "Let's see what you can do."

With a last glance toward mom and

Cora, my heart breaking for these two women whose children were kidnapped today and who are still

finding the strength to help meet

help their nation, I turn back towards the fire. And, determined to do whatever I can to help, I exhale and begin to experiment with the fire and the wind, seeing how high and steadily I can raise it.