Ch. 931..935: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 931-935

Chapter 0931

"You're far too kind to me, Ariel," Jackson whispers, his throat tight.

"No, I'm not," I sigh, slumping against him as his wolf curls up around mine, giving her a long lick on her cheek and then resting his nose again over her neck. "I'm sorry I wasn't nice and yelled. I think I freaked her out."

"You were freaked out," Jackson murmurs. "It was a natural response."

I nod, thinking he's the one being too kind, but I look towards the door with a sigh. "Come on," I say, unfolding myself from his lap.

"Where are we going?" he asks, standing up, looking down at me curiously.

"Upstairs,” I say, taking his hand, giving it a squeeze, suddenly a bit terrified. "I want to meet your kid."

He groans, letting his head tilt back on his neck. "I can't believe that's a real sentence," he murmurs. "I can't believe I have a kid."

"Same," I say, giving him a tug towards me. Jackson wraps an arm around my waist and looks quite seriously down at my face. I smile, loving him a great deal, sure in us even if...well, even if the rest of the world just completely fell apart. "Come on," I whisper. "If we don't go now mom will take her shopping. And then we'll lose her in a sea of toys and kid clothes and you may never see her again."

Jackson huffs out a laugh but follows me out of the kitchen, rubbing his hand through his hair as we go, still looking a bit dazed.

Jackson and I are quiet and steady as we walk upstairs towards our family suite, where I somehow just know mom and Rafe and Mark and Marigold went. Jackson holds my hand firm in his own and I squeeze his back, both of us passing devotion down the bond even if its tinged with trepidation and a bit of fear.

Because both of our lives just completely blew up and we have no idea what's going to happen next, even if we know we're going to face it together.

I exhale slowly as we enter the Royal suite, the living room of which is empty, and head down the hall towards where a little light is peeking out of my room, alongside some voices.

Honestly...how did so much of my life change in an hour?

I'm still reeling even as I push open the door and smile to see my mom and Rafe sitting on the floor with Marigold between them, propped up on the little child-sized futon

mattress that Seraphina likes

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when she sleeps over here. Jesse smiles at me from his place stretched over my bed - doing absolutely nothing to help, I note - while Mark peeks out of my gigantic closet, a little girl's dress half-folded in his hand.

"Hey," mom says, beaming over at us, closing the half-read picture book that she's got in her hands.

Rafe sits up, setting Marigold's little cup of water aside.

Marigold fastens her eyes on us, brightening when she sees that it's Jackson, mostly ignoring me.

But Jackson squeezes my hand and I feel a great deal of intense emotion move through him at the sight of his little girl. And I can't help the tears that spring to my eyes tears that come from...so many emotions.

Happiness, to see the beautiful

connection already starting to form between them. And jealousy - as much as hate it, I have to admit that it's there. Jealousy that she's not mine, jealousy that...that I'm not his whole world anymore. And confusion at all this sudden change in our lives -

But mostly, suddenly, overwhelmingly...hope.

Hope that I - that we can do something to help this little girl have a good life. This little girl who is so...so fucking frail. She's not a small creature by any means

- she's Jackson's kid, after all - she has none of the tiny bird-boned loveliness of Rosie or Seraphina.

But god, she's just so thin-

Like Midnight – like she's never had a proper meal in her life –

My heart instantly reaches out to Marigold and I find myself moving, crossing the room, ignoring everyone else and going to sit at the bottom edge of her little makeshift bed, swallowing over the lump in my throat a I glance down at helittle bitty feet – covered in a blanket patterned in flowers and Stars -

I lean forward, pressing a hand to my heart, my chest, and smile at her.

"Hi,” I say, my voice shakier than I'd like it to be. "My name is Ariel. It's so, so nice

to meet you."

 

Chapter 0932

Marigold studies me for a long moment and I feel Jackson step close, feel him settle down on the ground behind me. The little girl flicks her eyes to him and then back to me.

"Ariel,” she whispers, and my name said in her tiny voice makes my heart seize. I smile at her – a big, rich smile – even as tears slip out of the corners of my eyes. I wipe them hastily away, not wanting her to think that I'm sad.

"Yup, that's right," I say, laughing a little and shifting my eyes to my mom - who, of course, is also crying.

Marigold shifts her eyes to Jackson, a clear question on her face as she tries to figure out what his name is. She knows the rest of us by name, after all, except him. His name - the name of the most important person in the room to her right now. The person with whom she has a bond, whom she already knows to be attached to her.

"Um," Jackson says, working hard to keep his voice casual and steady. "I guess you can just call me...dad. If that's okay with you."

Marigold stares at him for a long moment and then nods once, turning her eyes back to the book in mom's hands, clearly wanting more of that.

But mom, I laugh to see, is crying too hard now to continue reading. She laughs along with me - we all do - as she sets the book down in Marigold's lap and wipes at her cheeks with her palms.

"They're all messy, Marigold," Rafe says on a sigh, laughing and picking up the book as the little girl turns to him. "Here, let me continue this, though I'm not going to be as good at the voices as she was."

We all curl up then, quite quiet and cozy, and listen as Rafe reads the story. Jesse comes down from the bed to stretch out next to me and Mark comes in too, bringing a bunch of child clothes - where on earth did he get those? - and continuing to fold them as he listens.

I lean back against Jack and keep my eyes fastened on the little girl.

Jackson's little girl.

Who eats cookie after cookie as about half an hour passes, her eyes fastened steadily on the page as my brother reads to her.

And I smile, just slightly, because...

I mean, because I think it's all going to be okay.

With this team at our backs? It's all going to be okay.

Rafe reads until Marigold's eyes start to droop, until she slumps down against the pillows, her breathing slow and deep.

"All right," mom says, making Rafe pause as she pulls the blankets up around Marigold's chin. "Why don't you big boys clear out of here and give Jackson a chance to tuck his little girl in."

Mark and Jesse grumble - honestly, the story was very good - but get to their

feet. Mark ducks into the closet quickly to put away all of Marigold's freshly folded clothes.

"Hey," Jesse whispers, bending

down to put a hand on my shoulder.

I look up at him in surprise as he tilts

his head towards the door. "Why don't you come out with us for a second. Let me buy you a drink."

I just stare at him in shock at this request, making him laugh.

"Come on, Princess," Jesse says, straightening and grinning at me. "You look like you could use one."

I laugh a little, glancing at Jackson. "Do you mind?"

Jacks just stares at me for a second. "Should I mind?"

I laugh and shake my head, getting to my feet as my mom smiles softly at me and Rafe gets up too, tucking the little story book beneath Marigold's tiny mattress so she can find it tomorrow.

"You go, Ariel," mom says with a little laugh, looking down at the little girl who works hard to keep her eyes open, wanting to see everything that's going on. "Jackson and I can handle it in here."

"Can we?" Jackson asks, looking at my mom with a great deal of fear on his face.

I laugh and get to my feet, pressing a kiss to his cheek as I do. "It's just tucking her in, Jacks," I say softly. "No trouble at all."

"What's tucking in?" he whispers, looking at me and then mom, baffled.

I laugh and take Jesse's proffered arm as mom grins at Jackson and begins to explain. Then, Mark and Rafe following behind, the four of us head out the door and into the living room.

Rafe, Jesse and I head for the bar car in the corner, but Mark hesitates, looking towards the door.

"You don't want a drink, Markie?" Jesse asks, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "And get the full debriefing about Ariel's actual emotions on the subject of Jackson's love child?"

 

Chapter 0933

"Um," Mark says, running a hand through his hair, his eyes again straying to the exit. "I think I want a walk."

"You okay, baby?" I ask, turning to him with a frown. Mark - why is he being weird now? Honestly, with all of these developments, I'm not sure I can handle anything new from Mark too.

"I'm fine," Mark says, turning and giving me a big grin. "Don't worry about me, Ari. You have enough on your plate."

"Does she ever," Rafe says with a sigh, turning to me and handing me a fresh glass of white wine that he just poured. Mark waves to us over his shoulder, calling to us that he loves us, even as he heads for the door.

"He's the most mysterious of the Sinclairs," Jesse says, smirking after Mark even as he heads for the couch and waves for Rafe and me to follow. We do, Rafe carrying a glass of wine for him and Jesse too.

"No, he's not," Rafe and I both say at once. We all laugh as my brother and my cousin settle down with me, Jesse with me on the couch and Rafe in the arm chair to my left.

I sigh and slump back against the cushions, lifting my glass to my mouth and gulping down a great deal of wine in one go.

"So," Jesse says on a happy sigh, grinning his wicked smile between the two of us. "You two have had some...developments over the past few days. Haven't you?"

"You're the one whose mate is sleeping on the roof in a tent, Jess,” Rafe replies, dry, making us both laugh, Jesse's head tiling back on his neck as he does. "When it comes to weird developments, you have no room to talk."

"True," Jesse says, lifting his head back up and grinning at both of us, I think genuinely happy to have our little trio back together. "But tonight's really about Ariel anyway. How you doing, kid?" He gives me a prodding little nudge with his foot.

"I don't know," I groan, letting myself slump further against the cushions, tucking my legs up beneath me. "That...I mean that all happened so fast. This morning Jackson and I woke up alone and everything was fine, and then two hours ago I'm just on a video call to Daphne, and then boom! All of a sudden my mate has a daughter and mom is tucking her into bed in my room!?"

I sigh, baffled by it all.

"To constant surprises," Rafe says on a sigh, lifting his glass to both of us. "At least this family never gets dull."

"We could use a little dull," I grumble, staring into my wine.

"Oh, should call Mark back?" Jesse asks, making me laugh even as shoot

nm a little glare. "He cando

on

on about the native breeds of

squirrel -"

"You leave my Markie alone," I snarl, kicking him this time. Jesse grins at me and

nods. I forgive him immediately, knowing he was kidding.

And also, Mark really can be weird about wildlife. So...I get it.

We're quiet for a few long moments before Rafe sighs, long and deep, drawing our eyes to him.

"You'd better do right by Jackson on this, Ariel," my brother says, holding me with rather a steely gaze.

I sit up straight, gaping at him. "What!?"

"I'm serious," he says, giving me that slow and steady Alpha nod that dad uses when he's laying down the law. "You'd better put Jackson first and support him in everything he needs as he adjusts to -"

"To begin!" I interrupt, whipping a finger in the air and whipping my head between my brother and my cousin. "You two are supposed to on my side! Where are the

comforting questions of hot

are

you, dear Ariel?' and 'Ariel, darling, what a shock - how do you face such stress with such equanimity and poise?!?"

"Would we call this poise?" Jesse murmurs wonderingly, narrowing his eyes and gesturing at me with his drink.

I snarl, glaring at him.

"And continuing on that point!" I say, only baring my teeth at him a little bit. "Why

would you assume that I'm not going to do right by Jacks!?"

"Well, are you?" Rafe asks, leaning towards me, stern and curious.

"Because if you're not," Jesse says, likewise leaning in. "We're not going to forgive you for it, Ari."

I spin my head back and forth between the two of them as I gape at both, shocked

to be at the center of this interrogation that just seems - so ridiculous to me!

Chapter 0934

"Hey," I growl, pointing my finger between Rafe and Jesse, starting to get pissed. "I am here for Jackson - I have been very kind throughout all of this huge, insane surprise tonight -"

"That boy has been there for you, Ariel," Rafe interrupts, still very, very serious. "And you dragged him through some pretty devastating mud over the past couple of months -"

I squeak in protest, turning to stare at my brother with my mouth open. "I so did not!"

"Two other mates?" Rafe says, arching an eyebrow at me.

"Both of whose marks you got before Jackson's?" Jesse adds, forcing me to spin to glare at him in turn.

"None of which was my fault!?" I counter, glaring hard.

"We're not blaming you," Rafe says, and I turn back to him. "I'm just saying - if you're not completely there for Jackson - without hesitation, without question - I'm going to judge you for it. Hard. That guy has been at your side through a great deal of stress. He deserves the best in turn from his mate."

My mouth suddenly turns down in a worried frown. "Do you...are you saying this because you seriously think I'm not going to do that? That I need to be told how much Jackson loves me and how good he is to me? That I'd just be good to him in turn because of forced reciprocation!?"

"No, Ari," Jesse says, scootching closer and putting a warm hand on my shoulder. I turn to him now, that desperate frown still curving my lips. "We're just saying - if you were considering taking your time to work through your own emotions on this - don't. He's going to need your full and unconditional support right from the start."

"Well, he's got that," I whisper, staring at Jesse.

"Good," he says, nodding deeply to me.

My brother and my cousin both sigh and simultaneously sit back in their chairs.

But I am not yet so relaxed. "Where is this all coming from!?" I whisper.

Rafe shrugs, looking down into his glass. "You have...a bit of a jealous streak, Ari," he says with a shrug. "You're going to have to share him now, a little. And I don't think you're going to like it."

I scowl a bit, slumping back into the cushions, hating that my brother and my cousin know me so well. "You sensed that already, did you?"

"You'll be fine," Rafe says, smiling at me softly. "Your heart always wins out in the end. For what it's worth, I think you're going to be a great step-mom."

I go a bit still at the words. "Step-mom," I whisper, staring at him. "Is that...is that what I am now?"

Jesse laughs - cackles really - and raises his glass to me. "To Princess Ariel - step-mom galore. It looks good on you, cousin!"

I laugh shakily and raise my glass too, shaking my head and then drinking the rest of the contents down. Rafe gets up to get the fest of the bottle, correctly sensing Dmight want a refill.

"She's really cute, isn't she?" I whisper, looking over at Jesse and wrinkling my

nose.

"Oh, come on, with those genetics?" Jesse gives a casual shrug and smirks at me, holding my gaze steadily. "How could she not be?"

"It could have gone very bad," Rafe says, coming over and splashing more wine into my glass. "She could be like a big, hulking four-year-old girl, all muscles and pigtails e"

MS

Jesse and I both burst out laughing and I smack at Rafe as he laughs and goes and sits down, grinning at me.

"You leave my step-kid alone," I growl at my brother, whose smile deepens. "You'd better be nice to her too."

"Oh, no risk there," Jesse says with a happy sigh. "It's much less pressure to be a step-cousin once removed."

I huff a laugh and sip at my wine as I shake my head at my cousin.

Chapter 0935

"But," Jesse says, raising his glass again to me in toast. "I think that you're going to be great, Ari. I think this is weird, and challenging, but that...I don't know. I think that it could be really good."

"Mom always says babies are a blessing, however they come," I say on a sigh, looking down into my glass, hoping that she's right. Hoping that I can do this- support Jackson, and help to raise Marigold, and play the roles in their lives that they need me to be. Inwardly, even as I quail, I feel myself step up to the challenge.

Because I want to do it. As strange and as fast as it all is - I want it.

"What babies are blessings?"

My dad's voice echoes from the door and I jump a little spinning towards him. My eyes go wide and my face goes a bit pale as twin smiles break out on Rafe and Jesse's faces – both wicked, both desperately interested to see how this goes down.

"Pour yourself a drink, dad," I say on a sigh, gesturing towards the bar cart. "We've got some news for you."

Dad stills at the door, glaring between Jesse and Rafe. "Who got who pregnant?” he growls, suspicious. "God damn it, I told you boys -"

I burst out laughing, luckily blotting the rest of that sentence from my hearing even as Rafe and Jesse nearly burst up from their seats, protestations of innocence already on their lips.

"Fine, fine," dad sighs, waving his hand at them and striding quickly for the bar cart. "God damn it, if this is going to be a long story, at least let me get a drink first."

"Oh, are we having drinks?" Mom's voice rings out as she comes into the living room, her face blissful, her cheeks flushed. "Yay! I'm glad I'm not too late."

Dad narrows his eyes at her as he finishes splashing whiskey in a glass, grabbing next for the bottle of wine she likes next. "Well, you look...suspiciously cheerful, Ella."

"And beautiful," she says on a happy sigh, stepping close to dad and pressing herself to his side as she looks up into his face. "You forgot beautiful.”

"How could I," he murmurs, smiling down at her with a great deal of love on his face, making my stomach flutter at the sight. God, to love someone that intensely for twenty-five years...

Will Jacks and I get to be that happy? Inwardly, I desperately hope so.

"I don't know how you forgot," mom murmurs, grinning at she accepts the glass of wine from his hand. “But you're a terrible brute. You owe me an apology."

Dad hums his agreement, his eyes flashing over mom's face as he

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takes the first sip of his drink. "Bright eyes, flushed cheeks, utter happiness...this can only mean one thing. Where are you hiding the baby, Ella?"

"Oh, in Ariel's room," she says, grinning up at him.

Dad goes still in shock when he realizes that she's not kidding and then whips his head over to me.

"I'm gonna let you all handle this," I say on a sigh, standing up and moving quickly to my dad, standing on my toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "After all, I've got to go say goodnight to my step-kid."

Dad stares at me in shock as mom laughs and kisses me goodnight wave to them all over my shoulder as I head down the hall, my

ve

nearly-full glass of wine still in my hand.

"She's...she's kidding right?" I hear my dad ask. I laugh a little, shaking my head as I reach for my door.

“Nope!" mom replies, her voice humming with happiness. “Isn't it great? A fresh little baby! Come sit down, Dominic, and I'll tell you all about Marigold." "Who the hell is Marigold!?"

I grin and push open my door, grateful to my mom and ready to face my mate. And, indeed...my step-kid.