Ch. 976..980: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 976-980

Chapter 0976

"Why?" I ask quietly, tilting my head to the side. "Why would you have wanted to start early, at twenty-two? You were so much older, so much...readier for it when Rafe came along. And you wanted him so badly that you went to a sperm donor to get him. Isn't it better, to bring a baby into the world when they're really desired from the start?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," mom says on a considerate sigh, casually leaning against one arm as she turns her face up to the ceiling, contemplative. "Sometimes the desire comes first, sometimes the baby does. I'm not sure it matters. But," she says, turning her eyes back towards me. "I would have wanted to get started young so your dad and I could have lots more kids."

I burst out laughing, shaking my head at her. "Mom! Us four are enough!"

"Of course you are, baby," mom coos, grabbing at me and pulling me in close for another hug, pressing kiss after kiss to my hair. I grin, swatting her away. "But," she says with a happy sigh. "Eight would have been enough too."

"Mom, eight is far too many," I murmur, suddenly regretting my little joke last night about eighteen. "What would you have even named them?"

"Rafe, Ariel, Mark, and Juniper," she says instantly, her eyebrows raising with the truth of it. "All with a Jr. at the end."

I burst out laughing again, shaking my head at her. "Mom!"

"It's true!" she says, shoving my shoulder, laughing at me. "I had great plans to have a whole second batch of kids about ten years later, and then I was going to try all my parenting techniques again, and pit you all against each other in a great trial and see which group of four came out victorious -"

I laugh harder now, falling down into the blankets on the bed.

"It was going to be an amazing social experiment!" Mom says, laughing too,

beaming down at me. "But, sadly, dad said no."

I put my hands on my belly, which aches with so much laughing, turning my head back and forth. “Thank god for dad," I murmur. "Someone has to hold this stupid family together."

"Yes, thank the heavens for dad," mom says, reaching out and stroking her fingers again through my hair. "And thanks also for your Jackson. He's going to be...a fantastic father. If he ever gets over the shock of it."

I look up at her, well pleased. "You really like him for me, don't you?"

"I like him in general," she says, giving an eager nod. "But I like him especially for you, baby. From the moment I met him, I knew he was right."

I raise my eyebrow. "The moment?"

"Oh fine," she says, rolling her eyes, caught in the lie. "At first I thought he was your murderer. But as soon as I figured out he dragged your

ridiculous bleeding butt all throw net

that stupid trial? And then he started sobbing when he heard you'd

probably live?" She nods, very wisely. "I knew."

"I knew too," I whisper, smiling at her, telling her the true deep secret in my heart.

"I think I knew too."

"Yes, you're very wise," mom murmurs, grinning at me and patting my cheek.

The door creeks open and both of our heads spin to it as we go very still.

"What's that about wisdom?" Jesse says, striding in boldly as he always does, not bothering to knock. "Was someone speaking about me -"

But as soon as he gets within ten feet of me, he stops in his tracks, his face falling slack. "Oh, holy shit."

"Seriously?” Mom says, snapping her hands to her waist. "You can smell it from there? God damn it, I wish I had an Alpha nose -"

“Smell what?” Rafe murmurs from the doorway, stepping in with a pastry in his hand, taking a big bite. "What are you guys even doing in here, all hidden awa-"

But he goes still too, his mouth falling open, his bite of pastry falling to the floor.

"From the door!?" Mom spits out, jealous and appalled.

"Ariel,” Jesse whispers, staring at me, shaking his head a little even as he holds

out his arms towards me. "Oh my god, Ariel -"

I groan, sitting up, unable to keep from smiling. "I know," I say with a shrug. "Who would have thought it?"

 

Chapter 0977

"You're all knocked up!" Jesse whispers, his tone incredibly sweet, like it's the most adorable thing he's ever thought of in his life. "Oh my god, Ariel!"

"No way," Rafe whispers, striding over to me, staring at me unblinking. Then he bursts out laughing, raising his hands to his hair, digging his fingers into the thick dark strands. "This is - this is insane! No way!"

"Way," I say, laughing too, giving a little shrug. "Um, we just found out -"

"Found out!?" Jesse spits out, staring between Ella and I.

"I thought it was two more mates," I say, laughing at myself now, falling back into the pillows of the bed. "I'm such an idiot, I didn't even think the bonds were kids -"

Jesse howls with laughter, collapsing onto the bed with me and wrapping me up in a hug as he presses kisses to my cheeks and hair, hugging me tight.

But Rafe stands right where he was. "Two?" he whispers, staring at me. "Bond... bonds? With an -s on the end?"

Jesse gasps, putting it together, letting me sit up as I shrug and smile between them. "Yeah," I say, a little helpless to do anything but smile. "Yeah, twins, I guess."

"Oh my GOD!" Rafe shouts, finally coming back to himself and leaping on the bed, fairly tackling me with his hug.

"Gentle, gentle!" Mom cries, smacking at him.

But my big Alpha brother is, as usual, very careful with me, wrapping me up tight in a hug but in control enough that I'm not hurt at all. "This is so insane, Ariel," he murmurs, hugging me close. "Congratulations, trouble - I'm so excited -"

"Who's the dad?" Jesse asks, dry.

I gasp, shoving Rafe away - and when I see Jesse's shitty little grin I snarl and kick at him, making him roar with laughter as he swats my feet away, not letting a single blow land.

"You jackass!" I shout, even as I laugh, kicking him harder.

"No fighting on my bed!" mom shouts, laughing too, swatting at me.

"No calling my sister's virtue into question!" Rafe roars, joining in on my mission to destroy Jesse and giving him a hearty shove. We're all laughing, a bit swept away in the moment, when a a creaking noise from the door makes us all basically freeze in place.

I turn my head, eyes wide, to Jackson standing in the doorway, Marigold held high

on his arm in her little footie pajamas, both of them peering at the four of us in wonder and curiosity.

Jesse moves first. "Ooookay," he says, shoving himself up from the bed and dashing over to Jacks. "Give me the baby," he commands, reaching for Marigold.

"What?" Jackson says, frowning at Jesse and stepping away. "Why?"

"Because you're going to collapse in about four seconds, my guy," Jesse says, stepping closer and taking Marigold under the arms, gently lifting her away from her dad and settling her cheerfully on his hip.

Marigold gives a worried little squeak, looking between Jesse and Jackson, sensing the tension in the room.

"Nah, you're fine, Goldie Girl," Jesse says with a grin, pressing a kiss to her hair. "No worries for you."

She grins at him even as Jackson still continues to stare at Jesse. "Worries...for me?" Jackson asks, going tense.

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Jesse sighs, and tilts his head towards me and Rafe and mom, who are all still frozen on the bed. "You need to take a deep breath, Jacks Jesse says, nodding slowly to him and tapping his nose And then go to your girl."

Jackson frowns at Jesse for a second and then does as he's told, taking a deep

breath in through his nose.

Suddenly he freezes to, spinning to me, shocked.

"Oh...oh my god," Jackson whispers, his mouth falling open.

"Jacks," I whisper, worried for him, starting to push myself off the bed.

But before I can get there Jackson stumbles back against the door and then slips down to the ground, not taking his eyes from me for a second as I dash across the room to him.

"See, Golds," Jesse murmurs to her. "I told you he was going down."

Chapter 0978

Marigold gives a little cry of distress, reaching for her dad, but Jesse holds her tight, whispering to her that dad's fine, he's just very, very surprised.

I let Jesse handle our daughter for a moment, going to my knees before Jackson and taking his face in my hands. "Jacks," I whisper, turning his glazed eyes to mine. "Baby, are you all right?"

Something about this brings Jackson snapping back to me. "Ariel," he says on a gasped intake of breath. "Are - are you fucking all right!?"

"I'm fine," I say, all in a rush, crawling into Jackson's lap and opening the bond between us, letting him see and feel that I really am okay - that everything with me is fine. I mean, beyond the fact that our entire reality just came shattering down around us again...I really am okay.

He groans, resting his head against me, his whole body shaking a little bit as he takes a deep sniff of my new scent. "Pregnant..." he whispers, barely audible. "You're...you're fucking...pregnant."

"Yeah," I say, my voice a tremulous little sound as well. "Yeah, Jacks. I...sure am." "Oh my god," he groans. "How... how do I have two kids..."

I go a bit still in his arms.

He whips his face up to me.

I bite my lip, grimacing a little. “Do you want to...count again, Jacks?"

He whips his head back down to stare at my stomach, clearly turning inwards to his own wolf, checking on the bonds that have made themselves apparent in his own soul as well. And then he groans, collapsing against me again as he realizes a very important bit of information.

"Three," he groans. "Oh my god, Ariel, there's going to be three of them - they outnumber us -"

"I know," I murmur, smiling a little as I cradle his head to me. "Luckily, none of them are literate yet, so...we have advantage for a few more years."

He just shakes his head and groans again, pulling me close, trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

"Oooookay,” Jesse says on a happy little sigh, pleased with the increased chaos of our lives, as he always is. I peer up to see him grinning at Marigold. "You want to help me get champagne, Goldie?"

She stares at him for a second, and then glances down at us, and then apparently decides that her father's emotional meltdown is very boring. "Yes," she says, giving Jesse a steady nod.

"That's my girl," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to her hair and neatly stepping over me and Jacks to stride from the room. Jesse snaps his fingers at mom and Rafe, who sigh and go along with him.

"You have five minutes," mom says,

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pointing down at me as she goes. "And then I'm doing a full-body health scan on you to make sure you're as healthy as you need to be. You're going to have to start eating fruit, Ariel - I'm not having my grandbabies come into this world all malnourished.”

I glare up at her a little as she flounces out the door. She just

shrugs at me like she's not going to stop being practical just because m pregnant and Jackson's having a breakdown about it. Rafe follows mom, giving us both a big smile and pulling the door shut after him.

Jackson lifts his head and I turn my full attention back to him in the new darkness and quiet of the room. "You're seriously okay?" he whispers, looking me over. "You're...it doesn't hurt?"

"No, that part comes later," I whisper, running my fingers through his hair and grinning at him, privately very grateful to my mom for talking me down from my own panic so that I can help Jackson through his.

I grimace when he goes very still, his eyes again flashing wide, realizing that I've said the wrong thing.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" I say, taking his cheeks between my hands and pressing a kiss to his mouth. "I'm fine! And I'm going to be fine!"

"So, it's not going to hurt?" he whispers.

"No, sugar, it's going to hurt," I say, twisting my mouth to the side and giving a little shrug. "The birth part is...notoriously painful."

He groans, ducking his head against my shoulder. "I need...books. I need knowledge. I don't know anything about pregnancy - I don't know what's going on. I don't even know how long it takes!"

"About six months," I murmur, resting my cheek on his hair.

But the feel of his soft hair against my cheek only lasts a moment as he whips his

head up to stare at me, his panic renewed. "Just six months!?" he gasps.

"Rafe came in five," I whisper with a little grimace.

Jackson just stares at me in horror.

"Jacks!" I say, laughing a little,

putting my hands again on his cheeks. "It's. plenty of time. Millions of people have done this before, okay? And we've got an OBGYN in the family, and a magical heater. Everything is going to be totally fine!"

He just stares at me like those seven words are a lifeline. “Everything is going to

be totally fine."

Chapter 0979

"Yeah," I say, petting his hair softly, smiling at him. "We can do it. We've got this. We've already got one to practice on for a couple of months - we'll be totally prepared by the time these two come along."

"Totally prepared," he murmurs, nodding slowly, clinging to the hope.

We stare at each other for a long moment before he groans again, tugging me close, cradling me against him in that way I really, really love. He snarls a little, protective and possessive, and a great deal of happiness spreads all throughout me. We take a few more minutes there, together, checking in with each other and adjusting to this wild new reality.

"God, I can't believe it," Jackson whispers, shaking his head and running a hand across my stomach. "I - I'm not ready for this."

"But you will be," I whisper, biting my lip a bit, hoping that...that it's just shock. That he's going to be happy about this soon, that he might even...like it.

He looks up at me, sensing my emotions.

I just stay very still, not wanting him to feel pressured to like it if he doesn't.

"Ariel, of course I like it," he whispers, shaking his head at me. "I'm...fucking terrified, and I definitely need a computer as soon as possible - I have so much research to do – but the idea of having a little kid? Two of them? That's...me and you, both?"

He shakes his head, holding my gaze...I think a bit lost for words.

"You like it?" I whisper, raising my hand and pressing it to his cheek.

"Ariel, you and the rest of the insane people you're related to have long sold me on the concept of family," he whispers. "If we can have that - if we can add to it... then yeah, I want that. I want that a lot."

"Plus they're going to be really cute," I whisper, starting to smile.

"Are they?" He asks, frowning a bit.

I gasp, immediately offended. "Jackson!"

"Well, how do you know," he says, leaning forward and laughing a little, winding his arms around me, pulling me closer. "You don't know what they'll look like —"

"Yes, I do!" I snap. "They're going to look like me! And you!"

He wrinkles his nose, dubious. "I don't know, Ariel, you'd better hope that these kids get my genetics - you Sinclairs are -"

"How dare you!" I gasp, pressing a hand to my heart and leaning away. "We are a beautiful family -"

"You're all right," he concedes,

grinning at me, holding me tight as

much as I squeak, livid, trying to wiggle away in my protest and making him roar with laughter. He haul me closer to press kiss after kiss to my cheeks and mouth. "I'm kidding. They're going to be gorgeous. Of course they are."

"Damn right," I grumble, letting myself relax against him.

The door creeks open a bit. "I hear laughter," mom says, peering in. "Which suggests the great trauma is over. Which means you need to come outside so I can -"

"Yeah, yeah," I say, starting to stand up. "We get it, mom, you can't even let me have a minute alone with the father of my children -"

But before I can get to my feet Jackson sweeps me up into his arms, making me gasp a little at the suddenness with which I have reached dizzying new heights. I whip my head up, glaring at him.

"You'd better not be carrying me because it's too dangerous for me to walk pregnant."

"I'm carrying you because I love you,” Jackson says, very seriously, looking down into my face as mom grins and pushes the door open fully. "But yes, also because I am feeling very I protective right now and might not let you walk for the next six months

"What!?" I shriek.

Little footsteps ring out in the living room then and Jackson and I turn our heads towards the door. I burst into a smile when I see Marigold trotting forward with a very expensive bottle of champagne clutched in her arms.

"Champin!" Marigold says, quite proud.

"Bring that back here, mongrel!" Jesse calls after her, laughing.

But even as I start to laugh I glance around into the living room and see another figure standing there - one who I haven't seen yet today. His face is very serious, his hands sunk deep into his pockets, his eyes

fastened on me.

My face goes a bit pale as I lock eyes with my father, who clearly already knows.

"Dad," I whisper.

He holds my eyes for a moment, just the tiniest smile curling at the left side of his mouth. But then he moves his eyes to Jackson's face, that smile disappearing.

"Go ahead and put her down, Jacks," dad says, very serious and firm. "She won't break. And you and I need to have...a talk."

I grimace a little, looking up at my mate as he sighs and bends to put me on my feet.

 

Chapter 0980

I bite my lip as Jackson lowers me and my feet hit the ground, my eyes trained on my dad.

Dad studies Jackson for a moment longer before moving his eyes back to me. My breath catches for a moment but then he smiles, wide and beautiful, holding out his arms. "Daughter," he says, reaching for me.

A little cry breaks from my lips as I dash away from my mate and into my dad's arms. He gathers me up warm and tight against his chest, cradling me close, warmth and pride radiating off of him.

"You're not disappointed in me, are you?" I murmur, the words muffled against his shirt. "Or mad at Jacks?"

"Baby, of course I'm not mad or disappointed," dad says, rocking me back and forth. "You make your own path, trouble, and I'll support you on it every step of the way. Are you all right? Are you happy?"

Dad pulls back a bit to study me and I look up at him, my shoulders bunched up, not really knowing how to reply. I glance back at Jackson who stands stoic, his hands in his pockets, waiting. "We're...surprised," I say softly. "But yeah - I think we're happy. It's good. It's good, right?"

"It's good," dad says, beaming down at me with a wide smile, his beautiful eyes crinkled at the corners as he strokes a hand over my hair. "Two little grandchildren, all at once? Come on, how can I not be thrilled?"

I grin at him, liking that. "Are they going to call you Pop-pop?"

Dad roars with laughter, tossing his head back. I laugh with him, loving it. There's really nothing like making my dad laugh like that - with total abandon. Such a rare feat. It fills me with warmth.

"We'll figure that out later," dad says, lifting his head and wiping away a mirthful tear. "Maybe they can just call me Dominic, so I won't feel so old."

"Oh, you can't be old, Pop-pop," mom says, coming over and beaming at us, holding out a glass of champagne for my dad. "I won't let you. My magical healing on a cellular level is much better than Botox."

"Yeah well, maybe Kingly Grandfather or a simple My Liege would be better to start," dad murmurs, loosing his arms around me and waving the drink away. "Celebrations later. I have business to attend to." He shifts his eyes back to Jackson, who is waiting.

"Bisniss," Marigold whispers from her spot nestled between Jesse and Rafe on the couch. I grin over at her, reminded again that her clever little mind is well attuned to watch and listen to everything. But then I sigh, letting my dad go, stepping next to my mom. We both watch as dad crosses to his bedroom door, nodding towards it though he keeps his eyes fixed on Jackson, his demand clear.

Jackson takes a deep breath and only glances at me for a moment before following my father into the room.

"Oh geeze," I sigh, a hand moving instinctually to my stomach. "Dad's not going to make me a single mother, is he?"

"No, your father is very even tempered," mom says, slipping an arm around my shoulders and giving me a squeeze. "He'll just break Jackson's arm. Nothing permanent."

"What!?" I gasp, spinning my head to her.

"I'm kidding," mom says, bursting into laughter and giving me a tug, leading me over to the couch. "It's going to be fine! He's probably just excited to have another dad to talk to for once."

"He's got Roger for that," I murmur, my eyes straying anxiously back to the closed door.

"Yes, but Roger's all jokes," mom

says, seating me down in her favorite armchair and then going the drinks cart to fetch me a

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champagne flute of my own. "Dad's excited to have someone serious to talk to."

"Hey, I'm serious," Rafe says, frowning up at mom as she comes back, balancing his champagne glass on his knee.

"Seriously boring," Jesse says in a mock whisper, leaning close to Marigold and pretending it's a secret. She giggles, looking up at him, clearly loving him a great deal already - as most children do.

"I'm not boring!" Rafe growls, glaring at Jesse. Then he spins back to mom and me. "Wait, I'm not boring, right?"

I just grimace, making his eyes fly wide.

"You're thrilling, Meatball," mom

says, handing me my flute and lifting hers towards him. "But it's Ariel's day today. To our little trouble, and the little teeny double trouble that's

going to be here in six!"

"To double trouble!" Jesse says, laughing and raising his glass.

"I'm interesting," Rafe grumbles, still glaring at all of us even as he raises his glass. Marigold puts her hands up too, even without a drink, and we all laugh, lifting our glasses towards her, and then to me in celebration.

I sigh, shaking my head, still not believing that any of it's real as I lift my glass to

my lips -

But as soon as I take a sip, I sputter it out.

"Sparkling cider!?" I gasp, spinning my head to glare at my mother.

"You are with child, Ariel Sinclair,” mom says, raising her eyebrows at me.