Ch. 986..990: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 986-990

Chapter 0986

"Ariel," dad says, his voice low with warning. Rafe, Mark, and Jesse sit very quiet on the couch, looking between us.

But I ignore all of them, shifting my eyes to mom. "And what about everything you were saying this morning," I snap, vanishing my flame away. "About being able to have it all, to not have to limit myself simply because I'm pregnant?"

"Baby, I meant every word of that," mom says, pressing her hands to her heart, her eyes going wide. "But you have to acknowledge the reality that your life is different now - your life is going to change in a very physical way. And if your first pregnancy is anything like mine, you may need a great deal of bed rest! Why don't you simply...delay your education until the girls are born? Take a minute to

"If I stop now," I say, my voice getting creaky with sadness and worry, "I won't go back - how many women does this happen to? Who say 'oh I'm going to just take a step away for a moment,' and then they never go back? Why not do it now!? Just finish while I'm pregnant and the babies are young enough to sleep most of the day -"

"You're underestimating how much care and dedication an infant needs, Ariel," dad says, his voice stern but full of feeling. "Let alone two of them. The Academy is a dangerous place - you were injured and nearly died there several times -"

"So, I won't do any of the physical stuff!" I blurt out, desperate. "I'll - I'll just do the book learning!" I hesitate for a second. "And the sniping!"

"Yes, always a great idea to bring the infant children around the gigantic gun," Rafe says, going for some humor to lighten the situation. I spin my head to glare at him and he grimaces, putting his hands up in apology.

"Ariel, when the world finds out about your pregnancy you're immediately going to be a target for kidnapping and ransom," dad says. "You'll be much better guarded here -"

"I've got magic now to defend myself!" I snap out. "And! I'll have three huge powerful magical Alphas at my side!" I look around at Rafe and Jesse and Jackson. All of the air and fury goes out of me, though, when my eyes fall on Jackson and I see him looking up at me with a great deal of sadness.

I exhale all my breath in one great gush and step away from him, feeling completely betrayed. Because...the way he's looking at me...

"What?" I whisper, staring at my mate who so, so clearly agrees with my dad and everyone else in the room. Who doesn't want me to go back to the Academy anymore. "Are you...serious?"

"Ariel," Jackson says softly, his voice terribly sad, reaching a hand for me.

"Even you want me to back off, Jackson!?"

"Tiny," he says, his voice breaking, shaking his head at me as he stands and steps close. "I - I just want you to be safe want you all to be safe And you nearly died over and over again at the Academy. I could barely protect you - and so frequently I couldn't. And now that I have four?" He shakes his head, looking at me with such pleading in his eyes, wanting me to understand.

But I just drop my gaze to the floor, not wanting him to see my tears in my eyes.

I feel just...so...defeated. Like everyone is against me and no one understands that I can do this. That I don't want to give up everything I've worked so hard for just because the Goddess decided it was time for me to get knocked up. It's just...so completely unfair.

"I can't believe none of you believe in me," I whisper, working hard to keep my tears from falling, not wanting Marigold to see them.

"It's not like that, Ariel," mom says softly, her voice trembling. Jackson reaches out and puts a hand on my shoulder his fingers tightening,

urging me to come closer. Buti net

shake my head and step away, not wanting that kind of comfort right now.

Because if I accept the comfort, it means I've given in.

And I'm not ready to do that yet.

I sniff hard and raise my chin, shaking my hair back over my shoulders, putting on my best

Princess smile and aiming it at must

daughter. "Come on, Goldie. I've been kicked out of any position of military authority, so I've got some free time. Let's go hang out and eat chocolate."

She looks at me for a moment, I think a bit worried, but then she nods and gives me a tiny smile in return.

Jackson sighs behind me as I start to walk away, heading for the hallway and my bedroom beyond.

 

Chapter 0987

"Ariel," my mom calls after me. "Please, come and talk to us -"

"It's time for the meeting anyway, Ella," dad murmurs. "She needs space to think and we don't have any more time to talk."

As I head into the darkness of the hall Jackson's voice appears in my mind, soft and apologetic.

Do you want me to come and talk to you? Please - I'm having trouble understanding what's best right now.

I sigh, holding Goldie closer, and send Jackson a little pulse of love down our bond. Because I'm angry and frustrated and feel betrayed, but he's still my mate, and he's just expressing his opinion on what he thinks will be best for our tiny family. His first instinct, after all, is to protect us.

No, I respond back to Jackson, mind-to-mind, doing my best to sound cheerful and not be curt. You go...have your meeting. It's important. I'll just...take care of Marigold.

I can almost feel Jackson sigh as I open the door to the room and step inside, because he's well aware that we've just fallen into some gendered roles that we've never, ever subscribed to before. And he knows I'm not happy about it.

But I grin at Goldie and wrinkle my nose at her, not wanting her to see or feel any of it. Because the opportunity for an afternoon alone with my daughter - that's never a bad thing, is it?

"Should we order up a big breakfast, Golds?" I whisper, conspiratorial. "All the good stuff, nothing healthy?"

She beams at me and nods eagerly. I laugh, hoisting my daughter higher on my hip and heading over to the intercom to place our order.

Marigold and I have a very nearly perfect day together. We eat a big breakfast with chocolate-chip pancakes and a side of gummy worms. Then we have more bath time, which she loves, and for the first time I get to pick out an outfit with my little girl and dress her up for her day, an experience that...really demonstrates why my mom loves shopping so much.

Then we go and spend a long, leisurely day in the park with a picnic lunch. Mark comes too, which means our body guards can stand further back, and my baby brother keeps me laughing all day with his high spirits and silly sense of humor. He shows Marigold all of the miniature houses he made and hung for the squirrels, all connected with an intricate series of tiny wooden bridges that delight her.

And as perfect as the day is, the entire time is run through with a dreadful feeling in my soul that...everything has changed and is beyond my control now. That in falling pregnant I've lost authority over my life, just when I'd honestly felt like I'd finally gained it. My wolf presses herself warm against my heart, giving me a sad little howl in support, letting me know that she feels it too and encouraging me not to give up hope.

When we get back to the palace in the evening the family apartments are quiet, suggesting that the business with the Community is continuing.

Mark looks at me anxiously, but also glances at the door.

"Oh, go on," say, laughing a little and giving him a shove on the shoulder with my free hand, the other supporting Marigold as she drowses against my shoulder. "You don't have to babysit me."

"I can though,” Marks says, shrugging sympathetically. "I love you, Ari. I don't want

to leave you alone if you're all upset."

"I'm not alone though, right?" I say, smiling at my little girl who yawns and snuggles closer to me.

"Love you, sis," Mark says, stepping close and pressing a kiss to my cheek.

I tell Mark that love him too and

then laugh and give him another. shove away, sending him off to

do...well, whatever it is that Market

does. Then I take Goldie into my room, settling her down in her bed for a little nap before dinner.

When the door to my room finally opens again, the sun has long gone down.

Marigold and I are cuddled up in the window seat, a soft blanket wrapped around both of us, reading one of the picture books that Jesse borrowed from Seraphina.

"Dad!" Marigold whispers, turning her head towards him, a big smile spreading across her face.

Jackson can't help his returning

smile, even if the rest of his face and

his stance are very serious. He

sighs, closing the door and leaning

back against it, taking a moment to just look at us.

"Hey, Jacks," I say softly, reaching a hand out for him, my heart filling at the sight

of my gorgeous sweetheart mate, all mine. "Come see us."

Jackson sighs and pushes himself up from the door, crossing the room to me.

Chapter 0988

I scootch forward on the window seat, making room behind me. Jackson takes a moment to dip low, pressing a kiss to Marigold's cheek and then to her hair, telling her how much he missed her and how glad he is to see her. The little girl laughs, beaming up at her father, and I can feel both of our hearts wrench at how incredibly precious she is.

Then Jackson sighs and slips in behind me, his back against the wall, pulling me back so that my back rests against him.

"Here, Goldie," I whisper, placing the picture book firmly in her lap. "You play with this."

She looks down at the book for a moment before her eyes stray to the collection of little plastic ponies that Seraphina gave to her. I laugh and give her a little nudge, encouraging her to go play with those if that's what she wants.

I cuddle close to Jackson as we watch our little girl scurry over to the toys, dropping to her knees in front of them and beginning to play.

"How are you?" Jackson murmurs, his voice heavy and low, his mouth close to my

ear.

"I'm okay," I reply, turning my head to gaze up at him, all tingly and warm curled up in his arms like this. "How was the meeting?"

"It was...fine," he says with a little frown, his eyes searching my face. "It was difficult to pay attention. I kept thinking about you."

"Very unsoldierly of you," I say, giving him a smile, teasing.

He smirks and rests his cheek against my hair. "It was miserable. I felt horrible the whole time. I'm so sorry, Ariel."

"Don't be sorry, Jacks," I whisper, letting my eyes flutter shut. "You're just protecting your family."

"No, I should be sorry," he says, shaking his head. "When the exact same question was poised to me - whether or not I should continue to attend school now that I'm a father - you jumped to my defense. Not a single moment of hesitation before you were on your feet, defending my rights to continue my education. And I...completely failed you. I regret it."

A little bit of grief coils in me there, because he's right. But I forgive him instantly. Jackson's had a challenging life and the past few months have asked him to grow so much. He's doing beautifully and I love him for constantly, always stepping up to the challenge, for wanting to grow.

"Do you think it's different?" I ask quietly. "Since like...you can leave the kids behind and go continue your education? And I'm kind of...attached to them right now?"

"I don't know," Jackson says, heaving a sigh. "I'm not trying to be evasive - I just...honestly do not have an answer for that, Ari. I need...a lot of books. I may not sleep again until I've read them all. What do you think?"

"I think that things are different," I whisper, settling my hands on my stomach and looking down at them. "But I'm not sure I can get behind any policy that says a woman is too pregnant to continue her education. Not for me and not for any of the women in our nation. It's not right."

He hums, nodding, agreeing with me. "I'm sorry I didn't think of it that way this morning."

"I owe you an apology too," I say quietly, looking up at him. "I'm sorry I huffed out

of there and didn't tell you to come talk to me. It wasn't fair.”

"I think we both needed space," he murmurs, nudging my cheek with his nose. "Emotions were high. We needed time to...figure out what we were thinking."

I nod, agreeing with it, but still meaning the apology very much. Jacks - I only want to be fair to him. And I can be temperamental and willful. I don't ever want him to suffer for that.

He snarls a little, playful and wanting, brushing his cheek against my hair and letting me know, down the bond, that he likes me quite temperamental and willful.

I smile, relaxing back against my

mate, letting the issue settle for a moment. I send a silent request for him to tell me everything that happened in the meeting. My mate complies, giving me all the details he can, telling me about how the Academy will shift its focus from tactics appropriate for fighting against Atalaxia to those more necessary for an internal fight against the Community.

It's complicated, of course, by the fact that they're our people too. And further tricky because we know very little about what's going on up there in the North. But as Jackson continues to detail the kind of training that they've got planned, and tells me how central espionage Will be to the efforts, and reveals that volunteer units of Cadets are actually going to go north to participate in real action...

 

Chapter 0989

I can't help it. I just get incredibly jealous.

"Tell me," Jackson urges, feeling the shift in my emotions, tightening his arms

around me.

"I just want to do that," I say, laughing a little, shaking my head, feeling petulant. "It sounds so cool, and important, and... vivid. I want to do that work, Jacks. I want to help."

He nods, humming his understanding, letting me have the space to speak.

"I just...Jacks, I don't know if I'm going to be a very normal kind of mom," I say quietly, worried about it. "I don't think I can do it."

"What's a normal mom?" Jackson asks, genuinely curious.

"Like my mom," I say quietly. "Dedicated to raising the kids and keeping the family together. Letting the man in the house take charge."

"She does more than that."

"I know," I say on a sigh. "But...mom and dad fall into some really normal gender roles. It works for them. Family has always come first for mom - she loves it."

"You don't think you'll love it?"

"I think I will," I say quietly, looking out the window at our vast and beautiful country. "But I love other things too. I think I'm more like my dad. I think I want and need to have more balance. Are you okay with that?”

"Of course I'm okay with that." Jackson gives me a warm little nudge with his nose, letting me know that he means it. “If it helps, I don't think I'm going to be a normal dad either. Mostly because I have no idea what that entails."

I laugh, turning to him, smiling up into his face. "You're going to do great, Jacks." "So are you, Ariel."

I cuddle closer, pressing a kiss to his jaw.

"What I do know is that you and I are going to do everything we can to love and raise these girls," Jackson murmurs "And...I don't have any knowledge to back this up with, but I think that's all that really matters. And I think they'll be proud to have a badass warrior mom."

"And if they don't?" I ask, a little smile playing at my lips.

"Then I'll...punish them..." Jackson murmurs, his voice clearly belying the fact that he has no idea what he's talking about. Or what that punishment would even look

like. Or how he'd ever actually have the heart to enact that threat.

I burst out laughing and Jackson

snarls, snatching me close, pressing me to him and letting me feel precisely how much I'm loved. Which is a great deal. Marigold looks over at us at the noise and smiles, two little pony toys clutched in her hands.

"We're going to be great at it," Jackson whispers, kissing my temple. "I can just feel it."

"Yeah," I say on a sigh, resting against him. "We are, aren't we?"

He hums, confidence running through him alongside his very real worry that we have no idea what we're doing. But the confidence wins. We're going to figure it out and love the hell out of our kids.

"Only question is," Jackson says. "What do we do now?"

"What do you want to do?" I whisper, turning my head to look at him.

He shakes his head at me. "You lead on this, Ariel. What do you want?"

My lip quivers a bit as I look up at him, so touched in his faith in me. "I want to go to school," I whisper.

Slowly, his lips break into a smile. And then I shout with surprise as Jackson moves fast, hoisting me up into his arms and standing all in one big movement. Marigold squeaks as I burst into laughter, shaking my head at my mate as I secure my arms around his neck. "What on earth are you doing!?"

"Taking you to school!" he booms out, laughing and striding for the closet. "Come

on, do you have any cadet uniforms in here?"

I laugh harder, shaking my head at him, spilling out protests that it's ridiculous and we have time and there's no rush.

But he pauses and grins at me, eager and kind. "If you've decided, Ariel...why wait?"

I bite my lip, going still in my mate's arms, and then burst into a wild grin. "Let's do

it!"

Chapter 0990

Marigold, perched high on Jackson's arm, looks around the train station with wide eyes as she munches on a cookie. I bite my lip for a moment, watching her, anxious that she'll be anxious. After all, her life has already involved so much change...

"She's fine," Jackson murmurs, smirking down at me for a moment before turning his eyes back to our daughter. "She's just...interested. No fear. Right, Goldie-girl?" He presses a kiss to her cheek and Marigold gives a quick nod, not looking at him, instead staring out at all the interesting sights.

"Brave girl,” I murmur, reaching up to stroke a hand over her hair. “I wish I had a bond and could feel all that."

Jackson just smiles at me, wishing I did too.

"So, which one of these are we taking?" he asks, moving his eyes from mine and raising his chin at the line of trains resting at their platforms. It's very late in the evening and hardly anyone is around. "No royal car today, huh?"

"Nope," I say on a sigh, adjusting my backpack, which is mostly full of stuff for Marigold. After all, all Jackson and I really need are the cadet uniforms we've already changed into. I grimace a little, looking at the line of trains, because while we checked the schedule and ensured that one would be going past the Academy tonight...I honestly can't tell which one it is.

God damn it, I should have paid more attention the first time we ran away to the Academy. Rafe and Jesse did all the work.

"Lost?" A voice calls out behind us and my eyes go wide.

I inhale sharply as I spin, hardly believing -

Because how!? How did he know!?

Jesse grins at me, his hand slipped casually into his pockets as he strolls over to

us in his own cadet uniform, Midnight trotting at his side to keep up.

"Jess!" I gasp, dashing for him and throwing my arms around his neck. Jesse laughs and hugs me back. "What - what are you doing here!?"

"Ariel, did you think I'd let you run off to the academy without me?"

"How'd you know I was doing that!?"

He laughs again, pulling back a little to shake his head at me. "I know you, stubborn-little trouble brat. And I saw him looking all mournful all day," he says, nodding his head towards Jackson. "So, I knew he was going to give you whatever you

wanted. And I knew mom and

dad

cautioning against you going to school was just going to make you want to do it even harder. So," he shrugs. "I figured best bet was to show up here with my pet demon in tow," he nods to the side at Mids, "and see if you'd let me in on the plan."

"Hey!" Midnight growls, snapping her hands to her hips.

I bite my lip, looking around Jesse's side, looking for Rafe, but...

"It's just me," Jesse murmurs with a sad little twist to his lips. "Don't be mad at

him. He's got his own things to worry about."

I nod, tucking away any little sadness that I might have and beaming at my cousin instead. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Aw," Midnight says, stepping towards me and frowning as she reaches out and tugs on my sleeve. "You're all wearing matching clothes. I want some."

"Marigold doesn't have any," I say, laughing and reaching for Midnight next, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so glad you're here. I can't wait for you to see the Academy."

"I've already seen it," she sighs, rolling her eyes even as she hugs me back. I laugh, realizing that she's right – she certainly did see the Academy when she was spying on us for all of those weeks in secret. "But yes, I am excited to go."

"You're not anxious to leave your yurt?" Jackson asks, petting an affectionate hand over Midnight's hair. I look up at him, smiling a little and curious about the very clear affection he has for Mids. Jackson is usually very restrained around other women - but perhaps Midnight's childish stature and naïve tendencies make her an easier target for his affection.

“No, Jesse says no one will mess with it and we put a sign up on the door saying any pups who go in it will be cursed," Midnight says, tilting her head back to smile up at Jackson. "Jesse says that will work because they already think Lam a witch. And that I can have a nice big bed at the Academy. He says I can have Rafe's."

I grin, thinking that my possessive brother might have something to say about that.

"Midnight,” Marigold whispers, smiling widely at Jesse's mate even as she lays her sleepy head down against Jackson's shoulder.

"Hello, Golden One," Midnight says, grinning at Marigold, making me laugh at the nickname. “I am your elder, which means I am in charge and you have to respect me. You good with that?"