Ch. 996..1000: The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 996-1000

Chapter 0996

"What do you mean you've never been in a house before!?" I cry, smacking my mate on the arm.

He grins down at me and Marigold does too. "I mean, when would I have been in a house, Ariel? I grew up in a barracks cabin with a bunch of other boys, and then moved to the city where I lived in an apartment building. From there I lived in the candidate barracks and then the castle..." he raises his chin towards the castle on the cliff as I just stare at him, slack-jawed, realizing that he's right.

"That's so weird, Jackson," I whisper, shaking my head at him.

"It's nice having a feral friend," Jesse says, stepping close and clapping a hand on Jackson's shoulder. "Come on, my guy. We'll domesticate you and, in doing so, introduce you to the wonders of the single-family home."

Jackson laughs and takes my hand as we all walk up the short steps to the adorable little porch and then through the front door into our little blue house. Unsurprisingly, my eyes mist immediately at the thought that this is our first little home together as a family. That this is where Marigold will get to know her new sisters, and where we'll have so many new experiences.

"You happy?" Jackson asks, stroking a hand over my hair as I look around at the sweet little living room, still bare of any furnishings or decorations but completely full of possibility.

I press myself to his side, tucking my face against his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist, completely overwhelmed. "Yeah, I'm happy," I squeak, meaning it utterly as my wolf pounces around in my soul, rubbing herself warmly against Jackson's wolf and then darting over to the two new little bonds, just...completely thrilled.

"Good," Jackson says with a happy sigh, looking around the room with interest as he wraps an arm around me, holding me close. "I'm happy too."

We stand quietly in the center of the room together for a long time, our family happily milling around us. But while they chat and talk about the possibilities and all of the furniture mom ordered to fill the room - which is apparently being delivered this afternoon - I find myself a bit breathless and wordless.

Just...completely happy, totally blessed.

My dad looks over at me and, sensing my mood, gives me a happy smile and a warm nod.

And I smile right back, knowing that he could have said no to all of this.

But that he is, in fact, the best dad on the planet - always supporting our dreams and doing everything in the world that he can to make them come true.

The rest of the day passes in a rushed blur. Dad spends a great deal of time meeting with the Captain and the rest of the staff, going over documents and reconsidering both the rules of the Academy as well as my individual learning plan. And as much as I sigh to see that my lessons with Blaze will be less violently focused for the time being - more stretching, less punching - I resign myself to the realization that adjustments do indeed have to be made.

I'm pregnant, after all, and happily so. There are some things that I'm not going to be able to do.

But not much, my wolf says, trotting around smugly in my soul, her nose lifted high in the air.

Right, I say, nodding internally. Not much at all.

As dad works, mom supervises the delivery and distribution of four houses' worth of goods as well as a surprising amount of clothing for Marigold.

"Mom," I whisper, watching it all be delivered and carried in by Jackson, Rafe, and Jesse (who grumbles about every box). "How...did you do all this? I mean, have you been shopping for years?"

"I admit," mom says, hands on her hips, directing the boys to carry a particularly plush sofa into the

house she's designated as hers and dad's. "strained even my own, shopping skills last night and today. I barely slept. I'm going to need some time to restore my energy."

"So, like, you'll start again tomorrow?" I ask, dry.

Mom laughs and wraps an arm around me, tugging me close. "Well, someone has to clothe these little twins, Ariel, and I know you're going to be too busy to do it. If

it was up to you they'd run around in their diapers for the first three years of their life."

I laugh, hugging her back, grateful for my mom in turn and realizing that...she's probably right.

By the time night falls it's shocking how well-equipped the little houses are. Only mine has running water and plumbing for the moment, but we've been assured that the others will be updated tomorrow.

"Wow," I say, flopping onto my brand-new couch and pulling Marigold up onto my lap, looking around at my living room which has all the basics it needs for life and company. "This is...amazing."

"I know," Jackson murmurs, settling down next to me on the couch and peering into the tiny kitchen, where mom is making me a cup of herbal tea and dad is pouring whine and whiskey for those of us who are able to partake. Rafe and Jesse are gone for the moment, getting Midnight settled in her own little house.

Chapter 0997"All right," dad says, coming back in with mom and settling the tray of drinks on the coffee table. Mom hands me my tea before going to perch on the arm of the big lounge chair that dad sits in. "Tell me about this plan to adopt Marigold."

My eyebrows go up. "Sorry?" I ask, looking between him and mom, realizing that mom must have told him about it. Which is not a surprise - mom and dad talk about everything and rarely, if ever, keep secrets. "Is it...a problem?"

Jackson tenses a little, likewise looking between my parents.

Goldie gives a little squeak, reaching for some coloring supplies on the floor, and I lower her on to down. She dashes over to the coloring book and picks up a fistful of crayons as I turn back to my mom and dad, giving them my full attention.

"It's not a problem," dad says, shaking his head slowly, his sharp green eyes on me. "Your family is your own, Ariel, and if you're kind enough to welcome a child into it as your own then I certainly won't stop you. But there are certain complications."

My eyebrows go up and I glance up at Jacks, who sends a pulse of confusion to me down the bond, moving a little closer to my side.

"What complications?" I ask, a bit soft.

"Have you considered," dad continues, looking between both of us now, "that your adopting Marigold as your daughter places her third in line to the throne?"

My eyes go wide because...nope. I hadn't considered that at all. I sit back against the couch cushions, dazed at the realization that my dad is right. I mean, I'd always assumed that Rafe would pass the throne along to his own children -

But if his mate is Maryam, and she's human, then they probably won't be able to have kids. So, unless they adopt...

My eyes turn towards the little girl on the floor, happily scribbling over a picture of a cat with vivid pink crayon.

"Oh my god," Jackson murmurs next to me. "I didn't...I didn't even think of that..."

"That in itself is not a problem," dad continues, his own gaze moving to Marigold on the floor. “Except that...this is a child with ties to the Community, just like your mate. And the Community likely understands themselves as having a claim on her."

"Which means..." I whisper, "that some could understand Marigold's reign as the Community having a claim on the throne."

"Precisely correct," dad intones, sitting back in his chair and putting a hand on mom's back, letting me and Jackson put together the pieces and consider it.

Jackson growls softly at the idea of the Community having any claim, at all, to Marigold or the throne. But I shake my head at him, denying it.

"She's ours, Jacks," I whisper, willing him to believe it. "She won't even remember the Community - in fact, she wasn't even ever there, right? They have no true claim on her. And we'll raise her to be a patriot - to understand her responsibilities and be a good Queen -"

"Whether or not we claim her and she understands herself as Princess of Moon Valley doesn't mean the

Community will too," Jackson says t

shaking his head. "Or that Moon Valley will accept it. A child not of the Sinclair line..." he sighs, moving his eyes back to Goldie, who is blissfully unaware of how complicated this discussion is.

"She is of the Sinclair line," I growl, hating the idea that anyone would see her as outside of it.

"Not by blood," dad says. I whip my eyes to him, my growl growing. He tilts his head to the side, holding my gaze, giving me a little warning to watch myself. "It's the reality, Ariel. And whether or not we understand Marigold as entirely a member of our family which we do, and will - it won't stop others from protesting her right to the throne."

"That is my daughter," I say, willing and determined, leaning forward and pointing

at my little girl. “I claim her as such. Everyone else will just have to...deal with it."

"Maybe she...shouldn't be..." Jackson says with a frown, still looking at our little girl on the floor.

My eyes dart up to him, flashing wide. "What!?"

"I mean," he murmurs, looking down at me and putting an arm around my back, trying his best to be warm and comforting, "She'll be ours, Ariel. But should she really be a Princess of Moon Valley? Or does it cause more trouble than its worth? You know titles don't mean much to me. Maybe she's just our daughter and the next two are the Princesses."

I bare my teeth at my mate, hating that thought.

 

Chapter 0998

"That is my daughter, Jackson," I say, pointing at Marigold again. "We agreed on this. We're going to take her to the Goddess, ask her to fully recognize her as such. And as my daughter, she is due all of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of a Princess of Moon Valley. I don't care if there's no genetic connection there - I'm not going to approve of any situation in which Marigold is marked as anything different than her sisters. If they're Princesses, then so is Marigold."

"Ariel..." Jackson says, hesitating, not sure he can ask that of me.

"If you don't like it then I'll step down from my place in the line of succession," I say, pressing a hand to my heart, meaning every word of it. "But all three of my daughters will be the same. I won't accept anything else."

Jackson clenches his jaw and cups my cheek in his hand, I think desperately touched by my passion on this issue, by my defense of our little girl. But he sighs a moment later, looking over to my parents, wanting their guidance. "What do you think?"

"I think the choice is yours," dad says, looking seriously at us and nodding. "But you should be aware of all the implications. Whatever you decide, I will support you."

Jackson turns back to me, leaving the answer in my hands.

"This is what I want," I say, nodding at my parents and then down at our little girl. "Princess Marigold Sinclair, our eldest child and our heir. Equal in every way to her sisters." I press a hand to my stomach, sending a pulse of warmth and determination down my new twin bonds, wanting them to know - even if they can't understand it yet - that I'll fight for them too, no matter what.

"All right, Ariel," dad says, grave and a little proud. "If that's what you've decided then I support you."

I look up to give him a steady nod. But when my eyes fall on my mom, whose eyes are shining with happy tears, my face breaks into a smile. She gives me a slow nod, letting me know that she thinks I've done right. I sigh, relaxing against Jackson, bolstered by her faith in me. She, after all, was a little orphan girl just like our Goldie.

Her approval in this moment is all I need to know that I've done right by my girl.

Before any of us can say another word, the door opens and Jesse and Rafe stroll in, Midnight happily striding between them.

"Excuse me," Jackson says, turning towards the door with a smirk. "But I was told that it's customary to knock before entering someone's house."

"Oh, you don't know what you're talking about Jesse says, grinning and flopping himself into an arm chair before snatching up one

glasses of whiskey from the fa

tray on

the table. "But as it's your first time in a house, I forgive your innocence."

"It's true," Rafe says, nodding sanguinely as he takes a seat on the floor next to Jesse's chair. “The rules get bent for family. We can come and go at will."

Jackson narrows his eyes, not sure

he believes this, and Rafe just gives him a handsome smile, clearly telling him he has no choice in the matter, grin, looking between them, quite pleased to have our entire family feel completely at home here.

Midnight steps to the edge of the couch, smiling around at everyone, about to take the final empty seat next to Jackson when my dad surprises us all by standing up.

"Don't get so comfortable, young lady," he says, his eyes on Marigold as he crosses his arms over his chest. "You and I need to have a word."

Chapter 0999

Midnight's eyes go wide as she stares up at dad. "We do?"

"Yes," he says, nodding gravely and tilting his head towards the door. "Come on."

Jesse moves to stand up but dad puts a hand out towards him. "If Midnight is mature enough to enroll at this school then she's got to start to make her own decisions," dad says.

"Why?" Jesse asks, his brows knitting. "Ariel takes Jackson everywhere for moral support and no one protests. Mids," he says, fixing his eyes on her. "If you want me there, I'll come along."

"No," she says, her voice wavering a little as she looks between Jesse and dad. “I, um...yes. I'll come and talk to you. You're right, I have to start...standing on my own."

I gulp a little, thinking that Midnight has perhaps stood on her own for far too long. But still, I know dad will be kind to her, so I don't say anything. Dad nods seriously at Midnight and heads for the door. The young woman follows him outside, her curls bouncing.

When the door shuts we all turn towards the window, watching them talk.

"Mom?" Rafe says, anxious. "What's this about?"

"He's telling her there's been a rule change," mom says quietly, likewise watching, her face as anxious as the rest of us. "Starting this fall, girls will be allowed to enroll in Alpha Academy if they can rank highly enough as a candidate, the same as any boy."

I gasp in delight, spinning my head to grin at her.

Mom takes a moment to flash a little smile at me before turning her eyes back to the window. “Yes, we talked about it at length and we believe it's right. The girls of Moon Valley can offer as much to our military as the boys. But," she says on a sigh, her tone dropping, "he's also telling Midnight that while her gender is acceptable, her connection to Darkness is not."

My heart drops, dread filling me as I realize the meaning behind her words.

Jesse groans, ducking his head into his hands.

"Shit," Rafe says on a sigh, shaking his head. "Midnight is...not going to like that."

His words are proved correct an

instant later as Midnight bursts into tears. Dad sighs and pulls the girl into a hug, holding her through her difficult emotions, looking through the window towards all of us with a grave expression.

I knock softly on my bedroom door, biting my lip, worried for Midnight. She and Jesse have been in there alone for about an hour now, talking things through. Mom and dad have left, headed back to the Capital on the night train.

Jackson, Marigold, and Rafe watch me from the living room, the remains of dinner spread out over our little coffee table. When no response comes from my knockl shrug at them, not knowing what to do Rafe waves his fingers at me, clearly telling me to try again.

"Mids?" I call, again knocking softly. "Um, can I come in?"

There's a pause. "It's your room, Ariel," comes a bitter little voice. "You can do whatever you want."

I sigh and twist the doorknob, pushing open the door and peeking inside.

Jesse and Midnight are both sitting on the bed, her pressed up against the headboard and him seated at

the bottom, his legs curled up beneath him. I sigh, seeing the

misery and confusion in botnet

Boel.n

of

them, and step into the room, leaning back against the door to press it shut.

"What's going on?" I ask softly, looking between them.

"Jesse's trying to talk me into giving away all my powers," Midnight says, glaring

at Jesse and pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Oh, I am not," Jesse says, sighing deeply and raising his eyes to me. "It's been... contentious."

Chapter 1000

I nod, understanding and crossing to the bed, climbing onto it to sit between them. Jesse turns more fully towards me so that we make a neat little triangle.

"What are you thinking, Midnight?" I ask softly, wanting her full opinion.

“I'm thinking that it's a bad choice either way,” she grumbles, crossing her arms and sinking back into the pillows. "If I let you clear my darkness and take my powers then the nice professor won't want me to be his spy student anymore, because I'll be useless. And if I keep them, then King Dominic says I can't be in the school anyway!" Her voice gets squeaky with grief on the final words and my heart wrenches for her.

"And what I am trying to say," Jesse says, a bit between his teeth. "Is that she doesn't even know how many of her powers are tied to her corruption. It's very likely that she was gifted powers as a child that have nothing to do with it! But she won't even talk to me about trying to find out -"

"I wont be made useless!" Midnight hisses, leaning forward to glare at Jesse. "I won't just be some tiny, powerless girl! I won't do it!"

My heart twists again at the fear that underlies her words, the true vulnerability there. And I understand, instantly, what she means. Midnight's powers are all that Darkness celebrated her for, as well as her value as Jesse's mate. Without the powers...she will feel as small and defenseless as Darkness always told her she

was.

"So what do we do?" I whisper, looking between them.

"Go talk to your dad," Midnight snaps, turning her eyes to glare at me as she pulls

a pillow onto her lap, hugging it to her chest. "He always does whatever you want."

I sigh, heaving a shrug. "Unfortunately, I agree with him here, Mids. It's too dangerous to have you enrolled in school if Darkness has a hold on you."

"But he's in that egg!" she bites out, frustrated.

“Is he still?” I ask, turning to Jesse, who just shrugs, clearly exhausted and without information on that.

"Midnight," I say softly, reaching for her hand. "What if...there was a way to find out which parts of your powers would disappear if we removed the corruption? What t would feel like to have your wolf free of all that muck?"

She pauses, narrowing her eyes at me, suspicious. But when Jesse and I don't say a word, letting her process the question, she drops her eyes. "If it didn't do anything permanent," she murmurs. “ guess...it would be good to have the information."

"Okay, well,” I say quietly, reaching for Jesse's hand. "Why don't we...have a look?"

"What do you mean?" Midnight asks, anxious, leaning away from me as Jesse slips his hand against mine. "What...what are you going to do to me?"

"I'm not going to do anything,

Midnight," I say quietly, holding her gaze steadily with my own. "I e

promise

not until you ask me. But we could take a look into your soul, perhaps? See what we discover?" I hole my hand out to her too.

"Please, Mids,” Jesse says, leaning towards her, pressing a hand to his heart. “I promise you can trust us. But Ariel's right - we have to... try to figure out whatever we can."

Midnight goes very still for a moment before she sighs and reaches out, slipping her palm against my own.

I nod to her once, assuring her I'll keep my promise, before we all close our eyes and slip mentally down to that soul-deep realm where our wolves live.