The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 59

“Well,” Jackson whispers, half to himself, “I guess we don’t need to go outside anymore to try to talk to any birds.”

“Not unless we want them to melt,” I say, grabbing my knife off of my dinner plate and leaning forward to prod at the glass.

There’s a tiny moment of silence before Jackson bursts out laughing, but before I figure out what’s so funny, the four other boys in the room come to stand at the edge of my bed, staring down at the glassy puddle that was a marble a few seconds ago.

“What the…fuck is going on here?” Ben asks, looking between the marble and me and Jackson. “What kind of weird–ass homework is this?”

“Seriously,” Luca says, crossing his arms and frowning. “You guys just hold hands for an hour and then…” he shakes his head, baffled, “I mean, I don’t even have an ending to that sentence. What is going on here?”

“None of your business,” Jackson says, gruff again as he starts to get up from the bed. I snap my head to him, realizing that while he’s fine with me, he is not okay talking about this with the four other young men in the room. “I think that successfully concludes the homework, Clark. See you in class tomorrow.”

“Wait,” I say, leaning towards him, wanting to talk to him about this more – to figure out what the hell just happened. “Jackson, stay –“

“It’s late!” he calls, standing to his full height and striding for the door. “I’ve got Warrior track homework too, need to finish it up before morning.”

“Jackson!” I call again, a little angry now. Rafe grabs for my arm as I push myself up out of the bed, but I just glare at him, moving away and chasing Jackson out the door.

Jackson’s already halfway down the hall on his long legs by the time I pull the door shut behind me, wanting a little privacy. He pauses, though, and turns when he hears me shout his name again as I run down the hall towards him.

“I’m not going to tell them!” I say, gesturing down the hall towards the room. “Ben and

Chapter 59

Luca? I’m not going to tell them anything – I would never –

“Tell them whatever you want, Clark,” Jackson says with a shrug, “it’s your magic.”

+5

“Alvez said to keep it between us – maybe it was a mistake to even try to do the homework with them in the room…” my words fade off as I frown at Jackson, taking in the meaning of his words. “Wait,” I say softly. “What do you mean it’s my magic?”

Jackson scowls, looking down the hallway at the stairs, clearly aggravated with himself and wanting to get away.

“Tell me!” I insist, the word squeezing between my teeth as I reach out a hand and smack him on the chest.

pounds between us when I

knocking my hand away so that I’m not touching him anymore. “Tell you when you won’t tell me

it into his face. “And don’t try to pretend that I didn’t! You asked me

still keeping secrets,” he hisses, glowering down over

much as I am able. You owe me this – if you are insisting that that was my magic in there, I have a right to

his teeth, turning to glare

the pieces snap together in my mind. “Oh my god,” I murmur, my hand falling to my side. “You

sighs, his eyes closing as his head drops. And he looks so defeated, suddenly, that I have the impulse to reach out and comfort him. I stop myself, though, remembering that pulse. Not wanting to

stand for a long moment, waiting for him, and

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Chapter 59

closed, before looking at me with a serious gravity in his expression. “I need you to promise not

him, meaning every word, “I

growls, his expression suddenly

the grin that twists my lips. “Especially

hand through his hair. “Then yes, we know that that’s your magic because

raising an eyebrow at him as I

opens

Sinclair storms down this hallway,” Jackson murmurs, making

sigh, shaking my head at him.

promises, turning towards the stairs. “Just…later. When there’s

I say, nodding to him,

I particularly need to know but

I want Jackson to have someone he trusts, someone he tells

or maybe naturally…I want

person

says, starting

he

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Chapter 59

to me. “What?”

“You know, the thing people say to each other when they part for the