The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 65

“Don’t you just want to see what else you can melt, Clark?” Jackson asks on a long inhale of breath, looking at me with sad eyes. “Come on, I bet you could melt this whole tree if you wanted to.””

–

“Well, one, that’s not good for the environment,” I say, rolling my eyes at him which makes him laugh, just a little. “And two, no, I don’t want to melt the tree I want to talk about you. Honestly, Jackson, I won’t tell anyone you know I won’t. I won’t even let anyone know that I know! I’ll keep your secret.”

“Why does it even matter, Ari?” he asks, looking away from me. “Why do you want to know so badly? It doesn’t change anything.”

A thousand answers flood my mind. That it could help me understand what I can do how. his power compliments mine. That I want to know more about him. That I’m just so damn

curious.

But, in the end, I settle for the truth.

“I want you to know that you have someone here who will keep your secrets, Jackson,” I say quietly, willing him to believe me.

Jackson looks up at me in surprise, his blue eyes wider than I’ve seen them before.

We’re silent again, but as it has been before with us, there’s no awkwardness to it. But then he breaks it.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” he whispers, half baffled and half…suspicious, I realize. Lik

I’ve got ulterior motives or something.

I stare at him, my heart cracking in grief for the lessons his past life must have taught him.

“Jackson,” I murmur, saying his name like a promise. “Why are you so surprised that I genuinely just…want to be nice to you?”

He turns his face away from me like he’s been struck, staring at the ground beneath the tree in shock and surprise. I watch his profile as he swallows heavily, as he presses his lips

together in frustration or…consternation? Honestly, I don’t know what. But I give him the space to process it.

“I don’t have to eat,” he says suddenly, the words falling from his lips in a rush, like they’ve escaped from a dark place and can’t wait to get away.

I ask, confused.

“I don’t have

“That

for like…days. Longest I’ve gone is three weeks. And I can run for miles and just….not get

his confession progresses. “And like,

really skinny after a while,” he says, shrugging. “Oh, and

laugh then, shaking my head. “I’m not sure that’s magic,” I say, looking him up

says, smiling at my laughter, “I mean like…I can eat without stopping for as long as I wanted. And I

my laughter fading as I look him over anew. “So….could you get as big as an elephant if you kept

he says, smirking, “we tried that once. I think my skeleton’s reached its natural height I just get…fat.”

it. Jackson – he’s very fit, isn’t he? “Wait, how

over his eyes and then rubbing

don’t even want to know. Thank god there aren’t any

did you just like, experiment? To see how long you could

“Wouldn’t you, if you figured out that that’s what you could do?”

I murmur, turning my head. “Though didn’t you get bored, when everyone else. was asleep? And like, get sick of the taste

happened – and nobody gets that. Like, after eighteen blackberry pies…you never want

me enough to keep his secret. “It’s one

says, looking down at our clasped hands. “Maybe you can…”

I ask, also

of connection between our…magic,” he murmurs.

us. But I clench my jaw to keep from blurting

magic,” he says, and I nod, agreeing. “So…maybe I can pass mine

do we experiment

“Next time you’re tired, come find me. See if I can pass some energy to you. I’ve got plenty of it – it’s

grin, pleased to see him talking more casually now, like one

I know, because she wants me to tell

murmur to her, stroking a hand over her fur. Not yet.

lets

it annoying to have so much energy?” I ask.

him. “It all comes down to what I eat. If I eat too much, it manifests in either sleeplessness or weight gain. If