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.

almost angry as he speaks – but I know not at me. “I don’t have to eat like…ever, if I

say, sitting up straighter. “That is….that is seriously

nods solemnly, agreeing. “I also don’t have to sleep, if I don’t want to, for like…days. Longest I’ve gone

“And like, nothing happens? You can just go?”

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

magic,” I say, looking him up and down, “Rafe’s as big as you and he also eats

long as I wanted. And I don’t

laughter fading as I look him over anew. “So….could

that once. I think my skeleton’s

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

eyes and then rubbing

you don’t even want to know.

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

back to me. “Wouldn’t you, if

head. “Though didn’t you get bored, when everyone else. was asleep? And

he says, his eyes going wide as he laughs. “That’s exactly what happened – and nobody gets that. Like, after eighteen blackberry pies…you never want a slice of pie ever again.”

really incredible, Jackson,” I sigh, so happy that he told me, so honored that he trusted me enough to keep his secret. “It’s one hell of a power. I wish I could borrow it, would probably keep me up through these long nights

says, looking down at our clasped hands. “Maybe

also looking

some sort of connection

between us. But I clench my jaw to keep from

whatever connects. our magic,” he says, and I nod, agreeing. “So…maybe I can pass mine to you or

do we experiment with that?”

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

him talking more casually now, like one would to a real

my wolf corrects in my mind, trotting anxiously back and forth. She’s pissed, I know, because she wants me to tell him

her, stroking a hand over

but lets me

is it annoying to have so much

ways that I’ve studied him. “It all comes down to what I eat. If I eat too much, it manifests in either sleeplessness or