The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 66

We spend a long time under that tree as Jackson tells me the long story about how he stayed up for three weeks in a row, only giving in because he was so incredibly bored by the end of it. About how he just wandered around at night all alone, doing chores and going for runs just to have something to do. About how he missed dreaming, and missed rest, because while he wasn’t precisely tired, in a bodily sort of way, he was exhausted mentally.

“We need sleep, I think, to turn off our minds,” he says at the end of it, thoughtful. “Life’s hard enough as it is we need time away from it all, I guess.”

“Yes, that makes sense,” I murmur passively, all my words blurring together as I sit with my chin still propped in my hand, just staring at him, mesmerized.

Because god, he’s gorgeous. Jackson – he’s so brutal at first sight, all harsh lines and scars and darkness. But the more time you spend with him and the more he opens up the more you see the grace in him. It’s almost, somehow, like he…tucks it away, hiding it. But when he lets it out?

His face just….lights up, like a flaming beacon in the night. And god, is he breathtaking.

“I mean, it makes sense, right?”

I startle out of my reverie and curse myself for letting myself get lost in “Hmm?” I say, straightening up.

my mate’s

gaze.

He laughs at me. “Sorry,” he says, running a hand through his messy hair, “I’ve been boring.”

“Jackson,” I say, my voice low with the understatement, “you’ve been the opposite of boring. I got…completely lost in what you were saying.”

He grins, desperately pleased at the compliment, and his mouth to say more –

opens

But I gasp, suddenly looking around. “Shit, what time is it!?”

my god,” he says, dropping my hand suddenly and springing to his feet. “Shit, Clark,

“Oh

we’re late

to my own feet as Jackson grabs my book satchel off the floor, thrusting it against my chest when I finally stand up straight. “We’ve got to go,” he says,

pushing the satchel back to him.

beats me, obviously, even carrying both of our books. He grabs my hand and basically drags me through the halls once we’re inside, towards

even know where this is!?” I gasp as we get

at me, like I’m stupid for not knowing

time to dwell on it, especially as I consider that Jackson fulfilled his promise to Rafe that he’d see me to my next class even though it

not doing it for Rafe’s

it for me.

panting by the time I get to the

unstrapping my satchel from his shoulder

towards the door, anxious to

Jackson

that it’s costing me even more time but unable to stop myself. Jackson turns, staring at me. I shake my head, speaking all in a hurry. “Come to our room,”

raises an ironic eyebrow, which

want you there,” I say as I grin and grab the door handle. “Which is

smirks for a second and then nods once before turning away,

twist the handle,

annoyed. “And what emergency has kept you away

my seat. “No

a reduced grade on your next quiz, Clark” Neumann says, turning back to the board as I sit down.

the terms, even

was another chance to spend the morning with Jackson under an oak tree, holding his hand and

do it again in a heartbeat, damn the price.

evening, Jesse and Rafe come into the room late so late that I’m already bathed, changed into a

the door opens and they come breezing in.

boys stop dead

me, standing stock still. “What’d we do!?”

closes the door and I get to my feet, grabbing the note I got at breakfast off the coffee table and waving at them. “And I have plans! Which you almost made me

hand. I don’t answer, planting my hands on my

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