The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 97

“Well, kind of” he replies, laughing louder now, freer. “I mean, I just didn’t let my mind go there before. You were just another guy. A little shrimpy one who I liked hanging out with, and who I worried about sometimes. But..I didn’t think of you that way.”

I narrow my eyes at him, leaning a little closer, inspecting his face for lies. “That’s not how attraction works, Jackson. You can’t just decide to turn it on and off.”

He stares at me stoically for a long moment before his mouth twitches in the start of a

smile.

I

gasp, pointing at his face. “You totally were!” I whisper, thrilled. “You were into the Shrimp! You had a crush on me!”

He laughs, snatching my finger out of the air and wrapping his hand around mine even as he leans closer. “Fine, I thought…I thought you had a nice smile, okay?”

I grin, leaning into him, making him say more.

He groans, sighing and rolling his eyes. “And nice skin and…and pretty eyes. But! I thought you were my mate’s twin, okay? That was my best guess. So, I was just imagining what she looked like, which was probably a lot like…you?” His face twists up now, getting all muddled in the truth.

I laugh with him, leaning back against him, pleased. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t find me totally repulsive.”

“Not totally,” he murmurs, lightly tracing his fingers down my arm and then around my back, settling me cozily against him again. “What about you?” he asks, his voice a little wicked.

“Oh,” I sigh, leaning my head against him. “It was terrible.”

“What?!” He’s laughing now.

“Rafe had to drag me back to the room all the time,” I say, looking up at him, a little embarrassed. “Told me I wasn’t allowed to moon after you in the hallways –”

Emergency calls only> 0 □ &

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himself, I think

on you in the hallway when we’d see you between classes, or steal

join in with him,

looks like he’s never had a happy day in his life, laughing like that. God,

me, his eyes shining. “Well, I’m glad I didn’t disappoint. That your wolf,” he presses a finger against my chest,

addressed and acknowledged directly. “Oh, she’s a big fan,” I sigh, looking down at his finger and smiling. But then I turn my face back up to his, returning to the question at hand. “Jacks,” I say quietly, and he turns his face to mine, more serious now but nodding to invite the question he

long sigh and drops his eyes from mine.

drops along with his gaze, and I worry that I’ve said too much, or the wrong thing

“It’s fine – I want to tell you. It’s just…I have been taught, all my life, to keep it a secret. So, it takes a little bit of unlearning, you know? To muster up the courage and

to communicate my support, my genuine interest, my faith. He raises his face to mine with a small smile, and I give him mine

when we first met, really,” he murmurs, smirking a little,

all.”

only

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to be serious, but his own smile brings

god,” he mutters, taking a deep breath before slowly releasing it. “I thought my heart was going to pound

ask, laughing. “Daphne

gigantic whale, or a unicorn or something. Even if you know it’s

you?” I squeak, pleased to death.

laughs, shaking his head. “Almost nearly as mythical,” he murmurs. To me, at least.”

“That was one hell of a kiss, Jackson,” I say, tilting my head and wrapping a hand in the fabric

little and he looks away for a second. “Well, no, he murmurs and I gasp a little at the drama of it all. “I knew…I knew one girl.

on my lips, but they all fall away when he turns

his eyes a little sad. “I…I will tell you about her okay? Just…not right now. Not when I’ve just found you,

to it, though my hands tighten their grip on his shirt. I find that I do not like, at all, the idea of this

I let him move on from it, because I’m….honestly not sure I want to know.