The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Jacks!"

Jackson hears his name called behind him, but he doesn't register it, or doesn't care. Instead, he just continues to stride forward in the dark, not really knowing where he's going, just needing to get... out. Get away. Disappear into the night, into the wilds, into...whatever.

Any place but that castle.

Any place but here.

"Jacks! You asshole!" the voice comes again, closer this time, and Jackson's instincts make him pay attention to it, his wolf turning inside him to growl at whatever's coming. "Slow down! I know you can hear me!"

Jackson moves on, determined, but inside him his wolf turns again, raising his nose a little, a whine in his throat. Jackson pushes him away, but the wolf persists, pressing his snout into Jackson's hand. Come on, the wolf says, listen. It's Jesse. We like Jesse.

Jackson is the one growling now, insisting that he doesn't like anyone, but his wolf just nuzzles against his hand, sad, not wanting to run anymore. So Jackson sighs, and slows, and turns when Jesse's footsteps come near.

"What the hell man," Jesse says, bending over and panting a little, "I've been chasing you for like, twenty minutes!" "Should have been faster," Jackson mutters, shrugging and looking away, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "Don't be a dick," Jesse growls. "I'm trying to be nice to you, the least you could do is let me."

glare at Jesse a little. "Do you seriously think that's going

to you is just going to make Ariel magically not have a second mate. Obviously, that's what I think." Jackson narrows his eyes. "You're being a

being nice to you! This is what people do!"

the slightly smaller Alpha to glare at him. "Do

who care about each other! When something shitty happens, you show up, and you're just there!" "That doesn't do anything," Jackson grumbles, discontent

- his mate. But she's not really his, is she? He'd thought he'd had her, he'd thought - for a blissful couple of days that she was his. That everything was going to be

he never really

was all an illusion. Because she was lying

arm again and making

to stop - because Jesse... he's not big enough to actually stop him. But they pause anyway, on the top of a

and even though they can't do anything about it, the people who care about you show up. And they hang

Jackson growls, not

Jesse pauses, staring at Jackson, waiting for him to respond, but Jackson just