The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Jackson nods, and to Jesse's surprise, lets him walk by his side.

They walk for a long time. Jackson is surprised, after a while, at how quiet and stoic Jesse is. Jesse doesn't sigh or moan that he's bored, like Jackson thought he would. He doesn't complain, or fuss, or anything. He just walks quietly at Jackson's side as they circle the castle, losing themselves in the woods and then along the cliffs that border the northern edge, that overlook the candidate barracks below. When Jackson pauses at the edge of the cliff, looking far, far north, peering into the dark, Jesse clears his throat.

Jackson scowls, looking over at him. "I thought you said we could not talk?"

"Listen, I tried," Jesse says, bursting into a grin. "You called my bluff on this one, Jacks. That is the longest I've ever been quiet in my entire life."

"And wasn't it nice?"

"It was horrible," Jesse groans, tilting his head back. And Jackson can't help but smile, because Ariel does that too when she's being dramatic.

It's a lot less cute when Jesse does it...but he smiles anyway.

way Jackson does, into the dark. "I've been thinking about it, Jacks, and I gotta say...I'm kind of disappointed in you."

"I mean, is it really all that

heels of his palms lightly against his closed eyes. "Unbelievable,"

so good about being mated to my stupid shrimp cousin, anyway? I mean,

she's nice - and she's beautiful - and she...she gets me! She's pretty much the

says, breaking into a grin and pointing a finger at Jackson's chest. "That was a test, and you passed. Ari is all those

mouth drops open. "You

waving a dismissive hand, "I can do anything, I'm a Duke. But that's not important. What is important is that you recognize how great it is that you get Ariel as your mate - you're the luckiest bastard to ever walk to

looks for it, he knows what the answer is.

a guess, as I suspect you ran through your daily quota of words

on Jackson's shoulder. "Jacks, what sucks about it is that you have to share her. With Luca, of all damn people. But having to

the ground. "No," he murmurs, rueful, "I don't lose any of the good things just because he's her mate too.