The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0533

"Ariel!" The word bursts from Jackson even as he grins, I think swept away by my laughter even as he's confused by the direction of my thoughts. "Seriously, what are you talking about? What on earth makes you want to do that?"

"I was jealous!" I say, throwing my hands out, my laughter subsiding. "When you were teaching Luca - it was so interesting! And I - I don't know any of it! And it's very clear that you all have this like, cool, super useful knowledge of battle strategy that I don't have - and I want to know it, and I feel left out!" "Ariel," Jackson says with a sigh, taking a second to run his fingers through my messy hair - which he had a great deal of involvement in messing, I mentally note - sorting it out and tucking it back behind my ears. "You don't need to know that stuff -" "I do too!"

"And when would you even study it?" he asks, frowning at me. "I mean, I'm happy to teach you how to read the maps and about the old battles - I would love to do that. I just...you're already so busy with studies. When would we fit it in?" "Well," I say, grinning a little wickedly as I look around at our surroundings. "What about here?"

Jackson just stares at me for a second. "Seriously, Ari?" he asks. "You have a magical dream state where you can take your mate and do literally whatever you can imagine...and you want to use it to...study?"

"Well, considering you won't have sex with me," I say, sitting up very primly and giving him a neat little glare. There's a beat and then Jackson roars with laughter when he realizes that I'm right.

"Yes, Jacks!" I say, laughing too and giving him a shove on the shoulder that brings his attention back to me. "You can just teach me a little bit every night - and we can cuddle while you teach me and then make out after."

A slow smile takes his lips. "And...how do you propose that we do the actual studying? We don't have the maps."

the side and then look up into the

I expected - a heavy weight hits my hands and Jackson flinches back a bit, staring at the

he says, staring at it with

see the fresh white pages. "But I figure...maybe you can fill it in? You

finger, touching it. The page ripples almost like the surface

- I can tell - just a little bit thrilled that this

so cool!"

with one hand and staring

these

trace my fingers over the map, trying to follow the action

gently taking the book from my hands and setting it aside. Then he loops his arms around me, folding his hands together behind my lower back so that I Can lean against them and still look into his face. "Do you think that

face, "if you

rumble. Jackson

at him, my