The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0562

more streamlined, flowing around him a bit as they did when he was in bed.

We all watch quietly as Jesse becomes...acclimated to himself, to his new power. And I watch with a great deal of pride as Jesse's breathing evens out, as he settles more comfortably into his chair, and as the shadows themselves become less chaotic clouds and instead "Okay," Jesse whispers, looking down and observing them as they swirl around him, faster and slower, like he's experimenting with them. "I can...do this."

"Can you shape them at all, baby?" Cora asks quietly, turning her head to the side.

"I don't know," Jesse murmurs, frowning at them, curious, ignoring or missing the pet name he previously forbade.

I sit forward, desperate to see what he can do.

"You did before," Rafe says, unable to keep the eagerness out of his voice. "You made them fish. It was...very cool."

Jesse glances up at Rafe for a second, a smile on his lips, before he glances down at the shadows again. I gasp as they immediately begin to take shape - fish again in streams. We all lean forward, I think delighted at this change, and then I can tell when Jesse gains confidence, becomes more experimental, changing the shape of the fish and making them chase each other in little schools.

clump together behind him, taking the form of a shark and then dashing out, scaring some of the minnows away. But the way Jesse laughs when it happens lets me know that it was all in his control - that he's playing,

so a little laugh bursts from me as I clap my hands together, beaming at

everyone else, as we all begin to murmur encouragement. And then Jesse's laughing and his shadows change form again, this time gathering into two small cats at his side that begin to walk slowly around him, their dark

watch, Jesse exhales deeply and begins to call the shadows back into himself, apparently finished with his experiment for the day. The cats fade into vague streaks of darkness before that darkness rushes through the air,

and then he looks up at all of us, grinning like it's the coolest thing

room towards her eldest son who quickly stands and wraps her up in a hug as his

emotion than

does.

up at mom who is, unsurprisingly, crying, one hand pressed to

Jesse murmurs, laughing and stroking her back even as he blushes. "Come on,

bit. "I'm just really proud of you, kid,"

panthers," Jesse corrects, still blushing a bit as Cora steps away. "Just...little

definitely a different class," Tony murmurs, smiling around at us. And I can't help it - I smile back at him, because it

had very little