The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0574

I turn towards Jackson in the quiet of the magic classroom, wrapping my arms around his waist, leaning my head against his chest, exhausted and spent and desperately shaken by everything that happened. We stand there, quite quiet, for a long time with Jackson quietly stroking my hair, resting his cheek on the top of my head. "I love you so much, Ariel," he murmurs. "I'm sorry this was so stressful for you."

I sigh, knowing that it's more stressful than he realizes but...also knowing that I have to give our situation some deep thought before I go spilling out the details to one mate and not the other. So I put it aside for the moment, making a solemn promise to myself to think it through tonight before I fall asleep.

"Stressful for you too, puppy," I murmur into his chest. "You got your own set of weird news."

"Nothing I can't handle," he says, sighing and lifting his head. I peer up at him, loving him quite desperately, not even allowing myself to consider what it would be like if the Goddess took him away. Because it's not happening - not ever. "What do you what to do?" he asks. "Hmm?" I turn my head to the side.

"You're a little late for your lesson with Blaze," he says quietly, glancing up at the clock. "But if you'd rather just go lay in bed and relax, I'm sure he'd let you off -"

"No," I say, straightening up and turning to look at the clock with a frown. "No, I want to go to that. Will you walk me?"

"Of course," Jackson says, leaning down and taking my chin in his hands, tilting it up so that he can press a warm, lingering kiss to my mouth. "I'll walk you anywhere you want to go, little fire sprite."

slip my hand into his, wanting his touch no matter the fact that we're risking my secret. And Jacks - he doesn't let my hand go as we slip out of the room, heading down a set of

located, Luca pushes himself up from his place by the door,

to us, reaching for me. "You're never late

waist, letting him fold me in close to him for a second, drop his head to my hair and give me a sniff, checking to make sure

me as he exhales a

breath.

a really...complicated magic class," I say, pushing back from him a little and stepping between my mates as Luca's arms fall to

me a nod and then looks into Jackson's eyes. Something passes between them then and I work hard against my smile as Luca turns his head to the side, silently asking Jackson if there's anything else he needs to know, and Jackson gives him a shrug, letting him know that that's pretty much

stalemate that they've come to. Because even if Jackson and Luca are some variety of friends

in their hearts, I think that they both think that it's going to be them - which makes sense, because I know that there's no part of me that

I receive both of their marks? And that if I don't, she'll reject

it's...it's going