The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Jackson glares hard into my eyes, I think hating me a little bit right now for not being easy and simple and falling in line with his plans to be overprotective.

"You know I'm right, Jackson. That we have a better chance of winning with you down there instead of up here."

He sighs sharply through his nose, looking down at the ground, confirming that I'm right even if he doesn't say it.

"I want to win," I say, reaching for him again and placing a soft hand on his forearm. "And this is cutting into time I could be practicing with the gun. You can come up the moment anyone gets close but Jacks..." he looks up at me now, "no one's close. You know that, right? You know where the helicopters dropped people off."

Jackson sighs, dropping his gaze again and glaring hard at the ground. "Why are you so damn stubborn, Ariel?"

"I didn't enroll here to be sheltered and protected, Jacks," I say, my voice hard. "I came to learn how to do this - how to help my country, which means putting myself at least at a tiny bit of risk."

He whips his head up. "I'm never going to allow that."

"Yes, sweetheart," I say, my eyes softening as I raise myself again to my knees, moving close to him and taking his face in my hands. "You are. Because I'm going to ask you to. Because I'm not going to let you put your love for me in front of the wellbeing of my people. That's not what's at stake today but... that's what will be in the future. If I can make a difference, you have to let me go into dangerous situations. And if not then...what is all of this for?" I shrug. "If my safety actually is the top priority - the only priority - then we should have probably locked me up in a nunnery to start with."

Jackson murmurs, looking stubbornly away from me

leaning close enough for

Jackson raises a hand, curling it

I continue, "but you've got to let me fight, Jacks. Especially when the stakes are low - you

me closer to

balance but catching me in his arms, pressing me tight to his chest. "I love you

know," I whisper, pressing my cheek against his warmth, letting my eyes close. "But you

coming up here. Or, if I order you down the cliffside, you come

knees. "And get started learning that weapon - we've... already lost enough time with

at him, ready to listen. But he just stares at me, I think a bit at

I smile, encouraging, just...waiting.

little, I think puzzling it out. "I am....incredibly proud to be your mate," he says quietly, his voice tight as he stares down at me, his hands

jaw against the raw emotion that wells in me at the realization that Jackson is

and you