The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0767 It does her good, I know, to see her daughter so loved when she's not around to do it.

My dad inhales sharply through his nose when we step close and I shift my gaze to him. "Things are complicated, Ariel, but we need to -"

He gasps mid-sentence - we all do - as a huge sound breaks through the air, something loud and horrible soaring through the air over our heads. I gasp and clutch Jackson's shirt in my hands, and he wraps his arm more firmly around me, one hand tucked behind my head. We all turn towards the sound as it passes us and then wait a beat before -

BOOM.

A huge explosion sounds somewhere in the distance, but obviously on our side. Clearly, the attack has begun.

I snap my head to my father to see him pale, his jaw set. "Roger," he snarls, a command.

"On it," Roger says, striding away, tugging Cora with him as he goes, unwilling to be away from her any more than he has to.

big one." Dad sighs, dipping his face into his hand, clearly trying to hold it all together - his role as King, and as father whose youngest daughter is missing, who is about to ask his eldest daughter to risk her life. "Whatever you need, dad," I say, taking as much of a step forward as I can, wrapped in Jackson's arms as I am. Jackson moves forward with me,

nod, swallowing as I do,

in a way I've never heard before. "I know what you've been through these past weeks - and I know you're still

—

and place a hand on his arm. "You don't have to ask, okay? I'm here. I want to be here." Onod, looking up at him, my whole heart in my own eyes now. "This is my nation too, right? My people as much

as he reaches for me, pulling me into his chest and wrapping me in a tight hug. "I don't know what this world did to deserve you, Ariel," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair. "But I'm so incredibly grateful that

wel

to be

tears of love for him, and fear about what's to come, and worry about...about whether or not I can do this. Whether or not what magic I have with my bond to Luca broken will

Roger barks, he and Cora

me, looking over at