The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Fuck, Ariel," Jackson whispers, trembling a little in shock and relief. "I've missed you so much – I'm so sorry -"

"Sorry," I say, lifting my face and sniffing hard, even as tears continue to fall from my eyes. "Why are you sorry."

"Because I let them take you," he murmurs, sticking an arm through the bar and wiping the tears from my face with his calloused thumb. "I'm so stupid -"

"Jacks," I say, scowling a little and pushing back. "Don't be ridiculous - they'd been planning that capture for months - for years -"

"I still should have -"

"Jackson McClintock," I snarl, pushing fully away but wrapping handfuls of his shirt in my hands, desperate to keep hold of him. "If you blame yourself for one more second, I'm going to punch you -"

His face bursts into his wonderful smile as he laughs at me - at my fury and my possessive love. I moan at the sight of it, loving him entirely, and stumble forward, wanting to be close again.

"No, Ariel, step back -" he says, laughing again and taking a step away that makes me clang into the bars. "Geeze, are you okay? Be careful, Ariel -"

"Jacks," I groan, reaching for him, "come back!"

"Just step away for a second - I can bend the bars -"

I stare at him. "You

they're like...they're not very strong," he shrugs. "Cheap

him. "Cheap materials, or super-human

smiles at me and gives a slightly smug one-shouldered shrug that... ...well, it puts him at serious risk of me

give me some space," he murmurs, laughing a little and waving a hand at me as he studies the bars, clearly deciding where

say, holding my hand out to

asks, going

you got here?" I whisper, shaking my head and then trying to peer around him towards

frowning at me and

my head at him. "How did you...how did you

he pulls something from his pocket and holds it out to me. "This showed up in my

know who left it there, but...I think it allowed me to shift here, like

I murmur, studying it. And then my eyes go wide as

wolf suddenly yelping and skittering away

asks, going still. "No, come back..." he murmurs,

to him even as I shift my gaze inward to my wolf and to his, studying them. "Gabriel