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 -"

open as I stare

they're like...they're not very

him. "Cheap

gives a slightly smug one-shouldered shrug that... ...well, it puts

little and waving a hand at me as he studies the bars,

my hand out to him. "Um...maybe

he asks,

to peer around him towards

still frowning at me and

I interrupt, shaking my head at him. "How did you...how did you get here? To

until he answers mine first. Then he pulls something from his pocket and holds it out to me. "This showed up in my tent," he says as peer at the small, rectangular rock. "I - can we talk about

later? It's kind of weird. I don't know who left it there,

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

wolf suddenly yelping and skittering

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

my gaze inward to my wolf and to his, studying them. "Gabriel - he's got a talisman too that allows