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 -"

as I stare

very strong,"

eyebrow at him. "Cheap

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

and waving a hand at me as he studies the bars, clearly deciding where the apply

I say, holding my hand out to him. "Um...maybe

he asks,

you got here?" I whisper, shaking my head and then trying to peer around him towards the rest of the cages. "Did

still frowning at me and

"How did you...how did you get here? To the Land of

that we're not going to get anywhere towards his questions 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

kind of weird. I don't know who left it there, but...I think

it.

Jackson's face, my wolf suddenly yelping and skittering

back..." he

wait," I breathe, holding out a hand to him even as I shift my gaze inward to my wolf