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 at him.

not very strong," he shrugs. "Cheap

at him.

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

some space," he murmurs, laughing a little and waving a hand at me as he

Jacks," I say, holding my

asks,

trying to peer around him towards the rest of the cages. "Did you

at me and

did you...how did

something from his pocket and holds it out to me. "This showed up in my tent," he says as peer at the small,

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

I murmur, studying it. And then my eyes

Jackson's face, my wolf suddenly yelping

still. "No, come back..." he murmurs, frowning, his wolf moving after

holding out a hand to him even as I shift my gaze inward to my wolf