The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

He blinks once, I think shocked.

"I'm serious,” I say, squeezing his hand, holding his gaze. "I've had time to think in here - time is the only thing I have - and when I get home? You're the only mate I want. I don't want Gabriel – and I don't want Luca, okay? I just want you. Me and you and that's it forever."

Jackson swallows hard and I can see hope filling him.

I turn my head to the side, a little surprised by his silence. "Isn't that what you want too?"

Slowly he nods. "But...I don't want to hold you to it, Ari. If that's not the destiny your grandmother wrote for you."

"Yeah well," I sigh, frustrated. "Granny and I need to have a chat. But what she said was that she wanted me to have my mate's marks - not that she wanted me to live in some kind of bizarre foursome. And that's why I don't want to run right now, Jacks - because..." I bite my lip. "I think I need to explore the magical connection between me and Gabriel. I think that my grandmother gave this link not because she thinks he's some great match for me - but because his magic can lend something to mine."

Jackson sighs and looks away. "It would be easier if he were ugly."

I laugh a little, squeezing his hand. "Nobody's as pretty as you."

Jackson raises his head and an eyebrow along with it. "I'm not sure I'm precisely pretty."

"You're very pretty."

Jackson murmurs, looking away and –

hot, Jacks" I say, wrinkling my nose at him. "And rugged. And

his smile and blushes a

you know Faiza just refers to you singularly as

"Stop, no she doesn't."

on, Jacks, you're gorgeous." I grin at my mate and tug on his hand again.

bit, which just makes him...a thousand times hotter. I bite my lip, looking

soon enough," I sigh, knowing that

just...give you the mark now? Through the

my head, even as my wolf

her approval of the idea. "You'd change my scent and then the

magic," he points out, tilting his head. "Which means you could blow the whole place up.

I like in there.

says, leaning back on one hand as he keeps the other firmly in mine. "Then on to the true thing that's worrying me. You could die, Ariel, he says, holding my gaze quite seriously. "If this Gabriel is as unpredictable and power-hungry and violent as you say he is? He could kill you, and then...the world would lose its flame. Its

the centrality to which Jackson holds me, the idea that he thinks the universe would come to a grinding halt without me. And while I think

he wants me to live