The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"So,” Ben says, his mouth turning down as he heaves an awkward shrug. "In the thousand times that I imagined meeting you... it never went like this."

Elias stays still for a moment before his shoulders twitch and he lifts his head to look Ben in the eyes. "You mean you never imagined introducing yourself to me in the Land of Darkness? Inside a cage that my brother built to keep his mate trapped here? With said brother laying at our feet, gasping for air?"

Ben just stares at Elias for a second before Elias's face breaks into a wry smile and Ben stumbles out a laugh. God - god damn it - but he's hot and he's funny? Shit. Shit, but he lucked out on this one.

"Are you okay?" Ben asks, taking three hesitant steps forward, his hand lifting towards his mate without him really meaning to.

Elias shrugs and, to Ben's surprise, takes his hand - just lightly. "I'm surprisingly okay. Gabriel has been...challenging lately. And he murdered our cousin last night, so I guess I'm not entirely surprised that divine retribution came and bit him in the ass like this. Though I am surprised that Ariel was the one who did it. I... didn't know she had that kind of grit."

"Ariel poisoning someone," Ben murmurs, looking down at the dying Prince, "is... oddly enough the one part of this situation that does not surprise me."

Elias huffs another laugh and glances up at Ben, a little shy. But he doesn't pull his hand away.

They're quiet for a long few moments.

says, trying desperately hard to

and looking Ben square in the eye. Ben turns towards him and squeezes his hand, hoping that Elias feels his support, that he can tell him whatever he wants. "Pippa is my Luna. We're married. She's...my best friend in the entire world and...I'm not leaving her

telling the utter truth. Anyone who is family to Elias is family to him now.

says, heaving a sigh and letting his shoulders slump. "That's...mine. We're going to have a

kind of...god, is it weird that he kind of likes that? It's going to be insanely

with air, an exasperated sigh. I'm not crazy about bringing a little girl into the world amidst so

simpler life for her."

you need," Ben says quietly, stepping closer, meaning it with

"I'm here for you. I'll help...however I

at his mate in surprise, not used to such an honest offer of aid from a relative stranger But his Wolf howls and eagerly shifts from foot to foot, urging Elias to take it to leap forward and accept this with his whole heart.

towards him with a tug on his hand, just

suddenly, Ariel appears before

their blushing cheeks, but as I laugh I go to one knee at