The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0925

Jackson nearly trips over his own feet when he feels it.

"Are you all right?" Ella asks, pausing in her steps to turn and look up at Jackson, frowning slightly.

He just goes still, ignoring Ella, staring at the little girl because...

Was that...a question? He felt? Down...down the bond?

The little girl shrinks away from him, her mouth pulling into a thin line, and he groans a little - realizing that he's frightening her, just staring at her with the ferocity and intensity of a lion. Jackson immediately turns to the bond, very carefully passing assurance and calm down it, hoping that it's...right. That it's okay. That she can feel it and it's... normal to do that.

The little girl goes still for a second and then perks up, smiling at her father.

Smiling.

Jackson groans aloud, his heart breaking at the sight of his little girl smiling at him for the first time. He reaches out a hand and strokes it over her dark hair,

marveling at the silky softness of it.

little girl. His.

And she smiles.

for Marigold as she reaches for him, and suddenly she's up in his arms, clasped tight against his chest, and he closes his eyes, tucking

sigh. "That's better. That's nice,

opens his eyes a little to peek at Ella, a

clasped beneath her

again, eager to keep going, to get Marigold something to eat. Because he can

feels her respond with eager happiness. His face bursts into a

laughs and hurries to keep up. When they reach the kitchen Rafe smiles at the three of them and pushes open the door.

Rafe laughs a bit to see that Mark did his job - that the big industrial kitchen is empty of people, and that the

his hair as he stands at the stove with an apron tied around his waist. "And I'm

Marigold, who stares wide-eyed at the incredible amount of food

enough, Markie," Ella says, laughing and going to a closet, pulling

falling into the familiar routines of mealtime. Jackson settles Marigold onto the chair and ensures that she's

wondering quietly about onel

what

apple, murmuring to Mark that