The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0929

"Ariel!" Jackson snaps, more panicked than angry, grabbing my arm and holding me tight like he's afraid I'm going to run like my wolf is. "Tasha is - she's dead, all right?"

I whip my head back to him, my eyes wide, a moan climbing up my throat

because -

Oh my god.

Oh my god -

That little girl, all alone in the world - her mother dead -

Tears fill my eyes. "Jackson," I beg, shaking my head at him, stepping closer, reaching up for him. He understands, bending down and picking me up in his arms, holding me close. I wrap my arms around his neck and lean hard against him, wanting as much contact as possible, wanting to feel the steady reality of him. "Please, you have to tell me everything," I beg. "Right now. Very fast. I - I need to know everything you know -"

Jackson murmurs that he will and then sinks back into his chair, taking me with him, and proceeds to tell me everything that happened tonight - everything he knows.

Over the next half hour, Jackson spills everything to me. My wolf stops running and turns to his, and they curl up together, both anxious and worried but... together, united. And I open the bond, and keep it open, wanting to hear and feel everything that he wants to share. The emotions just...spill down it, so much so that I feel like I'm drowning in them at times, like there's no space for my own feelings. But I hold steady for him, knowing that even if this was an insane shock for me...

That my sweetheart mate is taking it so, so much harder.

tells me of seeing Cristof out by the car, and of everything that passed between them. And then he continues, speculating on what some of the things Cristof said could have meant. That Tasha must have run while pregnant, that she probably tried to raise Marigold

tucking my face against his chest,

little girl,

is so much more intense for

I can't help it.

just so

that she's not mine, that someone else got to carry and raise his pup, that someone else's daughter looks like my Jackson - has his eyes, has

the one I didn't even know I fucking wanted until she showed up in my kitchen and I found out that she belongs to

myself a great deal that I can't just...be kind.

Jackson says,

look up into his face

eyes searching my face like he's trying to read my

I'm being a jerk," I moan, letting myself slump

goes still and then laughs, the sound hesitant and a little hysterical, putting his hands on my arms and making me sit up. "What are you talking about? Ariel,

I'm being so

little shake. "I don't - I don't get this, tiny. Please,

on me right now," I say, sighing and looking into his gorgeous eyes. "Like you're. worried about me. You just found out you have a baby! I should be

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