The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0941

He turns his head back to me. "They nap?"

My mouth spreads into a grin. "At four? Kind of a lot."

"Oh god," he groans, putting his head again in his hands. "I don't - I don't know what I'm doing. I'm trying to do it all right – I just...have no idea what's going on..."

"You sound just right for a new dad," Roger says, wandering over with Cora at his side, both of them smiling lovingly down at my big, confused Alpha mate. “We pretty much lived in that state of anxiety and unknowing for the first eight years of Jesse's existence."

"And I'm great!" Jesse calls from the breakfast buffet, where he loads up a plate. Jackson hesitates, studying Jesse, clearly wondering if it was the best choice.

Cora and Roger burst out laughing, and I do too, and then Jackson does and the room rings with it. I scootch closer to Jackson's side, looping my arm in his and leaning against him. "It's gonna be fine, Jacks," I whisper. "This is her family. Kind of a crash course in it, yes but...she's going to have to get used to us sometime."

“Yeah, I guess you're right," Jackson murmurs, looking over to where Seraphina really is playing quite gently with Marigold - much more gently than she does with her other siblings, who she bites and tackles with glee. But the light in Marigold's little brown puppy eyes that shine so bright against her wolf's dark fur - god, she just looks so incredibly happy that my eyes fill with tears.

like breakfast cocktails are in order," Roger says, giving us both a wink and

wiping at my

I look over at Jackson and see his eyes filled with tears too as he watches his little girl play with her new cousin. As

a really, really good one at

my mate and pass a great deal of

me too and

and subdued for the rest of the day. Roger pours Jackson a

back

adults in our family spends a little one-on-one time with

can do

with the girls, little games that leave the pair shouting with laughter and joy. At some points I even hear Marigold chattering with her new friend, talking on and on in her excitement, belying her first impression as a quiet

that Jackson needs me more right now. Because even as he starts to settle into his new role as father - more aligned with dad and Roger now than Jesse and Rafe - I

-

counter emotions as much as I can down the bond. Not telling him that he's wrong just... providing encouragement and perspective. Letting him know that we're safe. That it's good. That it's all