The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0947

I smile at her, charmed again. "I don't know. Maybe I should have asked before I flipped out, hmm?"

"Probably," she says with a shrug, taking another long sip of her drink as she carefully considers me. "Do you want a puppy, Ariel? Because if it's your mate's puppy, it's going to be around and stuff. You might not like that. I would hate that."

I laugh a little, leaning back against one hand and taking a long sip from my wine as I consider the question. "I think...that yes, I do want her. I want her very much. She's part of Jackson, and that's beautiful to me, and I'm sure as time passes I'll learn that she's beautiful unto herself as well. I'm excited to get to know Marigold as she grows up - that's one of the delights of having a pup, I think. Getting to see who they become, loving them as they grow."

Midnight just stares at me like I'm crazy. "Do you want like...more pups after this one? Like eighteen?"

I laugh and shrug. "Maybe not eighteen. But...yeah, sure, I always imagined that some day I'd have kids. Maybe not in my early twenties, and maybe not starting with a mysterious four-year-old child dropped on my doorstep. But certainly I will want more children someday." I smile a little at the thought - of a passel of pups that are half me and half Jacks.

My heart warms and my wolf lets out an excited little yip.

"Gross," Midnight says on a sigh, bursting the bubble of my happy fantasy and making me break out in laughter. She smiles at me, though, like she supports my dream even if it is not her own. "I am very glad that Jesse and I do not want pups."

"Oh, I want pups," Jesse says, making both of us spin our heads towards him.

"What!?" Midnight breathes, horrified.

Jesse says with a casual shrug, "timeline is important here. I do not want kids anytime soon. But someday, way down the line? A couple of kids to keep me laughing?" He shrugs. "My

some ways imagining him forever childless is a great shame. But one look at Midnight lets me know that...she is

I am never having

raising his glass to

wondering where they're going to end up. Because twenty years is

that leave

talk

of the yurt an hour or two later, recognizing Mark's

"Ariel?"

"Hey, Markie!" I call.

is pushed aside and Mark gives us a small

may, Mark Sinclair," Midnight

come down. They've been talking and I don't think dad's ready to give in but...Jacks, I think, is missing