The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0997

"All right," dad says, coming back in with mom and settling the tray of drinks on the coffee table. Mom hands me my tea before going to perch on the arm of the big lounge chair that dad sits in. "Tell me about this plan to adopt Marigold."

My eyebrows go up. "Sorry?" I ask, looking between him and mom, realizing that mom must have told him about it. Which is not a surprise - mom and dad talk about everything and rarely, if ever, keep secrets. "Is it...a problem?"

Jackson tenses a little, likewise looking between my parents.

Goldie gives a little squeak, reaching for some coloring supplies on the floor, and I lower her on to down. She dashes over to the coloring book and picks up a fistful of crayons as I turn back to my mom and dad, giving them my full attention.

"It's not a problem," dad says, shaking his head slowly, his sharp green eyes on me. "Your family is your own, Ariel, and if you're kind enough to welcome a child into it as your own then I certainly won't stop you. But there are certain complications."

My eyebrows go up and I glance up at Jacks, who sends a pulse of confusion to me down the bond, moving a little closer to my side.

"What complications?" I ask, a bit soft.

considered," dad continues, looking between both of us now, "that your adopting Marigold as your daughter places her third in line to

I sit back against the couch cushions, dazed at the realization that my dad is right. I mean, I'd always assumed that Rafe would pass

Maryam, and she's human, then they

girl on the floor, happily scribbling

me. "I didn't...I

that...this is a child with ties to

whisper, "that some could understand Marigold's reign as the Community having a

correct," dad intones, sitting back in his chair and putting a hand on mom's back, letting me and Jackson

softly at the idea of the Community having any claim, at all, to Marigold or

remember the Community - in fact, she wasn't even ever there, right? They have no true claim on her. And we'll raise her

claim her and she understands herself

too,"

line..." he sighs, moving his eyes back to