The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



"Oh, you're wonderful too, cutie," mom says, stumbling over to Jesse to wrap him up in a hug. "Now come on, everyone! We need to get back to the classroom – we have to talk about the potential consequences and use of this! And how to similarly experiment with everyone else's magic too! We're going to do great things!"

Mom and Cora turn towards the palace with Jesse between them, talking closely to him about what the fire felt like mingling with his own magic. Rafe and Luca follow, likewise talking close, while Jackson and Tony fall in on either of my sides.

"That was incredibly cool, Ari," Tony says, grinning delightedly at me, his eyes crinkled with joy.

"Thanks, Tony," I say, bumping shoulders with him, likewise pleased.

"Makes me wish we had a bond," he says, gesturing between us.

Jackson snaps his head towards Tony and lets out a low growl.

"Oh back off, biggy, I don't mean like that," Tony says, reaching out his long arm to give Jacks a shove on the shoulder. Jackson narrows his eyes but nods, letting the statement stand. Tony turns back to me. "Just like, imagine what we could do -"

"But wouldn't we just like..." I smack my hands together and bounce them apart, "clash? Your water just putting out my fire?"

"Nah, I don't think I'm just water, I think it also has to do with like...breath?" Tony says, shaking his head at me, clearly excited. "But even then - fire and water don't just cancel each other out," he says, talking fast. My eyes go wide as I realize that he's right.

"We could like - boil oceans -"

"Make like, a whole bunch of steam -"

“It could be like a fog that spreads out over a countryside -"

Tony's eyes go wide. "That is such a good idea. What if we could like -"

Jackson walks stoically at my side, still warm and proud, as Tony and I chatter all the way back to the castle.

Even so, I can't help but notice that even as Rafe moves forward to join in on the conversation with Jesse and our moms, Luca doesn't fall back to join in with Tony and I.

Instead, he walks alone between the two groups, his head hanging.

And when I send my wolf forward to try, I already know what she finds to be true.

That our bond is completely shut down.

Luca leaves us when we get back get back to the classroom, wanting to get a little study time in while the rest of us debrief. I beg him to stay but Cora comes to my side and puts a hand on my shoulder, giving me a gentle smile, and I sigh and give in, giving Luca a hug and a kiss on the cheek, telling him that I'll see him at dinner. Luca kisses me back and gives me a squeeze before heading on his way, carrying the note that mom gave him to take to Blaze, begging for me to take the afternoon off so we can further work on the question of my magic.

Inside the classroom, our little group talks eagerly about what happened with me, Jackson, and Jesse each describing what it felt like from our own angles. Then mom and Cora as they should - turn their attention to the rest of their students, discussing similar possibilities for experimentation and connection. In particular, we spend a great deal of time brainstorming with Tony.

"I guess it's true," he murmurs, looking at me consideringly. "Like, if you melting a marble and lighting the logs in your fireplace is the. equivalent of me breathing

underwater...I wonder what my fire tornado is."

"I can't wait to find out," I say, beaming at him, meaning it.

"I have some ideas," Cora murmurs, looking at Tony consideringly. "But...I want to do more research. You good with that, if I come back with next week with more for you to try?"

Tony eagerly agrees and the group breaks up then, everyone chatting interestedly and in high spirits. Both Rafe and Jackson turn to me, expectant, even as I stay in my chair.

"Do you have a minute?" I ask, raising my eyes at mom and Cora. "To stay after?"noveldrama

"Of course, babes," mom says, beaming at me. "What's up?"

Jackson waves to Rafe and turns back towards his chair but I bite my lip and look up at him, a little pleading. “Um, do you think we could have some girl talk?"

Jackson goes still, staring at me like he desperately wants to stay but also like I've said I'm going to participate in the most dangerous sport in the world.

“Oh, just wait outside, puppy," Cora says, laughing and flapping a hand at him. "We'll only be fourty-five, sixty minutes. Tops."

"Why does it take so long?" he whispers as Jesse and Rafe call their goodbyes, heading out the door with Tony.

Mom laughs, wrinkling her nose at Jacks. "She's kidding - just give Trouble a little space for a second, Jacks. I need to talk to my girl."

Jackson sighs and nods to me before he heads outside.

"Don't you listen!" I call after him, scolding already.

He just sighs and waves over his shoulder, as close to a promise of privacy as I'm going to get.