The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Yes, master?" she says, looking up at the God adoringly.

"Keep him contained," the God says, reaching out a hand to grasp her chin, turning her face side to side like he's inspecting it and finds it wanting. "Do not, under any circumstances, take him back to the Earth." "Yes, sir!" Midnight says, her face bursting into her strange fake smile.

The God of Darkness nods once and begins to walk in the direction that he came, fading and then vanishing as he goes, leaving Jesse awe-struck and dumb with shock, and fear, and agony when he realizes that...he's not going home.

He's not going to go see Daphne today to comfort her, or help Ariel win that battle, not today, maybe not... ever.

And that all of this - all of it has been specifically constructed as some kind of trap. So that whatever Atalaxia has planned for his family tonight and in the war...

It's big. And his family has no idea that it's coming.

"Isn't he amazing?" Midnight breathes, moving quickly to Jesse's side and staring up at him, delighted. "That - that guy?" Jesse asks, gesturing over his shoulder to where the God of Darkness went. "That guy is amazing?"

"Yes," she says, nodding reverently.

Jesse hesitates. "Is he like...your dad?"

Midnight just laughs, shaking her head, her curls bouncing. "He's not my father father - I mean, I'm not

nearly good enough to be so blessed," she says, even blushing at the idea. "But he raised me - and when I'm a good girl he lets me call him papa.'

Jesse's face twists with disgust and confusion. "And when you're a...bad...girl?"

"Then he beats me," she says, blinking like it's the obvious answer. "And makes me call him Master and Great One and Dark King."

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Jesse murmurs, raising a hand to cover his face, agonized for this poor girl. "Who - who are your real parents?"

"I don't know," she sighs, dismissive of the point. "Who cares?"

"Midnight," Jesse sighs, dropping his hand and frowning at her. "You should care - how-how long have you been here?"

"What?" she frowns at him like she's confused. "I've been here forever."

He balks at her, unsure how to believe that. "How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-three," she says, beaming at him. "Just like you!"

He frowns at her. "But you've been here...forever."

"Oh whatever," she sighs, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. "Stop trying to trap me in my thoughts. Time is stupid."

"Do you ever remember not being here?"

"No."

"Do you remember where you're from?"

"Stop being so boring," Midnight groans, tilting her head back. "Let's go - we're in love! Start acting like it!" Jesse is about to protest, again, that they're definitely not in love but his wolf interrupts with a sharp bite to his soul.

Look at her wolf, Jesse's wolf

whispers, suddenly horrified. Jesse flinches, surprised that his wolf isnoveldrama

interrupting so important a conversation, but then Jesse shifts his focus inwards. His wolf is peering across a dark space a space where, Jesse suddenly realizes, their bond will be if he

accepts it.

He gulps, wanting to rush away from it, wanting that bond to be with Daphne not this girl - not wanting anything to snap into place by accident

But his wolf howls, and nips at Jesse, and insists - absolutely insists - that he look. So Jesse leans closer, peering in to the darkness where...where Midnight's wolf suddenly appears.

Jesse gasps when he sees her, horrified, because the wolf is...she's wrong. She stands still with her four legs splayed wide and unsteady in what looks like a huge puddle of oif Her teeth are bared, and she's panting but staring unseeingly forward into the void - not at Jesse, not at his wolf, just...into space. Her eyes shine darkly with a strange blue light and all over her fur drips with that oil. Like she's soaking in it, like it's...it's pulling her down, begging her to collapse and to drown -

Jesse groans, stumbling back, eager to get away, his own hand moving to grasp his own healthy wolf's fur. His wolf stumbles back with him, afraid, not wanting to touch her - knowing that he, too, will be sucked down into that oil if he does.

That he will become corrupted by it, as Midnight is.

"Come on!" Midnight says, snapping Jesse out of that inner space, eagerly holding out her hand to him. "Let me show you my house!"

Jesse just stares at Midnight, and then down at her hand, and then back at her face, completely blank.

Because if he takes her hand, it means he...gives into it. Into the reality that he can't go back - can't go to Daphne, the woman he loves.

But if he doesn't take her hand...

What? He just stands here...forever?

"Don't you even like me, Jesse?" Midnight asks, breaking him out of his trance.

Jesse just stares at Midnight as she bites her lip.

"Jesse," she whispers, shaking her head softly, her curls shifting as if on the wind. "I've been waiting my whole life for you and...you don't even like me?"

Jesse blinks his dry eyes and stares down at Midnight, at this poor corrupted girl staring up at him with such hope and sadness mingling in her eyes.

And his heart just...breaks.