The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 236

“Jacks!”

Jackson hears his name called behind him, but he doesn’t register it, or doesn’t care. Instead, he just continues to stride forward in the dark, not really knowing where he’s going, just needing to get…out. Get away. Disappear into the night, into the wilds, into…whatever.

Any place but that castle.

Any place but here.

“Jacks! You asshole!” the voice comes again, closer this time, and Jackson’s instincts make him pay attention to it, his wolf turning inside him to growl at whatever’s coming. “Slow down! I know you can hear me!”

Jackson moves on, determined, but inside him his wolf turns again, raising his nose a little, a whine in his throat. Jackson pushes him away, but the wolf persists, pressing his snout into Jackson’s hand. Come on, the wolf says, listen. It’s Jesse. We like Jesse.

Jackson is the one growling now, insisting that he doesn’t like anyone, but his wolf just nuzzles against his hand, sad, not wanting to run anymore. So Jackson sighs, and slows, and turns when Jesse’s footsteps come near.

“What the hell man,” Jesse says, bending over and panting a little, “I’ve been chasing you for like, twenty minutes!”

“Should have been faster,” Jackson mutters, shrugging and looking away, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

“Don’t be a dick,” Jesse growls. “I’m trying to be nice to you, the least you could do is let me.”

“Nice to me?” Jackson huffs, turning to glare at Jesse a little. “Do you seriously think that’s going to fix anything?”

“Yeah, Jacks,” Jesse says, standing up straight and crossing his arms, “I think that being nice to you is just going to make Ariel magically not have a second mate. Obviously, that’s what I think.”

Jackson narrows his eyes. “You’re being a jerk, Jesse,” he growls, turning to walk away again.

“Jacks!” Jesse groans, and Jackson tugs his arm out of Jesse’s grasp when Jesse grabs it. “Don’t you get it!? I am being nice to you! This is what people do!”

“What?” Jackson asks, still walking but turning towards the slightly smaller Alpha to glare at him. “Do what? You’re not doing anything – you’re just bothering me –“

“Exactly!” Jesse exclaims, keeping pace with Jackson’s long stride. “That’s what people do! People who care about each other! When something shitty happens, you show up, and you’re just there!”

At this, Jackson huffs a laugh.

“So would you stop running away?” Jesse mutters, crossing his arms now, a little cold in the night air now that he’s not running around after the big devastated Alpha. “I’m trying to…be here for you.”

“Fine,” Jackson says with a shrug. There’s a long moment of silence. “So, what do we do now?”

“Whatever you want,” Jesse murmurs. “Walk. Sit. Just…exist, if you want to. Or you could…talk to me about it.”

Jackson stares at Jesse like he’s insane if he thinks that’s going to happen, and to his surprise Jesse bursts out laughing, taking a step forward and clapping a hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “Jacks, seriously, I need you to tell me…did you grow up under a bridge or something? Why don’t you know how to let someone comfort you?”

And Jackson sighs, a long, deep breath, and just looks down at the ground.

And Jesse sighs with him, realizing that…well, that the answer is because nobody ever has comforted him. And Jesse’s heart, like Ariel’s, absolutely breaks for this guy.

“Come on, you weirdo,” Jesse murmurs, pushing on Jackson’s shoulder warmly and turning him a bit. “Let’s do a little walk. You don’t have to say a damn word to me. I’ll just…be here.”