The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 625

“Yeah,” Jesse says, his stomach turning over with dread as he looks out over the landscape before them. “All of that is…no good.”

“Are you…worried about it?” Daphne asks. Jesse turns back to towards her, curious to see her peering at him a bit through her lashes, a little frown on her lips.

He takes a minute to consider his reply.

“I’m worried about losing the people I love,” Jesse says softly, heaving a tiny shrug like he doesn’t even want to concede that much. “I know I play it…glib a lot, pretending I don’t care, but there are many people in this world who I love so deeply that to lose them would just…crush me.”

Jesse looks off towards the darkening sky, the corners of his mouth turning drastically down – an expression that makes Daphne’s heart twist to see it on the face which she rarely sees without a smile.

Still, it’s not like she didn’t know about his depths. Jesse – he’s not that good at keeping them a secret, at least to her.

“You can’t fool all of us, Jess,” she says quietly, bringing his eyes back to her. “We know your still waters run deep.”

His mouth quirks into an embarrassed smile as he looks down into his lap. “All my pretense has failed me.”

“You’ve got a big heart, Jess,” she says, nearly a whisper. “You should let more people see it. It’s lovely. You’re lovely.”

He clenches his jaw against the words, his eyes fluttering shut. Jesse swallows hard and Daphne fights her own smile in return. He clears his throat.

“What about you?” Jesse asks, lifting his eyes again to hers. “Are you worried about it? The war and stuff?”

“Nope.”

His face bursts again into the smile. “No worries? Not a single one?”

“Nope,” she says again, smiling back and shaking her head at him, delighting a bit in his surprise.

But shame rises with it. Because Daphne, who started life with so little and with such tragedy, who has so much less than him…lives life free of the fear he carries around every day, so heavy in his chest. His wolf gives a heavy shake then, climbing to his feet, determined to be better.

“It’s okay,” Daphne says, bringing his attention back to her. “I can be…hopeful for both of us, if you’re not there yet.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Jesse says, impulsively holding out a hand to her in the dark. Quietly, she slips her palm against his and gives his hand a squeeze when his fingers wrap light around hers. “Even as I try to be better, it might take me a minute to get there.”

“Oh, I think you can do it, Jess,” Daphne whispers, beaming at him. “I see great things happening for you.”

He squeezes her hand back, his heart rising still, hoping to hell that he can live up to her expectations.

Inwardly, his wolf sets himself to the task.