The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 708

My wolf instantly pounces on the small part of me that wonders if that makes me a monster, snarling her fury at the thought.

And she is right –

The Atalaxians, they started this war twenty years ago, they began their attack just when my father took his throne because they knew we were already weak. And it’s unlikely that they expected us to stand for more than twenty years, but they continue their pursuit because they want us.

They want Moon Valley’s rich resources and our beautiful land, of course, but they also want our people. They want to bend us to their will and their ways, to enslave our women to their ridiculous concepts of femininity, to use everything that makes us a rich and vibrant nation to feed their empowered class, their royal family.

They have already taken so much from us. They’ve hurt my friend.

And now they’re trying to take me.

Because I’m not a fool – I know who these helicopters are after. Gibson – he knew, somehow, what I could do. And these helicopters are attacking this part of the line because they know, again, somehow, precisely where I’m standing.

So let them come.

And I’ll show them the consequences of trying to hurt me and the ones I love.

I will take them all down one by one if I have to burn myself out to do it.

“Give ‘em hell,” Jackson snarls, squeezing my hand, and my fires flare just as four more helicopters appear in the distance.

“Do you even need me to pretend to give you orders?” Rafe murmurs, glancing at me.

I glance back and don’t say anything. I mean, I don’t want him to feel useless but…we both know the answer to that.

“Dad,” Rafe says, raising a hand to the headpiece on his ear. “I would suggest that you…watch this.”

The helicopters fall as easily as the first six, my fires laying in darkness, waiting to spring up and take them down.

I let my head drop, closing my eyes and taking in a deep breath as I drop my mates’ hands.

To my surprise, my cousin wraps me in a hug from behind, pulling me back against his chest and pressing a discreet kiss to my cap. “That was amazing, trouble,” he murmurs. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah, I’m all right,” I sigh, smiling a little and leaning my weight against him. “Your shadows were cool. Were they…were they sharks today?”

He laughs a little. “Yeah, I was trying something new,” he murmurs.

“You were thinking about Tony,” I whisper, tears again pressing at my lashes. “With the water.”

“Yeah,” he sighs, tucking his mouth close to my ear so only I can hear him. “I was. Don’t tell anyone though, okay? I don’t want people figuring out that I have a heart.”

“Oh, Jess,” I sigh, standing up and turning my head to give him as big a smile I can – which isn’t much. “Stop kidding yourself – we all already know.”