The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 709

Jackson lets out a sharp, impatient snarl, and Jesse laughs, giving me a little shove towards him. “All right, all right, I’m sorry, take him.”

I stumble forward a step into Jackson’s arms, where I’m wrapped up tight. “You’re being very indiscreet, you know,” I murmur, wrapping my arms as far as they’ll go around his waist. “People are going to figure out that you’re in love with the Shrimp.”

“Who cares,” he says, utterly dismissive. “They’ll still be scared of me. And you now, too.”

I lift my head to grin up at him and then push away, turning for Luca, who is waiting.

“That was really cool,” he whispers, folding me into his arms in turn. “I mean, I know it was violent but…I could feel it, Ari.” He shakes his head as he lowers it to mine. His wolf anxiously paces at the other end of our bond and mine crosses it to him, pressing herself warm to his side, pleased to be there and pleased that he’s open to us in this moment.

“I think you have magic, Luc,” I whisper. “I think…I think it’s more than just us.”

“I know,” he sighs, shaking his head. “And just when I thought I couldn’t get any cooler…”

I grin, looking up at him, very pleased to see him start to embrace this part of himself instead of being afraid of it. “We’ll figure it out, you know.”

“I know,” he whispers, nodding down at me.

“Okay, come on, it’s still an active battle,” Rafe says, snapping his fingers at me and Luca with a frown, one hand on his earpiece, clearly listening to some sort of report coming through. “Eyes on the horizon, kids.”

“Don’t call me kid, I’m older than you,” Luca murmurs, smirking at Rafe.

“Then act it,” Rafe bites back, giving Luca a little glare and turning away. But then Rafe turns back with a little frown. “Also, I’m still bigger than you so…fall in line, Grant.”

I smirk and roll my eyes as I look up at Luca. “Alpha bullshit? On the battlefield?”

“Where else?” he asks, smirking back at me.

“Here, eat something,” Jackson murmurs, stepping close and holding a granola bar out to me.

“What?” I ask, looking up at him.

He just growls deep in his chest.

I sigh, looking down at the wrapped food. “Jacks, I’m really not hungry –“

I exhale in a long rush of air, turning back to the horizon. But with my relief comes exhaustion. “That’s good,” I whisper, nodding.

“Very good,” my cousin returns.

I glance over at him. “This was big, wasn’t it?” I ask, soft. “If we had lost this…”

Jesse glances at me from the corner of his eye. “If we had lost this,” he murmurs, “we’d have been swearing allegiance to a very different King today. And losing our titles, which doesn’t work for me.” He sighs, huffy, trying to make me smile. “I don’t do commoner.”

It works and I huff a laugh, shaking my head at him.

But Rafe’s barked order for us all to pack up and head back to the camp rings out around us and my cousin and I turn, walking with Jackson and Luca back to the waiting transport truck that will take us back.

Inside the truck I lean against Jackson’s side, my head on his shoulder, and nearly fall asleep. I would have, too, if I wasn’t bounced around every few seconds by another rock or pit passing beneath the wheels.

But when we arrive back at the camp, I’m glad I didn’t, because I see my father standing there at the edge – clearly waiting for us.

And the sight of him fills me with hope, happiness, and a great sense of safety, as it always does.