The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 0430

"I wasn't out with another girl," Jackson protests, frowning at Jesse but still clearly not getting it. "Is that...bad? Is..." he frowns, clearly thinking back on it. "I just thought she was being friendly. Plus, free drinks..."

I just scowl at Jesse and wrap my arm possessively around Jackson's, not liking this at all. "No, Jacks," I say bitterly. "It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong." But I keep scowling, glaring at Jesse who is delighted and, I'm sure, planning to milk this for all its worth. Still, a little part of me is quite smug and pleased that we're heading off to an all-boys academy where the only other eligible girl is my friend and dating my brother.

I raise my foot and give my still-smirking cousin a sharp kick, but he just laughs a little and turns away, waving a hand at me to let me know he'll drop it. For now.

"I like this one," Jackson says quietly, and I blink, pulling myself out of my thoughts and turning my attention to him.

"What?" I ask, looking up into his face.

"This one," he says, tapping the magazine. I look down to see his finger tapping on the image on the cover, the one of him in profile looking down at me with a beautiful smile on his face, of me laughing as I look up at him, the wind blowing my hair a bit. And I smile, all of my jealousy immediately wiped away. Because Jackson liking another girl...god, I'm wasting my time worrying about that, aren't I?

"Yeah, that's a good one," I say, wrapping my arm tighter around his and pressing myself closer. "Maybe we can get a copy. Have it framed."

"Oh," Jackson says, turning to me with surprise. Then he smiles too. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

I nod once as he turns back to the magazine, looking through it again, and I look over at my mom who is sitting across from us. She sends me a quick wink, letting me know that she's heard and that she's on it.

I smile at my mom, grateful, not really angry at her anymore. Because I can't wait to see Luca again, but if he'd been here, we wouldn't have had this moment.

And so I turn my attention away from all of that and towards the future: to the Academy where we're going and the war that awaits us beyond that. As my stomach turns with anxiety I realize that my mate drama is the least of my worries - and that it's time to pay attention again to the things that really matter.

As we start to land at the Academy on the lawn by the candidate barracks, I sigh and slip my cap onto my head, carefully tucking my hair back beneath it and mourning, passively, that I'm going to have to do this every day again. Not that it's a big deal it's just...annoying. "Ohh, is this Ari Clark!?" mom says, leaning forward and grinning at me gleefully. "Ugh, you're such a cute boy." She presses her hand to her chest, clearly meaning it and turning to my dad. "Should we have another? A little boy this time that looks like me -" "No more children, Ella," dad murmurs passively, like this is a discussion they have all the time. Mom sighs but there's no more time to think on it as the helicopter touches down and we all start to climb out.

"Jesse," dad says, nodding to him as we walk through the gates and start into the castle. "If you wouldn't mind going to your room and settling in? The rest of us have a meeting with Ari's professors."

My mouth falls open just as Jesse's does as our little group makes its way down the hall.

"Why am I being left out!?" Jesse protests.

"Cousins," dad says, dry, "don't need to be part of this." We all move towards the elevator and my stomach plummets. Because honestly, I forgot dad's ultimatum - I passed the Examination and all of my finals, but he did insist that all of my professors know that I'm a girl. God, what if the Captain protests? What if Alvez does something weird?

"Why does he get to go!?" Jesse protests, pointing a finger at Jackson.

Dad just quirks an eyebrow at Jesse. "Because he doesn't ask as many questions as you."

Jesse scowls but gives in, glaring at all of us as he climbs into a separate elevator from ours.

"It's so cool here," mom whispers eagerly, bumping her shoulder with mine as the elevator doors shut and we start to move upwards. "I wish I lived here."

"Mom, you already live in a palace," Rafe laughs, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Now you want a castle?"

"Yes, it's much spookier here," mom says with a tragic sigh. "Very atmospheric. Like there could be a ghost. Or six ghosts. Ten!"