The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 0499

Jacks nods, solid. "She's really funny. And...surprising. I never know what she's going to say next. It's just..." he shrugs, at a loss for words. "Great."

Rafe smiles a little, unable to help it, pleased that these two found each other. But he sighs again, still troubled.

"Do you want my perspective?" Jacks asks, turning to his friend.

Rafe sighs and turns as well, meeting Jackson's eyes. "Lay it on me, kid."

Jackson rolls his shoulders, loosening them after their long run. "If Daphne is the one who needs to take it slower, go by her schedule. There's no point in dragging her up to your speed - let her set the pace. And if you tell her that that's what you're doing, she'll probably be grateful that you care about what she wants and you two will be stronger for it."

Rafe twists his mouth to the side, wishing it wasn't such good advice. Wishing he'd thought of it himself. "Where did you learn so much about relationships?" he mutters, rueful.

"The internet," Jacks says, so bland that Rafe bursts out laughing. "There is a lot about relationships on the internet - I did some research. And yeah, your sister," Jacks continues, smiling again. "I spend a lot of time thinking about what will make her happy. She does the same. I think it...works."

"Well, shit," Rafe says, shaking his head at Jackson. "It sounds simple enough. I guess I can give it a try."

Jackson shrugs like he hopes it helps but also like he doesn't think he did much. Rafe just smiles, suddenly grateful to have Jacks in his life. Especially as...well, for some reason, it doesn't seem like he can talk to Jesse about this.

"What happens," Rafe says with a frown, the question forming on his tongue before he even realizes he's going to ask it. "If she...never gets up to my speed?"

Jackson meets Rafe's eyes then, a little sad. "I mean, then I think you have your answer."

Rafe exhales, long and deep, hating the idea. He takes a moment, staring out at the newly-risen sun, wondering passively about what a future without Daphne would look like. Like...would she...find someone else, someone she likes more? God, even the thought of it....

Rafe presses his eyes closed and presses the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, erasing the thought from his mind. It's not his reality right now, after all. No point in dwelling on it.

"All right," Rafe says, dropping his hand and shaking his head, turning back in the direction of the castle. "You want to head back?"

"Yup," Jackson says, starting off at a jog that Rafe matches. "If we go fast, we can probably still beat Ariel and Jesse."

Rafe laughs, starting to say that that's not necessary, but then he tilts his head to the side, considering it. "Actually," he says, picking up the pace a little and starting to really run, approaching a sprint. "Let's try to do that. That will really piss her off." Jackson laughs and matches the prince's pace. Together, they make record time back to the Castle.

"This sucks. This sucks!" I moan about thirty minutes later when Jesse and I arrive back at the Castle door to find Rafe and Jackson leaning against it, drinking casually from their water bottles, not even out of breath. "What sucks?" Rafe asks, grinning at me, too innocent.

"You two!" I pant, pointing an angry finger at the hill over which they ran. "Went way over there! I should have got back here first! You're just showing off, you jerks!"

"We would never do that to you, Ariel," Jackson says, his voice guileless even as he grins at me. Jacks shakes his head at me like he can't believe I would ever accuse him of such a thing, which is a step too far.

I narrow my eyes at my mate for a second, a snarl forming on my lips, and then I launch myself at him, my fingers curled like claws, a vehement attack. Jackson just bursts out laughing and snatches me out of the air by the waist, effectively countering my murder attempt in half a second before tossing me over his shoulder and stepping away with me to the side as I burst out laughing, smacking him hard with the palms of my hands.