The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 23

Jesse sighs and puts a warm hand on my shoulder. “I get that you’re a big girl now, and that I have no right to tell you what to do, and that you’ve already got an overprotective big brother to play this role. But…” he hesitates and I step closer, wanting to hear what he has to say. “Just…maybe give this whole mate thing a little breathing room, yeah?”

“Why?” I ask, a little confused.

“Well, your mate – he hasn’t figured out who you are yet, right?”

Slowly, I nod.

“Maybe…” Jesse says, shrugging, “let it stay that way for a while – just until you learn more about him. I mean, I’m sure he’s great, but…”

“Just say it, Jesse,” I say, frowning at him.

“Ariel,” he sighs, shaking his head at me. “In your life you’ve only really spent time with men who really respect women and admire their mates. You’ve been a little bit sheltered, which is not a bad thing, but…not all men are like that.”

“Yeah,” I say, nodding and raising my eyebrows at him. “I learned that when I heard my fiancé’s secret conversation with his dad – and thank god I did.”

“I know,” Jesse huffs, looking off into the distance with a grimace as he, too, remembers what I dodged. “But see how easy it was to miss that? It’s just…not all guys are good to women – so many were raised to believe that women were born to serve them, or to be their second mom, or that women are inherently inferior. And a mate? He’s going to feel…so possessive over you, Ariel, from the start. I think, for you, I just want…”

“A little time,” I say, finishing his thought for him, as I so frequently do.

“Yeah,” he replies, turning to me with a little sad smile. “Time for you to figure out who this guy is and how you feel about him, before all this mate stuff gets in the mix as well. And for you to figure out if you actually want to like…date him. Let alone be mated to him.”

I laugh at this, shaking my head. Because Jesse’s right – I’ve never even had a boyfriend, let alone a mate. Let alone two mates. How on earth am I going to juggle all of this?

“I think I want to just concentrate on getting into the Academy,” I say quietly, stepping close to my cousin and resting my head on his shoulder.

“I honestly think that’s a good plan,” he murmurs, wrapping an arm around me and giving me a little squeeze. “I think you’re here for a reason, Ari – and I don’t think it’s just to meet your mate.”

“I feel that way too,” I say with a confused frown – and honestly, it’s true. “But I’m glad you know. And I’m glad you have my back.”

“Always, little Shrimp,” he murmurs with a happy sigh. After a long pause he speaks again. “Now. Are you going to tell me who this mate is?”

“Nope,” I say, a little smirk pulling at my own lips now. “I get to keep some mysteries to myself, don’t I?”

“Boo!” Jesse says, laughing and shoving away from me. “And now, just for that, I’m going to kick your ass double-time on this run back to the barracks so that we can make it for breakfast.”

“Nooo,” I moan, tipping my head back.

“Come on!” he whoops, starting down the hill at a full run. “Let’s raise that ranking, Shrimp! Plus, I heard there’s pancakes in the breakfast line today.”

“Damn it,” I hiss, shaking my head, and my stomach growls because damn it…I want those pancakes. And so I take a deep breath before I start to sprint after him.