The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 95

“The marble didn’t move,” I say, my voice solid. Tony looks down at me, perhaps wondering why I’m not sharing more, but I just stand straight and don’t look at him, hoping he holds his tongue.

Good, my wolf says, though she’s laying languidly in my soul now, her eyes half-lidded in her relaxation. Let’s not tell the professor anything until we know more about what he wants.

I nod, agreeing with her.

“Shame,” Alvez says, quirking his head to the side. Then he looks up at the clock. “We are out of time,” he says with a little chagrin. “For homework, I’d like each of you to get into your last pairing and try again for longer this time. At least a full hour. Come to our class in two days ready to report your results. Sinclair? Please come over here to arrange a time to meet with me privately.”

Alvez nods around to us before moving to his desk, starting to pack up his bag as Rafe approaches to arrange a time.

My eyes immediately move to Jackson, who turns to me.

Because he’s the only one who’s left.

Tony leaves my side, heading for Jesse as Jackson slowly moves over. I have to crane my head back on my neck to look up at him as he moves close.

“I’m glad to see you made it into the Academy,” Jackson says quietly, his voice gruff as he stares down at me, his expression stony and unkind.

I can’t help it, I burst into a grin and laugh, just a little bit.

“What?” he asks, frowning now, confused.

“You just said something really nice,” I answer quietly, shrugging one shoulder, “even though your tone and your expression still say you want to rip me to shreds.”

Jackson flinches back a little and stares at me. “Wait, really?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I say, laughing a little more now. “Are you now aware of it? The fact that you’ve got like, murder in your eyes pretty much all the time?”

“Oh my god,” he murmurs, dropping his head and scraping a calloused hand down the length of his face. “No, I guess I wasn’t.”

“Well, I’m glad I’m here too,” I say quietly, more serious now. “And thank you for –“

“Don’t mention it,” he murmurs, and as he glances around I realize that it’s as much a desire for secrecy as it is a downplaying of his generosity in the obstacle course. “So, we have to…”

“Yeah,” I say, clearing my throat a little awkwardly. “Um, do you want to come up to our room for dinner? You could eat with us and then…” I reach out and grab the little marble still sitting on the desk. “Try to blow this to smithereens, or whatever.”

Jackson smirks at me and glances over his shoulder towards Jesse and Rafe.“Yeah, Jackson,” Jesse says, and I smile as he appears at Jackson’s side, holding my Chemistry textbook out to me. “Come to dinner – you can have your food sent up with ours.”

From the other side of the room, I hear Rafe groan as he hears the invitation.

“Ignore him,” I say, stepping closer to Jackson and shaking my head as I look up into his face. “He’s being a dick. Seriously, come!”

“I’ll think about it,” Jackson says, glancing over his shoulder at the crown Prince who so clearly doesn’t want him to do that. “If not, I’ll send word about my schedule. See if we can’t make a time to meet.”

“Okay,” I say with a shrug, taking my books from Jesse and smiling up at my mate, kind of unable to help it. Because…honestly, I’m not scared of him at all anymore, even if I probably should be. After his apology in the bathroom, and then how he helped me?

I don’t know. I’m starting to realize that there’s more to Jackson than just his gruff surface.

For a second, my mind flashes to Luca –

But I push it away, not letting myself go there.

Jackson nods to me and Jesse, not bothering to say any other words of goodbye as he grabs his satchel and heads from the door.

“He’s not all bad, that one,” Jesse says, considering Jackson as he disappears. “Even if he is mildly terrifying even at the best of times.”

“I agree,” I say, contemplative. Jesse just grins at me and nods towards the door, where Rafe is waiting at Alvez’s side, Alvez patiently holding the key to the classroom in his hands.

“Good luck!” Alvez says to the three of us cheerfully as we move through the door. “Rafe, I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Jesse, Ari, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need anything.”

We murmur our thanks to our professor, turning away –

And honestly, I thought it was all finished, until I feel fingers trace down the length of my spine as I turn away.