The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Maryam scowls and clenches her jaw, leaning back against the cushions of the couch and glaring down at her knees. Rafe raises his eyebrows, surprised. Because of all things, he didn't think it would be the accusation of a poorly made argument that stopped Maryam in her tracks.

God, but Hank's intellectual family is...very different than his own.

But Maryam...she's his family now, right?

...Right?

Rafe takes a moment, while Maryam is distracted in her anger, to study this girl - his mate. His mate. God, how had he never known it before?

Because it's not the first time they've met - no, Maryam and her little sister were fairly frequent visitors to the palace when they were children, always accompanying their parents when Hank and Sarah came down to the city. Rafe and the other Sinclair children had always played with them, but...well. They really always had seemed so incredibly delicate -

And it's not even that they were girls - Ariel and Juniper could always keep up in a way that Maryam and Annabell couldn't. Their human bodies simply weren't as responsive and strong as a wolf's. They had done their best to adjust the games, but...well, they were kids. It had been hard to be fair.

Once, even, Jesse had been attempting to play a prank on Maryam and she fallen hard on her knees, scraping them deeply. She had burst into tears. Rafe had helped Maryam to her feet and done his best to comfort her, but she hadn't spoken to him - to any of them - for the rest of her trip.

Rafe turns his head to the side realizing that...actually, that that's maybe the last time he talked to Maryam...ever. God, has it really been that long?

He wouldn't be surprised if her apparent hatred for Alphas had started on that very day. God damn Jesse, being too rough.

"If I could have a minute, Ella?" Hank asks, his tone becoming even more serious and drawing Rafe's attention back to the present. Rafe refocuses his gaze to the doctor as Hank begins to push himself up out of his hair. "I wanted to have a conversation with you about Jackson."

"Jacks?" Ella says, going a bit still in her chair, her teacup balanced primly on its saucer. "What...what's wrong with Jacks?"

"Nothing's wrong with Jacks," Hank says with a shrug, getting to his feet. "Is he here? There have been some... developments, in the Community. He asked me to some research for him and it's

yielded some rather strange results." noveldrama

"What results?" Ella asks, fascinated, hastily putting her teacup down and getting to her feet, looking at Hank with a mix of shock and interest. "Jackson's not here he's...well, he's

rather on a solo mission, trying to

get Ariel back."

"More Alpha macho bullshit," Maryam grumbles. "One guy, alone, thinking he's the whole solution to the problem and doesn't need any help.”

"Are you...are you talking about Jackson?" Mark asks her, a big smile spreading across his face.

Maryam shifts her gaze to Mark. “If he's the one on the solo mission to defy an entire nation and get the captive princess, then yes, I am.”

“Oh man," Mark says, shaking his head at the girl. "I mean, I get all of your Alpha hate for the vast majority of guys out there. But Jacks? The world's sweetest guy, Alpha or not?" Mark Laughs. "You're going to have to adjust your algorithm for that one, Maryam. Jacks is huge and powerful but he has the feast ego of anyone I've ever met."

Maryam just rolls her eyes like she doubts it and looks away.

"Do you have any idea of when Jackson will be back?" Hank asks, grimacing a little. Rafe frowns, turning his eyes away from his brother and his mate, focusing again on Hank. Because the man looks...very anxious to tell Jackson his news. What the hell could be so pressing?

"I'm sorry," Ella says, stepping closer to Hank. "We have no idea -"

"Highness!" a page shouts, bursting through the door, a phone held high in his hand. “Highness, oh, please!"