The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

She goes still for a moment and then laces her fingers with his, squeezes his hand. "We're not dating or anything," she snaps. "Just...because you got all rejected and stuff. I didn't come running up here just because you're single - I thought you were going to die -"

"Sure, you didn't," Jesse says, dry, nodding slowly, a smile curling his lips.

She laughs a little, turning her head to look at his profile in the starlight. "I mean it, Jess. I...stand by everything I said before."

"Okay, Daphne." Jesse says quietly. "I believe you. Let's just...see how it goes."noveldrama

She nods, even though he doesn't see it, and then turns her face up to the night sky.

They lay there for a long time.

Neither drops the other's hand.

“Midnight?" I call, seeing the little figure crossing the grass, dragging her feet and looking down. I frown, standing from my place at Jackson's side on the little wicker loveseat that mom got us for our front porch.

Jackson looks up too, curious, and even Marigold lifts her head from her

collection of toys on the front porch, a little stuffed tiger taking pride of place in her

lap.

“Hi,” Midnight calls, climbing up our front steps, looking a little wobbly. "Um, I rejected Jesse."

"What!?" I breathe, going quite still.

"Oh, heavens," Jackson murmurs. "Are you okay?"

"What happened!?" I gasp. Jackson gives me a little nudge down the bond that's equivalent to a dirty look, letting me know that that's not what's important right now.

Like hell it's not, I snarl back, shoving his little nudge away. Inwardly he laughs.

"Um, it's a long story," Midnight says, looking totally exhausted. She eyes the couch and the empty space at Jackson's side. "Can I...can I come sit down? For a little bit?"

"Of course you can," I say, reaching for her, ushering her over to the seat.

Midnight sits down and begins to talk softly to Jackson, telling him everything I wait long enough to hear that she held on to part of the bond, and that Jesse is sad but okay, and that she sent Daphne to him. With a sigh and a glance up to the roof of the Castle, hoping Daphne found him, I head inside and make four big cups of cocoa.

After I bring them back out and pass them around, I curl up in Jackson's lap and listen to Midnight tell the whole story. It takes a long time, but by the end of it...

"I'm proud of you, Mids," I say quietly, giving her a small smile.

She looks up at me in surprise.

"I mean, I'm sorry that you're hurting, and Jesse too," I continue. "But...you're going after what you want in this life. And not letting. anyone else define that for you think that's incredibly brave.

swnovel

"You did it too," Midnight says, looking up at me, wiping away a tear or two and then taking a big sip of her cocoa. "You're half the reason I thought I could."

Goldie, I think sensing that her friend might want it, climbs onto the poor strained little wicker couch too and curls up in Midnight's lap. Midnight smiles at her and hugs her close.

I smile at my new cousin, glad that she's here, glad that she's come to talk to us about it.

"Life...is about to go through some pretty serious changes, isn't it?" Jackson says

to both of us, even as he tilts his head up to smile at me.

I press a kiss to his mouth, probably

more lingering than is polite, before I smile around at everyone. "Yeah," say, sighing and cuddling close to my mate, letting my eyes fall finally on our little girl while I send amental putse of joy and excitement to the twin bonds in my soul. "Yeah, it's all changing. And I, for one, can't wait for it."

“Me too,” Jackson says, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Me too," says Midnight, closing her eyes and resting her head against the loveseat.

"Me too," says Marigold, grinning up at me.

And I smile right back, because even if her answer is the same as the others and

she probably doesn't know what it means, it's by far my favorite.