The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 137

Chapter 137

Chapter 0237

Jackson nods, and to Jesse’s surprise, lets him walk by his side.

They walk for a long time. Jackson is surprised, after a while, at how quiet and stoic Jesse is. Jessedoesn’t sigh or moan that he’s bored, like Jackson thought he would. He doesn’t complain, or fuss,or anything. He just walks quietly at Jackson’s side as they circle the castle, losing themselves inthe woods and then along the cliffs that border the northern edge, that overlook the candidatebarracks below.

When Jackson pauses at the edge of the cliff, looking far, far north, peering into the dark, Jesseclears his throat.

Jackson scowls, looking over at him. “I thought you said we could not talk?”

“Listen, I tried,” Jesse says, bursting into a grin. “You called my bluff on this one, Jacks. That is thelongest I’ve ever been quiet in my entire life.”

“And wasn’t it nice?”

“It was horrible,” Jesse groans, tilting his head back. And Jackson can’t help but smile, becauseAriel does that too when she’s being dramatic.

It’s a lot less cute when Jesse does it…but he smiles anyway.

“So,” Jesse says, looking north in the same way Jackson does, into the dark. “I’ve been thinkingabout it, Jacks, and I gotta say…I’m kind of disappointed in you.”

“What?” Jackson seethes, turning on this guy who just professed to want to help him. Jesse doesn’tflinch, just continues looking north. “I mean, is it really all that bad?”

Jackson groans, lifting his hands to his face and pressing the heels of his palms lightly against hisclosed eyes. “Unbelievable,” he mutters, starting to get pissed for real.

“No, but seriously,” Jesse says, “think about it this way. What is so good about being mated to mystupid shrimp cousin, anyway? I mean, she’s not that great.”

Jackson drops his hands, gaping at Jesse, “She’s not a stupid shrimp, Jesse,” he bites out, furious.“She’s amazing, that’s what was so great about it! She’s smart, and she’s funny, and she’s nice –and she’s beautiful – and she…she gets me! She’s pretty much the only person in the entire worldwho gets me. And she’s brave, and I like being around her, even though I hate everyone else youincluded!”

“See?” Jesse says, breaking into a grin and pointing a finger at Jackson’s chest. “That was a test,and

you passed. Ari is all those things, and if you didn’t recognize how amazing she is I wouldn’t let youdate her.”

Jackson’s mouth drops open. “You can’t…not let me date her.”

“Yes I can,” Jesse mutters, waving a dismissive hand, “I can do anything, I’m a Duke. But that’s notimportant. What is important is that you recognize how great it is that you get

Ariel as your mate you’re the luckiest bastard to ever walk to earth, to have had the

–

Goddess tie her to you. Now.” Jesse nods, moving on like they’re figuring out a math problem.“What’s so bad about sharing her with Luca?”

Jackson pauses, looking for the trick in Jesse’s question.

But even as he looks for it, he knows what the answer is. He stays quiet, not wanting to say it.

“May I venture a guess, as I suspect you ran through your daily quota of words with your lastanswer?”

Jackson just scowls at him.

“No, you’re right, your weekly quota,” Jesse says, nodding and clapping a hand again on Jackson’sshoulder. “Jacks, what sucks about it is that you have to share her. With Luca, of all damn people.But having to share her – does that

does that mean you lose any of the good things?”

Jackson takes a long moment before he sighs, looking down at the ground. “No,” he murmurs,rueful, “I don’t lose any of the good things just because he’s her mate too. But I…I might lose…her…”

God, the thought of it. Tears prick at Jackson’s eyes again, and he grits his teeth against them,getting sick of all this damn crying. What the hell is with that, anyway? He never cried this much inhis life, and now he’s mated for three days and spends half the time wiping salt water off hischeeks.

Jesse, to his credit, pretends not to notice Jackson’s manly sniff, the way he brushes beneath hiseyes with his wrists. Instead, Jesse pretends to look at a particularly interesting star for precisely aslong as it takes for Jackson to pull himself back together.

“I get it, Jacks, I really do,” Jesse says, quiet, still not looking at Jackson. “The idea of losing her…it’s probably killing you. But there’s no faster way to lose her than to storm out of rooms and let Lucahave all the time he wants with her. Luca is charming as hell, man. He’s going to wrap Ari aroundhis finger without you there to stop him.”

Jackson’s jaw drops as he stares first at Jesse and then up at the castle, realizing that Jesse is

right.

“I know you’re scared you’re going to lose her,” Jesse says quietly, “but Jackson – you’re acting likeyou already have. If that’s your girl, Jacks? Then go and get your girl. Don’t let Luca take her. Butalso, why are you so afraid that Luca’s going to get her, anyway!?”