The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 0266

Chapter 0266

“You came!” I breathe, thrilled and relieved and nearly insane with happiness as Jackson laughsand lifts me up, holding me tight against his chest.

“I could get used to this greeting,” he murmurs, his arms wrapped so snug around me, his face soclose to mine that our noses brush.

“You scared me!” I protest, half laughing and half shouting as I smack him on the chest with bothhands, one after the other. “Why didn’t you come into our train car!? Why didn’t you tell me!? I wasso sad! I thought you stayed behind!”

Jacks shrugs, smiling at me like he can’t keep the joy off his face, his blue eyes shining. “I figuredmy presence in your fancy royal car would cause more trouble than it was worth. You deserved aminute to be calm and happy, and I didn’t mind riding with the other cadets. I just slept the wholetime anyway.”

“And you didn’t think,” I say, taking his perfect face between my palms and narrowing my eyes,scolding playfully, “that maybe I wanted you close by?”

“Well, you’ve got me close by now,” he murmurs, lifting his chin towards me in a bit of a challenge.“So, what are you going to do with me?” He tightens his arms, further proving his point as his voicedrops an octave to a level that…does dangerous things to me. Emotionally. Physically.

My smile grows slowly, a little devious, but my response is clipped by the sound of Rafe clearing histhroat again.

I turn my head and blink in surprise to see my family and friends standing around us now, and theguards grouped around them, all of them staring at us.

Except for Luca. A strong pang of guilt runs through me when I see him staring at the ground to hisside, clenching his jaw.

“Ariel?” Rafe says, his arms crossed as he glares at me. “Would you like to…climb down? Beforethe paparazzi get some great footage of this?”

“Um,” I say awkwardly in response before turning to Jackson and giving him a little grimace.Unperturbed, he smiles at me and slowly lowers me to the ground, careful to ensure that my skirtdoesn’t ride up.

“You know, you don’t have to pick her up every time you greet her,” Rafe says softly, frowning atJackson.

Jackson just stares at Rafe like that is clearly not true.

Rafe just rolls his eyes, laughing a little as he moves on and I fix my dress into less rumpled lines.Captain Conner looks a little frantically between me and Jackson before moving his eyes to Luca,with whom I was just holding hands. I sigh, realizing that…whatever secrecy I held on to at theAcademy, isn’t hasn’t really disappeared here, has it?

Unless I want the entire nation to know about my complicated love triangle, I have got to learn tocool it.

“Captain Conner,” I say, stepping forward towards him and doing my best to be the nation’sPrincess again. “This is Jackson McClintock. We got accidentally separated from him on the wayhome, but he’ll be joining us at the Palace for break and should have all the rights and freedoms ofan honored guest.”

“As you will it, Highness,” Conner says, giving me a sharp bow. He casts out a hand towards thethree-story arch through which the city waits. “If we have our entire party now…?”

His implication is clear and, with another little glare at me, Rafe leads the way out. Luca followsclose behind him, not looking at me, and Daphne sends me a little smile and a nod before shehurries her steps to walk with Luca, making a little small talk that I hope will comfort him.

Ben and Jesse fall in with Jackson and I as we bring up the rear, both of them greeting Jacksonwarmly and likewise telling him that they’re thrilled he came along. Jackson’s smile in response totheir genuine excitement to see him fills my heart with joy, because I’m watching him realize that hetruly has friends now.