The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Rafe just...stares.

His mouth hangs open and he stands still as he just...looks at the place his sister was standing just - just a fucking moment ago -

Where Jackson is now roaring his rage and pain as he turns, fruitlessly, looking everywhere for his mate like he's just going to find her sitting on the ground behind him or something. But she's gone - Ariel is...is fucking gone.

Vanished, like Jesse.

Like Juniper.

Who...who is taking his family, one by one?

"Let's go," Roger snarls, grabbing Rafe by his arm and striding forward, the needle still in his hand. "Roger!" Rafe snaps out, digging his feet in, shaking his head. "We have to - we have to stay - she's here

"She's not here!" Roger snaps, spinning his head back to glare at his nephew, his canines elongated, his eyes alight with rage and with pain. God, his niece - his perfect niece - gone now too? Like Jesse, his fucking son? And Juniper, who had no god damn part in this war? "We're getting out of here, Rafe! We need to regroup!"

"No!" Rafe roars, giving a mighty shake of his head. "We're not leaving without her!"

Roger yanks, hard, pulling the boy to him. "You have a responsibility to this realm, Rafe," he snarls, shaking his nephew, making him hear it. "You are second in line to this throne. Some mysterious force has just snatched the third in line from right under our eyes. I'm getting you out of here! Now!" Rafe quails at this, at the idea of just...just leaving. Of not even looking for her.

"We're getting you out of here," Roger snaps, pulling Rafe forward, and striding for Jackson. "And I need your help with him. He needs medical attention."

Confused, Rafe follows Roger with stumbling steps as he strides for Jackson, even as gunfire continues to explode on either side of them. Medical attention? Jackson doesn't need -

But then Rafe's eyes fall to Jackson's hand, which is blistered with burns.

Burns from where he held Ariel's hand, passed her his power, even when her power roared so powerfully that she nearly burned herself out. Rafe's stomach turns at the sight of Jackson's ruined palm.

But the agony on his face...

As they step closer, Rafe's devastation grows. Because Jackson just continues to roar, his unharmed hand sunk deep in his hair as he continues to spin, wide-eyed, looking everywhere for Ariel. But of course, she's not there.

"Jackson!" Roger shouts, reaching for the younger man.

But Jackson just spins, his good hand lashing out, his knuckles catching Roger backwards across the cheek and sending him stumbling back. "Don't touch me!" Jackson snarls around his canines, his eyes wide and furious.

"Jacks," Rafe cries, shaking his head, reaching for him to. "Roger's right - she's -"

"We're getting her back!" Jackson shouts.

"We will!" Rafe calls, nodding fervently. "But - you need help - we have to get off this field -"

"I'm not leaving her!"

"She's already gone!"

Jackson stills at the words, staring at Rafe with such horror and grief in his eyes that Rafe moans, holding his hand out further.noveldrama

"Please, Jacks," Rafe says, his voice breaking on the words. "She's gone - they took her, she's gone -

we can't get her back by standing here - we need to go back to the base, make a plan -"

"I can't leave her," Jackson cries, his shoulders slumping in grief. "I - I have to stay -"

But he goes suddenly rigid as a hand wraps around his chest from behind. Rafe gasps in a sharp breath, horrified -

But the horror shifts to mere

confusion when Roger peers over Jackson's shoulder a moment later. And then Rafe's eyes shift to the needle in Roger's hand, the other side of which is deep in Jackson's neck. Jackson's eyes roll back and he slumps hard to the ground, almost taking Roger with him.

"Let's go," Roger barks, looking anxiously around at the battle. "It's getting bad here. And I need...your help with this guy." He looks down and grimaces at the huge form laying unconscious on the ground, clearly wondering how they're going to lift him.

"Roger," Rafe says, stepping close and kneeling down as his uncle does, already getting a hand beneath Jackson's limp form. "He's right-how...how can we leave her?"

Roger stills for a moment, sighing

and looking down. "Part of being a good soldier, Rafe, is knowing when to retreat Their forces took severe damage but they won this battle when they took her. And - I mean, can you go into that other world? Where she vanished to?"

Slowly, Rafe shakes his head, grief filling his heart. His wolf howls, devastated at his complete ineptness. God, what kind of commander or prince is he - what kind of brother - if he can't even protect his little

sister?