The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"I – what?" Jackson sputters out, looking between all of us. "What beans?"

"I explicitly asked you not to, Jacks!" Jesse says, appalled. “As a favor to your best friend!"

"I didn't spill any beans! I didn't even have any beans!"

"I still maintain that I am his best friend," Rafe murmurs, looking smugly up at the ceiling.

"It's a turn of phrase, Jacks!" Jesse continues, ignoring Rafe and pointing an accusatory finger at Jackson. "It means you told her what I told you about the Underworld!"

Jackson gasps, satisfyingly scandalized, and steps back a little to glare at me, his hands still on my shoulders. "Ariel! I did not!"

"He told me a little bit," I say, smirking at Jesse.

"Jackson!" Jesse gasps again, smacking his hand to his chest, the picture of betrayal.

"I hate this," Jackson groans, tiling his head back in agony and closing his eyes. "Can we go back to the desert? This is so much - there are so many people here, and every other word is some kind of verbal trap - "

"That is your family, Jackson," I say, grinning at him, kind of delighting in his torture. "How dare you insinuate that they're too much -"

"Puppy, again!" Seraphina shrieks, dashing over to wrap her arms around Jackson's leg and smile up at him, her sharp little baby teeth flashing. "Carry me! Pig back ride!"

He just stares down at her, completely baffled.noveldrama

"Jacks how much did you tell Ariel, because seriously – that was a secret! I've been looking forward to spilling that to her for days!"

"All right, all right," Cora says,

coming over with a whiskey and a big, big glass of white wine her hands, pressing them towards Jackson and I. "Let him go, Fifs Puppy and cousin are going to go clean up, because they're all bloody and gross," she grins between us and we laugh. "And then they're going to come back and tell us everything. Yes?"

Seraphina sighs but releases Jackson from her grip as we take our drinks and turn towards the hallway with our bedrooms.

"Don't you think this is done," I say, narrowing my eyes at Jesse. "I want to know this secret. Jackson said it made him cry."

Rafe and Jesse gasp, pretending to be scandalized by this, making me laugh.

"Almost cry," Jackson grumbles,

glaring a warning at the two of them

before wrapping an arm around my waist and tugging me close to him. istan

"Damn it, Ariel, why do you always

have to cause so much -"Content

“Trouble?" I ask, grinning up into his face and then bursting into laughter when

Jackson realizes that he walked right into that.

"Yes, trouble," he sighs as we pass

into the relative dark and calm of the hallway. He pauses, dipping his head, and I stand on my toes and pressa kiss to his mouth. "Always so much damn trouble with you."

"Oh, you like me troublesome," I murmur, biting my lip and snaking an arm around his waist.

He pauses for a moment, considering. "Yes," he sighs, defeated and starting off

down the hall again, taking me with him. "Yes, I suppose I do."

I laugh and lean against him, happy and warm and safe and delighted.

"Do you think I could get something to eat?" he murmurs.

"Yes, baby," I sigh, leaning happily against him. "We'll have them send up a whole

feast while you take a shower."

Jackson hums, excitement running through him, making me laugh.