The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



Jackson doesn't reply to Luca, sitting quietly on the floor, and Luca and Ben give him a strange look when they realize that he isn't leaving with them. But Ben just shrugs and nods to the door, silently suggesting that they not worry about it. Luca bends down, giving me a kiss on the cheek, and I return it with a surge of affection down our bond.

"See you at breakfast, gorgeous," Luca murmurs, brushing a hand over my cheek where he kissed me and heading for the door with a wave. "Fill me in then?"

"Oh, I think the situation will spell itself out," I say with a sigh, smiling at him as he goes. "But yes, of course. See you then!"

When Luca and Ben leave, Jackson just looks between Jesse and me. "Please, I don't understand," he says quietly.

Jesse doesn't reply, keeping his eyes focused on me, and I frown at him when I realize that...I don't think he's breathing.

“Are you okay, Jess?" I ask, turning my head to stare at him.

"Yup!" he says instantly, smacking his hand on his legs and standing up quickly, tossing his book onto his chair before turning immediately towards the bathroom and striding off for it. "Time to get ready for bed!"

I peer after him, confused, because...was that a blush on his cheeks? But...why?

"Ariel," Jacks says, sighing, pleading. And I turn to see him staring at me with utter confusion in his eyes, just...completely not getting it and hating that he's being left out of the loop.

I laugh a little, sadly, standing and going to him with my hands out. "Come on, puppy," I say, helping him to his feet. "Let's go to sleep - I'll tell you everything in the dreamstate."

"Don't see why you can't just tell me now," he grumbles even as he does as I say, "since everyone else already seems to know."

"Yeah, well,” I say, wrapping an arm around his waist and leading him over to the nook, “it'll take a while to explain and I suspect Rafe will want a little space when he's back. So, let's hurry up and get to sleep."

“If f you say so," he sighs, taking a moment to cup the back of my head and press a quick kiss to my lips before we each move, reaching for our pajamas and starting to get ready for bed.

I'm a little relieved, though, that we're not quite asleep twenty minutes later when Rafe comes back into the room.

Jackson and are tucked away in

the nook, curled up with each other, and Jesse is in his own bed as Rafe quietly opens the door, closing. softly behind him and then

vern

just standing there. Like he doesn't

know what to do next.

In his bed, Jesse sits up and looks over at Rafe, but he doesn't say anything.

I wait for another few moments, but then I sit up too. "Rafe?" I call, hardly above a whisper, though I know he hears me. "Are you...are you okay?" He takes a moment before he answers. "I'm..."

But his word is choked. So he takes a deep breath and clears his throat as a wave of sadness comes over to me to see my brother hanging his head like that.

Immediately I throw the covers off, swing my legs to climb out of bed, to run to him -

"Please, Ariel,” Rafe says, his voice rough as he puts out a hand towards me. “Thank you but...um. I think I just to be alone? As much as that is..... possible. When we live like this."

"Do you want us to go downstairs?" Jackson asks softly, likewise sitting up, terribly confused but clearly wanting to offer what he can.

"No," Rafe says immediately, and then he moves, quietly padding over to his bed. "Just...peace and quiet, please. I want to be...alone."

"We love you, man," Jesse says from his bed - the first words I've heard him say since he hurried off to the bathroom.

"I love you guys too,” Rafe says on a sigh, collapsing into his bed and just laying there; not bothering to get changed or to pull the blankets over himself. He doesn't even take off hisnoveldrama

-

shoes – just...stares at the ceiling.

UMS

And I just stare at him for a long, long time until Jackson tightens his arm around me, pulling me close. "Come on," he whispers, achingly soft. "Let's go to sleep." And then he presses a kiss to my cheek and we cuddle up together, drifting off even as my heart is reaching for my brother, wanting to give him comfort even though I have absolutely no idea how.