The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



"No, skip this one," I murmur a little later when I'm curled up next to Jesse in the nook, freshly showered and finally eating my dinner. "It's too sad, when they break up -"

"But there are so many good jokes in this one," Jesse protests, casting a hand out towards the tiny DVD player in his lap. "We can't -"

"We can," I insist, leaning over and pressing the skip button. "And we're going to!"

"Tyrant," he mutters, slipping a few more of my cookies out from their packet and popping one into his mouth. I just smirk, not denying the accusation and leaning close against my cousin's arm as the Besties theme song starts on the screen. I take another bite of my dinner, feeling super cozy.

As the theme rolls on, Jesse fully concentrating on it, I take a second to glance down at the little stuffed tiger pressed between us, and the portable DVD player with its collection of DVDs spread out at the bottom of the bed, and a pair of Jackson's boots tucked neatly beneath my desk where they won't be in the way. In my dresser, I know, are a few perfectly folded sets of his uniform as well.

A little smile crosses my lips as I realize that Jackson is fully at home here despite Rafe's initial insistence that he only sleeps here and would not be moving in. But little by little, Jackson did precisely that. I sigh with happiness, finishing my sandwich, loving that fact as I glance over at Jacks and Rafe, still working intently on his bed.

"What's with all your happy sighs," Jesse murmurs, flicking his eyes over at me. "For someone who had just as traumatic a day as me, you're awfully chipper about it."

"How can I be sad or worried when I've got my big cousin to hang out with me," I say, turning my head to him and reaching up to ruffle his hair. "How could a single worry even come into my head?"

“True I am.....anathema to all worries," Jesse murmurs, smirking a bit.

"Except your own, I think," I say quietly, my face becoming more serious as I study the unusually dour expression I'm not even sure he's aware that he's wearing. Beyond that, it's really not like Jesse to seclude himself away - he's a very social creature. If he is disappearing into the nook to be alone and binge eat all of my cookies, something's up.

"You okay, Jesse?"

He sighs and glances over at me, and then at Rafe and Jacks, who I intuit he doesn't want to hear. "It's just so weird, Ari," he murmurs. "That like... I've apparently met my mate and have no memory of it. Like, what the hell does that mean?"

"I know," I sigh, nodding along. I reach out and tap his chest. "What does wolfie say?"

"He's as lost as me," Jesse murmurs, looking down at his chest and then over to me. "So, when you met Luca and Jackson there was...no doubt? You just...knew it was them?"

"No, I actually didn't know it was

them at first say, taking a cookie and eating it passively as I think back. "I smelled them and my wolf knew they were like... in the room.

But we didn't know who it was until

later."

Jesse sniffs the air like he's going to be able to smell his mate here in the room with us and I do my best to hide my smile.

"You don't remember anything like that?" I ask quietly. "Someone smelling great and your wolf going a bit crazy for it?"

“Nah,” he says, shaking his head and frowning, giving a shrug. “Something's up. But unfortunately I don't think that trying to puzzle it out is going to work - we don't have all the pieces."

"Poor Jess," I say, laying my head down on his shoulder. "We'll get it all sorted out in time."

A long beat passes as the drama unfolds on the screen.

"If she's going to be sneaky," Jesse mutters, a little angry and so low I almost don't hear, "she'd better be cool."

I laugh a little. "She will be. The

Goddess can't have stuck you with anyone dull-she's your mate, after all." I reach for the cookies and place them more solidly on his lap, the only thing I can offer right now. noveldrama

UMS

Jesse sends me a little grin and takes a cookie. We watch the show together for a minute, I think neither of us really paying attention. "So," Jesse says, too casual. "How's Daphne?"

"What?" I ask, picking up my head and grinning at him.

"You smelled like her," Jesse says, smirking and looking at me from the corner of his eye. "When you came up. Rude of you to take Luca to visit her and not invite me, leaving me here with the gigantic serious ones instead." He gestures, cookie in hand, over at Rafe's bed.