The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 736

“Oh, Ari,” Daphne murmurs, leaning close to me and plopping Mittens into my lap before putting her arms around my shoulders, pulling me in for a hug. “Why on earth could you possibly be worried about Jackson now? He’s fine!”

“He’s not fine,” I sigh, leaning against her for a pleasant moment before sitting up straight and shaking my head at my friend. “The last thing I remember before I passed out was Jackson throwing up at the sight of me –“

“He what!?”

I nod vehemently. “He got sight of me, Daphne – or scent or something - and just threw up all over the hall –“

“Oh my god.”

“I know,” I moan, letting my head tilt back. “I’m just…terrified. What if he can’t stand to be in the same room as me anymore? What if I make him physically ill because I bear someone else’s mark?” I hang my head, starting to tremble a bit at the idea. “What if he doesn’t love me anymore?”

“Oh, Ariel, that can’t possibly be true,” Daphne murmurs, stroking a hand soft over my hair. “That boy is obsessed with you.”

“He was. It’s – what if it’s different now?”

“It won’t be. A mark or a lack of a mark isn’t going to change everything he adored about you.”

I bite my lip. “But what if he…what if our being mated was the only reason he liked me? What if now that things are different with me he realizes how boring and silly I am –“

“Oh, you stop that right now,” Daphne snaps, her voice harsh. I look up at her in surprise. “You are not boring and silly, Ariel. And I understand your concerns, but you’re letting your fears run away with you. I bet you anything – I’d even bet Mittens here –“

The little cat spins to look at her, appalled.

“- that Jackson is in his wolf form, all curled up at the bottom of your bed, missing and worried about you –“

“Why do you think he’d be in my bed?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.

Daphne smirks a bit. “Jesse’s got a lot of great traits, but his pillow-talk habit of spilling secrets is very good for me and very bad for everyone else. Come on, Ari,” she says, smirking and raising an eyebrow at me. “I know where Jackson sleeps.”