The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 757

My four Alphas turn to me as I steadily hold the Captain’s gaze. “We’re ready,” I say, soft and sure, and my wolf howls proud in my heart. Because even if there’s still pain, and even if I am still finding my feet amongst all this grief, my nation needs me now.

And god damn it, but I’m going to show up.

The Captain nods once and sends us on our way.

Jackson keeps his eyes on Ariel the entire walk back to the room. Ben splits off at his floor, going to quickly pack a bag, but Ariel and Jesse walk close together, murmuring about possibilities for the magic now that Luca’s gone, discussing honestly if they need to switch things around – if he should be sending out his shadows with the flames tracing through them, rather than the reverse, which they’ve been doing so far.

But Jackson barely hears it, because he knows whatever they decision they come to is fine with him. Whatever power Ariel needs on the battlefield he’ll give it, and more – no matter what the configuration.

No, what matters to him now is keeping her safe.

We have to destroy them all, his wolf says, wary, his lips peeling back to bare his fangs. All of Atalaxia – anyone who would hurt her – they must be ended, immediately –

Jackson sighs and puts a hand over his wolf’s ruff to calm him. It’s not that he thinks the wolf is precisely wrong…his wolf has been…trouble over the past few days. Going into over-drive, ready to attack anything at the slightest sign of trouble. It’s been difficult, keeping him in check.

Rafe wordlessly strides ahead down the hallway to their room, pushing open the door and moving in. Jesse and Ariel follow, Jackson bringing up the rear, thinking over what these past days have been like – how incredibly, incredibly had it had been to play it cool when Ariel took that bandage off her neck this morning and showed him Luca’s mark.

Because even if he had managed, somehow, miraculously, to hide his wolf’s howling devastation and convince Ariel that it really had been fine –

The truth was that it really did feel like a knife to his heart, an absolute devastation.