The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 876

Maryam scowls and clenches her jaw, leaning back against the cushions of the couch and glaring down at her knees. Rafe raises his eyebrows, surprised. Because of all things, he didn’t think it would be the accusation of a poorly made argument that stopped Maryam in her tracks.

God, but Hank’s intellectual family is…very different than his own.

But Maryam…she’s his family now, right?

…Right?

Rafe takes a moment, while Maryam is distracted in her anger, to study this girl – his mate. His mate. God, how had he never known it before?

Because it’s not the first time they’ve met – no, Maryam and her little sister were fairly frequent visitors to the palace when they were children, always accompanying their parents when Hank and Sarah came down to the city. Rafe and the other Sinclair children had always played with them, but…well. They really always had seemed so incredibly delicate –

And it’s not even that they were girls – Ariel and Juniper could always keep up in a way that Maryam and Annabell couldn’t. Their human bodies simply weren’t as responsive and strong as a wolf’s. They had done their best to adjust the games, but…well, they were kids. It had been hard to be fair.

Once, even, Jesse had been attempting to play a prank on Maryam and she fallen hard on her knees, scraping them deeply. She had burst into tears. Rafe had helped Maryam to her feet and done his best to comfort her, but she hadn’t spoken to him – to any of them – for the rest of her trip.

Rafe turns his head to the side realizing that…actually, that that’s maybe the last time he talked to Maryam…ever. God, has it really been that long?

He wouldn’t be surprised if her apparent hatred for Alphas had started on that very day. God damn Jesse, being too rough.

“If I could have a minute, Ella?” Hank asks, his tone becoming even more serious and drawing Rafe’s attention back to the present. Rafe refocuses his gaze to the doctor as Hank begins to push himself up out of his hair. “I wanted to have a conversation with you about Jackson.”

“Jacks?” Ella says, going a bit still in her chair, her teacup balanced primly on its saucer. “What…what’s wrong with Jacks?”