The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



"Um," I say, looking up at him and tucking a strand of my hair back behind my ears. "I think so? I think I killed them...all..."

“He did,” Heggardy says, bitter, and Jackson snaps his head to him. “That was the end of my team. How the fuck did he do that?"

"Do what?" Jackson asks.

"How did he hide like that - we searched this entire plateau for him," Heggardy says, spreading out a hand to encompass the entire place. "We even got his binoculars and his map - but he was...nowhere. Did you like, hang off the side of the cliff or something, kid?"

I pause for a second, not knowing what to say, or even how explain where I really went.

But this means...

God, I didn't imagine it, did I?

Somehow...somehow I really did go somewhere else.

"Um," I say, a little awkward, edging closer to Jacks. "I'm just...small. I...can hide."

"I guess so," Heggardy says, heaving a sigh and heading for the path. "Come on, this was the end of my team - the Games are over, I guess. Unless Wright has anyone left."

"Really?" I ask, looking up at Jackson, confused and shocked as Heggardy and the other Cadet move down the narrow path.

"Yeah,” Jackson says, looking down at me with a little smile on his lips and an incredible rush of pride surging down the bond. “Luca was the only one left on Wright's team but he just surrendered." Jackson cocks his head at me with a frown. "How do you not know that?" he reaches up and taps at his earpiece.

I reach up for my own, taking it off and peering at it, seeing that the little green light is off. “Guess it...broke."

"Hey," Jackson says, curling a finger under my chin and tipping my face up towards him. “The Ari I know would be crowing his victory, flipping out. And you're all quiet."

My body sags and my lip trembles as I look up at my make, shaking my head, not knowing what to say and completely unable to contain my fear anymore.

Because - what happened to me? Where did I go?

"Ariel," Jackson whispers, grabbing me to him, wrapping me tight in his arms and looking around frantically for something wrong. "What happened?"

"I can't tell you here Jacks," I

whisper, wrapping my arms around

his waist, my whole body shaking now as loose my control, as I let

the fear I've been holding bacet

sweep through me, let Jacks protect me "But I was so, so scared."

"Of those guys?" he asks, petting a hand over my head. "Ari, it was a game and it wasn't Wright's team - you can relax - you were never in danger." But I just cling to him for a long time, not saying anything.

Because how do you explain to your mate that you somehow fell into a different world - a world of darkness, with three moons?

And that now that I'm back, now that I'm safe in his arms, I can take a minute to realize that the darkness that has been curling inside me for days... felt at home there.

What the fuck just happened to me?

I have no words for it. I just tuck my head against Jackson, holding him tight, focusing on my breathing.

“Come on, Clark,” he whispers to me after a long few minutes - actually, maybe longer than that. I don't know - I kind of... lost track of time. "Let's get you home, get some food into you."

"Not hungry," I murmur into his shirt, not wanting to move or face reality. Just wanting to stay here in his arms.

"Well, you're going to let me feed you," he murmurs, turning me with him towards the little trail that leads down the cliffside. "Because you're really freaking me out right now, and I don't know what else to do. Come on. Your mom called ahead and made sure the kitchens stocked up on strawberry ice cream."

"Really?" I whisper, looking up at him for the first time, a tremulous little smile crossing my lips.

"Yeah," he says, smiling down at me and softly stroking my cheek. "Let's go get you a bowl."

"Okay," I whisper. And slowly and carefully, Jackson leads me down the little path to the basecamp and the waiting helicopter. We climb inside, the final two, and soon after the chopper lifts us into the air and takes us home.

Back at the room, Jackson takes immediate charge.

Rafe obviously knew something was

et

up with me the whole ride home since my spirits were down and I spent the entire trip leaning hard against Jackson, not saying much when should be celebrating my victory. And when we get back to the room and not much has changed, Jesse likewise notices the second I come through the door.

"What - what's wrong with her?" he asks, dropping the streamers he was ready to throw in the air to celebrate our collective victory. "What happened?"

"She's fine," Jackson snaps, keeping an arm around me and leading me across the room.

"She's not fine," Rafe barks out behind us. "Something happened, Jess, and neither of those two assholes will tell me what -"noveldrama