The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Oh, hi!" I gasp, delighted, stepping forward towards him. "You're one of ours! I know you! Yes, I'm so sorry - I forget your name -"

"Princess," the man breathes, his eyes wide and unblinking. And then he scrambles to his feet, reaching for me. "Oh my god, Princess -"noveldrama

"Hi!" I say again, laughing, reaching for his hands. "Please - I don't think I have a lot of time - is everyone at home okay? Is Jackson here?"

"Your family is fine - J-Jackson? Do you mean Jackson McClintock, Prince Rafe's friend from school?" His face twists in confusion and I realize, of course, that he has no idea that Jacks is much more to me than he is to my brother.

I smile as I nod eagerly. "Yes, is he part of your delegation?"

"No, highness," the man says, clinging to my hand and bowing. "The only one of Rafe's friends who came as part of the delegation was Benjamin Ternicki -"

"Ben?" I breathe, my eyes wide. Then I snap my head around like he's in the room and I've somehow missed him. "Where is he!?"

The man stumbles something out about Ben being somewhere else along this hall and, quite rude in my haste, I immediately slip away to the other world. The next few minutes are hasty as I appear in room after room - usually just flashing to see who is there - but again and again it's not him, until -

Until I appear in the sixth room, and there he is, sitting at a desk, an Atalaxian cookie on the way to his mouth as he reaches for a cup of coffee.

I just stare at him, shocked and thrilled.

The little cookie falls from Ben's fingertips.

Simultaneously Ben and I cry out, leaping for each other, and a moment later I'm in his arms, laughing even as tears spring to my eyes as Ben pulls me close to his chest.

"God damn it, Ariel, you scared the hell out of me -"

"Benny!"

"You are so weird - how did you appear out of nowhere!? Why are you all wet?"

"Um...blessed by the God of Darkness as a baby or something," I murmur, taking a deep breath of his lovely, familiar scent. "Also, I just got out of the bath."

"Oh my god, Ari, you're so weird!"

"Benny - it's so good to see you -"

"Ari," he growls, tucking his head down against mine. "I was so worried about you - we all were - your family is freaking out -"

I push away a little, looking up into his face. "Jackson's not with you? One of the delegation?"

He looks at me, a little confused, and then shakes his head. "No, why?"

I sigh, shrugging, not understanding. "Because he's here, Ben - I heard him, via the mate mindspeak or whatever - just for a moment. But he's here!"

"It must have been when we came in," Ben murmurs, looking anxiously towards the door even as he keeps his arms around me. "I think they had to drop whatever these wards are for a second so we could pass."

I nod eagerly. "That makes sense. That's all Prince Gabriel - Calvin's son -"

"Your mate?" Ben asks, turning back to me, a skeptical eyebrow raised.

"Yes," I groan, falling against him again. "That's...unfortunately real. Did they splash that all over the press?

"They sure did," Ben murmurs, stroking my back.

"Did Jackson flip?"

"He was... weirdly cool about it," Ben sighs. "Or at least that's all I saw before your mom snuck him out of the palace on some insane solo mission -"

"What?" I gasp, pulling back again and staring up into his face.

Ben smiles down at me, a great deal of love in his eyes. "Jackson came for you Ari - all alone. Your mom helped. Whatever he's doing and however he got here - it's just...all him. Coming to get you."

My heart swells at this even as I shake my head, my worry for him increasing. But...I can't worry about that now. Now I have to concentrate on Ben.