The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

She narrows her eyes at him, trying to figure out what about that could be funny, and he laughs.

Midnight turns her head at Jesse, curious. "Why are you upset? We have so many nice new things - how could you be upset?"

Jesse frowns at her. "How'd you know I was upset?"

"You get a big line," she murmurs, drawing a finger between her own eyebrows and the perfectly smooth skin there. "It's all angry and bothered, like you got scratched by a weasel."

Jesse laughs again. "How on earth do you know what weasels are?"

"We have Weasels of Darkness here, Jesse," she says, looking at him with wide eyes and nodding seriously. "You do not want to mess with them."

Jesse laughs again but her face falls into a frown.

"Seriously, Jess," she says, her shoulders slumping. "Our lives are so good right now. Better than they've ever been. And soon your Juniper will be Queen of the Underworld - she's much prettier than the seal girl. Why are you so sad?"

"Because, Mids," Jesse says, reaching out a hand for her. She quickly scurries to the side of his new single-person cot, taking his hand. "Seeing June just made me worried about the rest of my family. You took me away from a war. They could be hurt, or dying. I can't help them while I'm here."noveldrama

She frowns, squeezing his hand, and he can tell that even if she doesn't fully understand...she wants to. "Please, Midnight," Jesse says, looking at her earnestly. "Please take me back. Take us back." She snarls, her eyes going dark, and she whips her hand from his. "I'm not taking you there, Jesse." "Please," he begs, sitting up, reaching for her hand again, wanting to honestly plead his case. "My family is all there - our family - it will be so good -"

"Your family is there, but so is that whore." Midnight bares her teeth as she glares at her mate.

Jesse just drops his hand and doesn't say anything, because Midnight's not wrong. He has been thinking about Daphne - dreaming about her every night - even if he feels guilt about it with every breath he takes, because he knows it's not fair to Midnight or to Daph. But still, he can't help it - he's still in love with her. His wolf howls the confirmation in his soul.

"I am never taking you there," Midnight snarls, standing sharply up and storming across the yurt, grabbing her little purple backpack as she goes.

"Then take me to the Atalaxians!" Jesse pleads, pushing even though he knows he shouldn't - he knows that Midnight doesn't budge when she's lost her temper like this. "I want to see what they're building! You should show me!"

"No!" Midnight shouts, ducking

behind a little folding screen that

effectively cuts the yurt into two separate sèctions. Juniper gave it to them vaguely "for privacy," but Jesse is very glad to have it. It has been...challenging, to say the le

to share a one-room yure least,

his

strange little mate.

Jesse just sighs, turning his head back up to the ceiling. "What are you doing over there?" he calls, wondering about the choice to bring the purple backpack.

"I'm learning about getting the pups!" Midnight shouts back, still peeved. "I'll give you the pups, and then you'll want to stay! Everyone says so!"

Jesse groans inwardly but just turns

his head back up to the roof of the yurt, mildly miserable now. He sighs, wondering how one can be so miserable after eating such

quantities of cake. Surely, the two

states cannot co-exist.

He sits, pondering on it for a long few quiet moments, when suddenly a horrified squeak sounds from behind the screen.

"Midnight?" Jesse calls, sitting up, worried. "Are you okay?"

Suddenly she storms out from behind the screen, the book Juniper gave her clutched tight in one hand, her face furious.

Jesse's eyes go wide as she hurls the book at his head.

"How dare you, Jesse Sinclair!" Midnight shouts, enraged.

"What did I do!?" Jesse gasps as he dodges the book and then turns back to Midnight, stunned.

"If you think I am doing any of that!" Midnight continues, her arms stiff at her sides, her hands clenched in fists, "to give you a pup! Then...! Then...!"

As he sees her struggling for words, Jesse can't help it as his face bursts into a wide grin. "The idea of getting a pup is not so appealing now, is it?"

"You stay away from me, Jesse Sinclair!" Midnight shouts, livid. "And you keep your clothes ON!" She storms out of the yurt, clearly needing a minute.

Jesse just turns on his stomach and

laughs and laughs into his pillow, desperately needing to let it out even as he doesn't want her to hear..

Because he knows his laughte would hurt her feelings, and above all things...

Well, above all things, he just wants Midnight to be happy, and healthy, and safe, and loved.

Which means getting her the hell out of here.

But how on earth is he ever going to convince her to leave?