The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

The room is dark when I step inside, but my eyes focus immediately on Jackson sitting on the ground at Marigold's side, both of them lit by the light of a tiny nightlight shaped like a unicorn. Jackson looks up at me and smiles when I come in, even as a little request for quiet comes down the bond between us.

Because Marigold - she's asleep, all curled up, her hair spread out all around her.

"Where on earth did you get a nightlight so fast?" I whisper, grinning as I sit next to Jacks, leaning against him. His arm wraps around me, almost instinctually. "Jesse brought it," he replies, giving me a squeeze. "He brought... most of this. I had no idea that they made so many things just for kids." Jacks looks around, a little baffled at the array of child-sized books, blankets, toys.

"Kids have the best stuff - especially girls," I sigh. "I'm always a little jealous of all the purple and the pink and the sparkles..."

"Ariel, you wear black every day," Jackson murmurs, turning his head to frown down at me.

"Only because I'm obliged to pretend I'm a boy," I say, rolling my eyes. "It's the worst part!"

He laughs and shakes his head, turning his gaze back to his little daughter.

"How are you doing?" I ask, putting a hand on Jackson's chest, rubbing it back and forth softly, opening the bond so I can begin to investigate and explore, wondering if there's anything I can do to make it better.

"I'm..." Jackson searches for words and then sighs, dropping his head. "I have no idea, Ariel. I'm still so shocked and confused. And my mind is racing trying to figure out what to do next."

I hum consideringly, understanding, and wordlessly offer him the rest of my glass of wine.

He huffs a little laugh and takes it, taking a long sip. "Any thoughts?" he murmurs, truly seeking my advice.

"I think you should sort of take it...moment by moment, Jacks," I say quietly. "There's no need to have a plan just yet - you don't know what all the options are, you haven't had time to figure them all out. The priority is to keep Marigold fed, and warm, and happy, right? So... let's just do that for a few days until we have a better idea of what's going on."

Jacks goes a bit still and then turns to me. "We?"

"Oh, we,” I say, laughing a bit and grinning up at him. "I mean, you have no idea how to do this, right?" I say, gesturing towards the little girl. "I have a little sister. And six younger cousins. Kids? I know how to do kids."

Jackson scowls a bit. "I mean, I can keep her alive, Ariel."

"Yeah, but when it comes time to convince her to take a bath?" My smile widens when I see his eyes do the same "See? You don't even

w how to use bubble bath.

know

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Or

what no-tears shampoo is. Or where to find mom's stash of bath toys."

He narrows his eyes at me. "You're messing with me now," he murmurs. "There's...there can't be any such thing as bath toys."

"Oh, stick with me, kid," I say, laughing and nodding up at him. "I'll show you a whole world of child wonders."

"Shit," Jackson sighs, turning his eyes back to the sleeping girl. "Just when I thought I'd learned all about a new world...here come all of these insane new lessons."

"Life's great mysteries await," I say, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

He hums doubtfully and I laugh, getting to my feet.

"Where are you going?" Jackson asks, frowning up at me.

"To get blankets," I say, gesturing over my shoulder.

He just continues frowning, confused, and I laugh as I turn, heading for the bed.

"Well, we're sleeping on the floor, right?" I call, gathering the comforter up in my arms alongside some pillows, yanking it off the bed and dragging it back to Jackson with me.

"Why on earth would we do that?" he asks, staring up at me like I'm crazy.

“Because,” I say, nodding down to the little girl as I begin to make us a little makeshift bed. "If she wakes up and doesn't know where she is, she's going to flip out, and we're going to want to be right here so we can help her."

"Damn it," Jackson murmurs, shaking his head. "I should have thought of that...”

"No, Jacks," I say with a happy sigh, finishing laying out the blankets and plopping myself down in his lap, pushing my hands gently against his shoulders as I urge him to lean back. "That's why you've got me. I'll think of it. You... let your mind turn on whatever else it wants to think of."

He sighs for a second, my pushing obviously doing nothing to actually make him lay down, and then he finishes the glass of wine before putting the glass down and wrapping his arms around me taking me with him as he lays back on his back. "Too good to me, Ariel Sinclair," he murmurs.

"Not nearly good enough," I murmur, pressing a kiss to his chest.