The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 411

Only twelve times, apparently, much to Rosie and Jesse’s glee.

Mom, Dad, Cora and Roger stay in their own tight knit little group tonight, I think reminiscing about old times – one of their favorite hobbies – while grandpa Henry and the rest of the boys sit around the couch, joking and laughing about the usual boy stuff – sports, and fighting, and daring trials of masculinity or whatever. Jesse breaks away every few minutes to send the kids on another mission, or to tackle them, or to lift one up on his shoulders and spin them around.

I grin, watching him, loving how good of a brother he is.

Seraphina, to my delight, chooses to sit on my lap, over in the quiet corner where I’m sitting with Jackson and Juniper. Junie’s reading a book – a nice, thick fantasy romance, I see, her favorite – but Jackson and I are just sitting quietly.

We were chatting quietly until Seraphina came over. But the minute she sank down in my lap Jackson fell a bit quiet, looking at my tiny cousin askance like he’s a deer that’s ready to run from the greatest predator of all time.

When I notice the tension in Jackson’s body, I burst out laughing.

“What?” Sera asks, looking up at me with that mixture of joy, curiosity, and anger that only a four-year-old can manage. “What’s so funny?”

“I don’t know, Fifs!” I say, pointing at Jackson with my thumb. “You’ll have to ask Jacks.”

“Oh god,” he groans, covering his face with his hand. “Please – don’t draw its attention to me –“

“It!?” I gasp, cackling with laughter. Even Juniper looks up from her book, smirking.

“You tell me what’s so funny, big boy!” Seraphina demands, turning in my lap to face Jackson and giving him a big shove on his shoulder.

Juniper starts laughing too as my laughter deepens.

“Nothing’s funny…Ser..fif…god, what’s her name again?” Jackson looks desperately between Juniper and me. “Your family has so many nicknames for everyone – I can’t keep anything straight.”