The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 495

Rafe sighs, clearly all worked up, and Jesse groans, turning away from me after giving me a quick glare.

“All right!” Jesse snaps, striding back towards his bed and fishing, bizarrely, for something behind his headboard. “Family meeting! We’re all having a drink and we’re talking this through. And if murder needs to happen, at least we’ll be well lubricated.”

My eyes go wide as Jesse produces a bottle of liquor that he’s clearly smuggled into school – and from its label, I can tell that he swiped it from dad’s personal collection. “Jesse!” I gasp. “We’re not allowed to have that!”

“Oh, get over it, princess, you goody-goody,” Jesse says, giving me a little glare and pointing towards the couch as he strides for the bathroom, presumably to grab a couple of little paper cups to drink out of. “We have bigger problems tonight.”

I sigh, and look at Jacks, who shrugs. Then, moving almost simultaneously, I push up off the bed as he moves away from the door. We reach the couch at the same moment and he wraps his arms around me, pulling me tight as we sit down together.

Rafe looks almost longingly at the door for a second before he sighs, resisting the urge to just go commit murder before he turns in for the night. He walks over to us and flops into his arm chair as Jesse reappears from the bathroom, setting out four little cups and pouring four drinks. Privately, I say a little prayer of thanks for Jesse’s more wayward habits, because even the break of pouring us each a tiny glass has given everyone the moment we need to collect ourselves, gather up lost tempers, and get ready to talk.

And I have to admit, as I sip the whiskey, it does go a long way towards settling my nerves.

“How long have you known about this?” Rafe asks, looking evenly at Jackson as he holds his empty cup out to Jesse, who obligingly refills.