The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 794

Oh, would you lay off, Jesse growls, swatting his wolf away. Obviously, I would never.

“Hey, are you listening to me?” Midnight snaps. Jesse whips his head up to see her with her hands on her hips, glaring down at him. He smiles, laughing a bit.

“I’m sorry, Midnight, will you start again? I got lost in my thoughts.”

She frowns for a minute but then slowly her expression turns into a smile. “I like it when you apologize,” she says, quiet. “It’s nice.”

“Then I’ll keep doing it,” Jesse says, smiling back. “But please, continue.”

She does, and Jesse does his best to truly listen. But just before he gives Midnight his full attention, Jesse reaffirms to himself and his wolf the very real truth in his mind: that even if she is his mate, Midnight is off limits, physically and romantically. To cross that line with someone so damaged would be a sincere violation. And he would never do that – not to her, not to anyone.

And so Jesse determines, instead, to be Midnight’s best friend – her protector and her buddy, by her side whenever she needs him.

Because mate or not, everyone deserves someone like that. And Midnight’s never had it.

So, Jesse steps up to the task, determined to keep Midnight by his side even as he tries to get back home to his family and the people he loves.

At the meeting, Jackson just stares at the floor, clenching and unclenching his fist – the one that held Ariel’s hand. The one she was ripped from. The one that failed her.

He knows that he’s supposed to be paying attention but…god damn it, he doesn’t want to fucking be here. He doesn’t understand why he’s here – just standing at Rafe’s side – listening to people debate what the hell they’re going to do.

Why – why isn’t anyone taking any action!? Why isn’t he racing from the room –

“Hey,” Rafe murmurs, lightly knocking his shoulder into Jackson’s. “Are you okay, man?” Jackson looks over at his friend, his mate’s brother, with a solemn frown. Ben, on Rafe’s other side, looks at Jackson with worry too.

Unwilling to answer that question, because he knows they want a yes and he’s not going to bother to lie, Jackson just tersely turns his gaze on the King and the Duke at the front of the room. Dominic and Roger listen closely to advisors who tell them vital information about the state of Atalaxia’s military and anything they know at all about Jesse or Juniper or Ariel.

But after the good news about the fact that Ariel basically obliterated Atalaxia’s entire air force in one go – stupid of them to send them all out at once – the rest of this meeting has been useless gibberish. The kind of bureaucratic hemming and hawing that makes Jackson want to tear his hair out.

But he gasps and reels it all in the moment he realizes that it’s the Queen.

“I’m sorry,” Jackson stumbles out, shaking his head, horrified. “I’m so sorry, Ella –“

“It doesn’t matter,” Ella snaps, her hand still tight on his, looking up into his face. “Jackson, you have to go to get her. You know that, right? This is – this is all taking too long.”

Jackson’s vicious snarl is all the confirmation Ella needs.

“Good,” Ella says, giving him a steady nod. “Then I’ll help you. Let’s go.”

Side by side, the two start off down the hall.