The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Um," Mark says, running a hand through his hair, his eyes again straying to the exit. "I think I want a walk."

"You okay, baby?" I ask, turning to him with a frown. Mark - why is he being weird now? Honestly, with all of these developments, I'm not sure I can handle anything new from Mark too.

"I'm fine," Mark says, turning and giving me a big grin. "Don't worry about me, Ari. You have enough on your plate."

"Does she ever," Rafe says with a sigh, turning to me and handing me a fresh glass of white wine that he just poured. Mark waves to us over his shoulder, calling to us that he loves us, even as he heads for the door.

"He's the most mysterious of the Sinclairs," Jesse says, smirking after Mark even as he heads for the couch and waves for Rafe and me to follow. We do, Rafe carrying a glass of wine for him and Jesse too.

"No, he's not," Rafe and I both say at once. We all laugh as my brother and my cousin settle down with me, Jesse with me on the couch and Rafe in the arm chair to my left.

I sigh and slump back against the cushions, lifting my glass to my mouth and gulping down a great deal of wine in one go.

"So," Jesse says on a happy sigh, grinning his wicked smile between the two of us. "You two have had some...developments over the past few days. Haven't you?"

"You're the one whose mate is sleeping on the roof in a tent, Jess,” Rafe replies, dry, making us both laugh, Jesse's head tiling back on his neck as he does. "When it comes to weird developments, you have no room to talk."

"True," Jesse says, lifting his head back up and grinning at both of us, I think genuinely happy to have our little trio back together. "But tonight's really about Ariel anyway. How you doing, kid?" He gives me a prodding little nudge with his foot.

"I don't know," I groan, letting myself slump further against the cushions, tucking my legs up beneath me. "That...I mean that all happened so fast. This morning Jackson and I woke up alone and everything was fine, and then two hours ago I'm just on a video call to Daphne, and then boom! All of a sudden my mate has a daughter and mom is tucking her into bed in my room!?"

I sigh, baffled by it all.

"To constant surprises," Rafe says on a sigh, lifting his glass to both of us. "At least this family never gets dull."

"We could use a little dull," I grumble, staring into my wine.

"Oh, should call Mark back?" Jesse asks, making me laugh even as shoot

nm a little glare. "He cando

on

on about the native breeds of

squirrel -"

"You leave my Markie alone," I snarl, kicking him this time. Jesse grins at me and

nods. I forgive him immediately, knowing he was kidding.

And also, Mark really can be weird about wildlife. So...I get it.

We're quiet for a few long moments before Rafe sighs, long and deep, drawing our eyes to him.

"You'd better do right by Jackson on this, Ariel," my brother says, holding me with rather a steely gaze.

I sit up straight, gaping at him. "What!?"

"I'm serious," he says, giving me that slow and steady Alpha nod that dad uses when he's laying down the law. "You'd better put Jackson first and support him in everything he needs as he adjusts to -"

"To begin!" I interrupt, whipping a finger in the air and whipping my head between my brother and my cousin. "You two are supposed to on my side! Where are the

comforting questions of hotnoveldrama

are

you, dear Ariel?' and 'Ariel, darling, what a shock - how do you face such stress with such equanimity and poise?!?"

"Would we call this poise?" Jesse murmurs wonderingly, narrowing his eyes and gesturing at me with his drink.

I snarl, glaring at him.

"And continuing on that point!" I say, only baring my teeth at him a little bit. "Why

would you assume that I'm not going to do right by Jacks!?"

"Well, are you?" Rafe asks, leaning towards me, stern and curious.

"Because if you're not," Jesse says, likewise leaning in. "We're not going to forgive you for it, Ari."

I spin my head back and forth between the two of them as I gape at both, shocked

to be at the center of this interrogation that just seems - so ridiculous to me!