The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

I smile at her, charmed again. "I don't know. Maybe I should have asked before I flipped out, hmm?"

"Probably," she says with a shrug, taking another long sip of her drink as she carefully considers me. "Do you want a puppy, Ariel? Because if it's your mate's puppy, it's going to be around and stuff. You might not like that. I would hate that."

I laugh a little, leaning back against one hand and taking a long sip from my wine as I consider the question. "I think...that yes, I do want her. I want her very much. She's part of Jackson, and that's beautiful to me, and I'm sure as time passes I'll learn that she's beautiful unto herself as well. I'm excited to get to know Marigold as she grows up - that's one of the delights of having a pup, I think. Getting to see who they become, loving them as they grow."

Midnight just stares at me like I'm crazy. "Do you want like...more pups after this one? Like eighteen?"

I laugh and shrug. "Maybe not eighteen. But...yeah, sure, I always imagined that some day I'd have kids. Maybe not in my early twenties, and maybe not starting with a mysterious four-year-old child dropped on my doorstep. But certainly I will want more children someday." I smile a little at the thought - of a passel of pups that are half me and half Jacks.

My heart warms and my wolf lets out an excited little yip.

"Gross," Midnight says on a sigh, bursting the bubble of my happy fantasy and making me break out in laughter. She smiles at me, though, like she supports my dream even if it is not her own. "I am very glad that Jesse and I do not want pups."

"Oh, I want pups," Jesse says, making both of us spin our heads towards him.

"What!?" Midnight breathes, horrified.

"Like Ariel said," Jesse says with a casual shrug, "timeline is important here. I do not want kids anytime soon. But someday, way down the line? A couple of kids to keep me laughing?" He shrugs. "My dad did it in his forties. I could see giving myself twenty more years of debauchery before I allow myself to be domesticated."

I grin at Jesse, pleased by this. He's just...so good with kids, so wonderful with his siblings - in some ways imagining him forever childless is a great shame. But one look at Midnight lets me know that...she is not at all on the same page.

"Jesse, I am never having pups," Midnight whispers.

"I respect that," Jesse says, raising his glass to her, quite serious.

The yurt goes quiet and I look between this pair, honestly wondering where they're going to end up. Because twenty years is a long time and either of them could change their minds. But if they don't?

Where...where does that leave them?

We spend a little more time together up in the yurt, Jesse smoothly changing the subject to something idle and easy. We sip at our drinks and talk casually, but as I look aroun@it's very clear that we're each in our own heads, worrying over our own problems, trying to figure out our own independent futures.

I turn towards the door of the yurt an hour or two later, recognizing Mark's voice.noveldrama

"Ariel?"

"Hey, Markie!" I call.

The yurt's flap is pushed aside and Mark gives us a small smile. "May I, Midnight?"

"You may, Mark Sinclair," Midnight says, quite magnanimous.

Mark grins and steps in, fixing his eyes on me. "I think you should come down. They've been talking and I don't think dad's ready to give in but...Jacks, I think, is missing you."

"Oh heavens," I say on a sigh, guilt rushing in me. "I haven't been a very supportive mate, have I?"

"Nobody's mad about you taking a minute for yourself, Ari," Mark says as I push to my feet. Jesse does too, collecting our glasses and

murmuring his farewells to Midnight,

swn yes!.ne

promising to come up

later.

"That's very nice of you to say, Markie," I say, stepping close and wrapping an arm around his waist, smiling up at him. “But I've taken more than a minute and I need to beg forgiveness."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll give you hell for it and refuse to accept your apology," Mark says, sarcastic, rolling his eyes.

I laugh and call my goodbyes to Mids, following my little brother out of the yurt and back into the palace, our cousin only a few steps behind.