The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

The next few minutes pass calmly, the girls getting lost in their games, Jesse splitting a can of orange soda between him and Midnight, pouring some into a glass for her and taking the can for himself. Then he sighs, leaning back on his hand, studying his mate.

"What?" Midnight asks, taking a sip of her drink before resting her cheek on her knee.

"You just look...better, Mids," Jesse says, his eyes moving over her. "You've put on some weight. You look healthy. It makes me happy."

She narrows her eyes. "Are you going to try to seduce me now?"

He laughs, shaking his head. "No, I didn't mean it like that."

"Good," she murmurs, turning her face away, again watching the girls like a little dragon that has unwillingly let intruders into her cave and isn't happy about it. "I'm not doing any of the romance stuff. Gross."

"No worries," Jesse says on a sigh, searching his heart. But still, even as he does, he realizes with a rather strong assurance that even if Midnight is his mate, and even if he can admit that she's a beautiful girl, he is...still not attracted to her. Not in that way.

His wolf turns in his soul, anxious and confused, not getting it. Shouldn't he be attracted to her, if she's his mate?

Maybe it doesn't work like that, his wolf says, pacing back and forth. Ariel said she had a stronger sexual connection with Jackson than Luca...

Yeah, Jesse murmurs inwardly. But she still made out with Luca. A lot. She was still attracted to him.

Maybe our relationship is different, his wolf says with what can best be described as a wolfish little shrug. Maybe it reflects what she needs, which is less passion and more...companionship.

Jesse's wolf shifts his gaze, looking towards the space where the bond would be if Jesse accepted it, beyond which they can still see Midnight's poor little wolf, still stuck in that oil, panting, her eyes lit with that manic glow.

Or maybe, his wolf says, hesitating, maybe things would be different if she wasn't corrupted.noveldrama

Jesse hums aloud, considering. Wondering.

"Oh, just tell me," Midnight says, rolling her eyes.

Jesse blinks back to the moment, shifting his gaze to her. "What?"

"I can feel you thinking about me," she says on a huffy sigh. "What is it you want to say?"

Jesse smiles, pleased again with his mate's quick wits.

"I'm just curious if you meant what you said," Jesse says, shrugging one

shoulder and lifting his can of soda

to his lips, taking a sip. "About wanting to enroll in Alpha Academy in the fall? And coming this spring, to help watch Marigold and study as much as you can?"

"Yes," Midnight says, sitting up straight and setting back her shoulders. "I meant it.

I want to be a spy like Ariel - I think I would be a great spy, better than her. Don't you try to stop me!"

Jesse grins at his ferocious little mate. "I'm not trying to stop you. I'm on board," he says, truly meaning it. "But, I mean, you know that Daphne still works there, right?"

Midnight's eyes go wide, her jaw drop ng open. "You dare to mention the whore!?" she hisses, her eyes darkening, shadows immediately beginning to seep from her skin.

Jesse waves the shadows away like smoke, glancing over at the little girls, not wanting them to be afraid. But they continue their games, giggling and trying on different clothes, oblivious.

"She's not a whore, Mids -"

"She is a whore!" Midnight hisses, livid.

"Midnight," Jesse snaps, more serious and stern than he usually is. "She's a seamstress, all right? And a lovely person. And she works at Alpha Academy. If you come with us and enroll, she'll probably be making your damn clothes!"

Midnight's brow furrows, her fangs lengthening as she becomes the terror of nightmares she was when Jesse first met her. Jesse smiles a little, almost fond now of the horrible sight will never wear a stich that the whore crafts for me – she will sew poison into the seams - she will spin her whore magic -"

"Oh, for heavens' sake, Mids," Jesse says, laughing a little, wrapping the shadows that drift towards him around his hand and then pulling them into himself. "Cut the dramatics. This is just a fact of Academy life - Daphne's going to be there, and you're going to have to be nice to her."

Some of Midnight's shadows clear as she realizes they're having no effect on Jesse. They continue to waft around her even as her face returns to normal. “Can't you just take her job away?" she says, pouting darkly.

Jesse frowns at Midnight. "I'm not taking away a young woman's career just because you don't like her, Midnight."

"She makes me uncomfortable!" Midnight snaps.

"You don't even know her!" Jesse returns, leaning towards his mate. "Honestly, Mids, you're being unfair."