The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Oh...oh my god," Maryam says, taking a step back, shock all over her face. She presses a hand to her heart, shaking her head. "She's...gone? That's...that's so fucking awful..."

"You knew her?" I ask, stepping close to Jackson's side and glancing at Marigold, wondering if she should be listening to this.

"She was..." Maryam bites her lip, glancing between me, and Jacks, and the baby — clearly intuiting the whole complicated situation. “She was a really lovely person, Ariel. Really determined, and tough, and strong. And she - she really loved this

one -"

Tears prick Maryam's eyes as she reaches for Marigold, stroking a hand over her hair. And then Maryam turns away, I think not wanting the little girl to see her cry.

"Young women in the North are dying nearly every day for want of medical care," Hank says, his voice grave. Stern, he turns to my father, straightening his shoulders. "I've said it before, Dominic, but I hope you'll listen to me now that the issue has landed on your doorstep. Now that the war with Atalaxia is finished, if you do not turn the entire force of your attention towards the ills of your Northern lands, it will be neglect akin to atrocity."

"And I for one will never forgive you for it," Maryam adds, her voice thick with grief but no less strong for the emotion. I glance at her again, thinking that she's certainly got enough grit to be Queen. Maybe my grandmother knew precisely what she was doing in selecting her as Rafe's mate.

Even if Maryam herself doesn't see it yet.

"I think you're right, Hank," dad says, his voice low and serious. "And if you can delay your trip for an afternoon, we'll convene a council right now and see how we can get started on precisely that work."

I glance up at Jackson by my side, worried for him, wanting his perspective on this. But he just looks back at me stony-faced and shifts his eyes to his little girl, guilt rushing through every bit of him – because he didn't know, couldn't get there fast enough to save her mom.

"I'd like to be part of this, if I may," Rafe asks, stepping forward, quite serious. "Me too," Jesse adds, doing the same.

"Oh, of course you do," Maryam scoffs, rolling her eyes.

Rafe turns to her, wide-eyed, his temper again slipping. "What, now I can't help? I know a lot, Maryam -"

"Oh, you only suddenly want to help because you have some kind of weird crush on me -"

Rafe scoffs. "I so do not!"

"Then where was all of this attention for the people of the North," Maryam shoots back, snapping her hands to her hips, "before we met and your stupid wolf-thing declared me its mate?"

"I was in Atalaxia," Rafe grows, shooting out a hand towards the east. "Fighting a war -"

"Whatever," Maryam sighs, rolling her eyes, making me burst into a ridiculous grin.

"Whatever!?" Rafe sputters, appalled.

"Okay, children!" Mom says, her voice sing-song as she steps between Rafe and Maryam, grinning just like me. "Let's cool down now! We all want to help the Community and think our time is better spent getting to work."

I laugh a little at my mom's cool management of the situation before glancing at Rafe, who scowls, and Maryam, who studies himnoveldrama

quite

smug. Then I turn my eyes up to Jacks, who, as I may have predicted, is already looking down at me.

"You want to be in on these conversations?" I whisper.

"Yes," he says, slow, quite grave. "Yes, Ariel. I very much do."

"Good,” I say, leaning against him and reaching out a hand to pet over Marigold's hair. "I do too."

The little girl smiles at me and I smile right back.

In my soul my wolf raises her snout to the sky, howling with her eagerness to do something to help our people.

Dad moves quickly then, murmuring softly to Roger and Cora as he takes out his phone, clearly contacting his advisors and calling them to an emergency Committee. The room bustles with action - mom helping Seraphina clear up the beads, Mark, Jesse and Rafe moving to stand with dad to see how they can help. But my wolf is very satisfied when Hank tucks his hands behind his back and walks over to us, because Jackson deserves some answers.