The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Yeah!" she says, excited, almost skipping forward. "Isn't it great?" She clasps her hands excitedly under her chin.

Jesse groans, his head falling back on his neck. But he slips his hands into his pockets and follows his strange, tiny mate to her bizarre little home.

Its difficult to wake up, to pull myself from the fog of sleep. I groan, rolling over in my blankets, burying my head in the pillow and fighting against the headache that pounds in the back of my head. I stretch my hand out, looking for Jacks, wondering why on earth he's not beneath me like he always is but -

I lift my head when my hand just stretches out across cool sheets, finding no one there.

And then I gasp, sitting up straight, spinning and staring around the strange and luxurious room. Because I have...absolutely no idea where I am.

I begin to pant as my memories come back to me all in a rush. The battlefield - and sending flames

everywhere - and being thrown aside, Jackson running for me, and that man grabbing me, pulling me into another world-

I groan again, putting my hands over my face and sinking back into the pillows, because it's not just some man it's my mate.

A mate - another mate. And god, a fucking Atalaxian royal at that.

What on earth was my grandmother thinking?

"Hello?"

I go quite still at the sound of the soft voice, keeping my hands over my face, too shocked to move. "Ariel?" Footsteps come into the room and I sit bolt upright as my instincts send me on the defense, my canines elongating, ready to fight.

A very small woman with shiny chestnut hair jumps when she sees me, flinching back, her eyes going wide as she lifts her hands close to her face. "I'm sorry!" she gasps, stumbling back over her feet. "I'm so sorry! I - I didn't mean to scare you!"

My hand immediately flashes to my mouth, covering my fangs, because this woman - she's tiny, and demure, and beautifully dressed, and very, very pregnant. Clearly, she is not my kidnapper, and very likely not someone who means me any harm.

"I'm sorry," I say too, forcing my fangs back. "Um - you startled me."

"Oh, you poor dear," the girl says, rushing forward towards me, her eyes wide. "You must have had such a shock." She reaches for me, warm and motherly even though she's so young - god, is she more than sixteen? Her hands are soft and warm as they smooth over my hair and press my cheeks.

I just stare at her because...

Honestly, she is being very, very sweet. And after last night, this is not at all what I expected.

"This isn't what you expected, my dear, is it?" She tilts her head as she stares at me, clicking her tongue in concern.

I go even more rigid when the woman repeats my words. Is she...a mind reader? Or just very, very emphathetic?

"Listen," she says, sitting on the edge of the bed and letting her hands drop to my shoulders, giving me a steadying squeeze. "It's just you and me for now - those are the rules. The boys can't come into the room until we say that they can, alright? I know it's different in Moon Valley where men just invade your space whenever they wish -"

I frown at her because...what? But she moves blissfully on.

"But here," she gives me a happy grin that crinkles her pretty brown eyes. "We have rules to protect our women! And you're quite safe. All right?"

"All...all right," I say, my words breathy. Because even if I don't understand it, honestly it does give me peace to think that my mate won't be bursting through the door at any moment.

"And how are you doing, darling?" The girl asks taking her hands from my shoulders and folding them neatly in her lap, still looking at me with concern. "Are you hungry? The bathroom's just there if you want to get cleaned up," she points over to the right. "Or! I can just sit with you? And we can talk, until you feel calm?"

I just...stare at her, wondering at how fast my life has changed and how easily I've fallen into this woman's world. I look around the room again in a bit of wonder, noting the

incredibly lush furnishings - far net

—

fancier and more expensive than even anything in our personal chambers in the palace. Then I look down at myself, noting that I'm in a very elaborate white nightgown. My eyes go wide at this and I wonder who... who on earth changed me.

Terror races through me at the idea.