Chapter 217

“Well, that’s enough of that,” my mother says with perfect calm, standing and catching Jackson’s eye. He freezes for a moment and then steps back, standing up straight again.

Mom, ever-charming, turns a smile on the professor and thanks him for the news, ensuring him that Sinclair and McClintock will follow in a few minutes to be transported back. When the professor leaves, mom turns back to Jacks with an eyebrow raised.

“You’re going to have to get better at that,” she says quietly, gesturing towards the door. “If Ari is going to return to the Academy, you’re going to have to keep her secret, which means not acing all mate-y whenever someone comes to deliver perfectly normal news –“

“She’s not going back,” my dad says, stepping towards my mom with a glare.

Mom’s mouth pops open in surprise but then they begin to fight, the way they always do – with a great deal of heat and talking over each other. But Rafe and I just look away from them and towards each other, used to it, because it all turns out right in the end.

“Oooookay,” Aunt Cora says, stepping away from the bed and coming over to us. “Why don’t I walk the two of you out,” she says, nodding to the big Alphas on either side of me. “Ariel will –“

“I’m not leaving,” Jackson says, frowning at Cora and reaching a possessive hand for me.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she says, grinning up at him and reaching a hand out to pat him fondly on the cheek, an action which I think shocks Jackson to the core. He stands stock-still, staring at Cora as she beams at him. “Yes, baby,” she sighs, “you are. Kiss your mate and come along.”

She takes his hand then, tugging on it, and Jackson looks at me a bit helplessly – I think as shocked at being bossed by a woman as he is at having someone call him sweetheart and baby. I

step close, reaching for him, and Jacks quickly lowers his head, pressing a quick kiss to my mouth. “I don’t want to go,” he murmurs.

“I’ll be fine – I’ll see you tomorrow,” I nod at him, eager.

“Ari,” he says, hesitating, looking at me like I’m going to die or disappear if he leaves the room.

“Jacks,” I say, taking his face in my hands, sending all the faith and assurance I can down our bond. “We have to be normal, all right? Just…just for a little bit? I’ll see you at school.”

He sighs, shaking his head, but Cora tugs his hand again and he goes along with her, sending me looks over his shoulder as he heads for the door.

“Take care of him,” I say to Rafe, catching at his hand as he, too, goes.

Rafe nods his assurance to me, but as Jackson and Cora slip through the door dad calls out his name. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest, breaking the argument with my mother to apparently start one with Rafe.

“Um,” Rafe says, going stock-still in the middle of the room. “To…school?”

“Think again, young man,” my dad says, striding for the door and slamming it shut. “Royal dispensation – you, too, are staying overnight. Because we as a family?” he levels his gaze at both of us in turn. “We need to talk.”

Rafe heaves a big sigh, closing the door after Cora takes an unhappy Jackson away.

As the next few hours pass, I’m very willing to let Rafe take the majority of the blame as well as dad’s anger. Food is brought, which I eat ravenously, and Rafe sends me a few chagrined looks as the interrogation passes, but overall I know he takes it willingly – that he knows that I’m exhausted, and that it’s already been a lot for me, today, to stand up to dad and introduce him to my mate.noveldrama