Chapter 452

"Yes, younger and smaller," he says, giving me a warm smile as he takes my hand in both of his, shaking it. "It's a pleasure to see you all grown up, Ariel - and I'm glad to hear that you're holding up your family's tradition of keeping things interesting."

I blush a little at this but laugh, knowing he doesn't mean anything by it. "This is Jackson McClintock," I say, half turning to gesture towards Jackson, who still stands awkwardly by the door. "Another...Cadet at the Academy," I finish a little lamely, not knowing quite what to say.

"It's all right," Hank says with a happy sigh as Jackson comes forward to shake his hand as well. "Your parents already informed me of your rather unique situation. Two mates - it's very interesting. I mean, I'm a physician, but I've long been interested in how magic engages with the lycanthrope body. Fascinating stuff."

My mouth drops a bit as Jackson comes forward and shakes Hank's hand. Jackson, stoic as usual, doesn't say a word, edging a bit closer to me and starting to feel a little wary.

"Sit down, Ariel, Jackson," my dad says, gesturing to two chairs on one side of the small table. He sits down in the chair next to Hank's as Hank takes his seat as well. Mom hesitates and then takes a seat at the head of the table - between the two groups. I frown at her as she sits down, stepping closer to Jacks and slipping my hand into his.

Because something...something feels off about this.

"What is going on?" I ask, my voice a little snappier than I mean it to be. "Why...why are the five of us here?"

"We're here," dad says, folding his hands on the table and looking pointedly at the two open chairs. "To ask Jackson some questions. About his previous life in the Community."

My spine stiffens and I squeeze Jackson's hand. He squeezes mine back, suddenly wary. Down the bond, I feel his wolf's hackles raise. Neither of us say anything, both of us just staring stiffly at my parents and their old friend.

"Ariel," mom says, her voice pleading. "Don't get defensive, darling - it's not -"

"Then why spring this on us?" I snap, turning to glare at her. "Why wait until now, why not ask questions while we were at the palace?" "Because," my father says, quite evenly. "This is the soonest that we could get Hank here - he flew in this morning. Had the timing been different, we would have of course met him at the palace."

"Well, what does Dr. Hank have to do with it?" I ask, casting a hand out towards him. As the words fall from my lips I grimace, realizing that I'm being rude. I send him an apologetic glance and he nods to me, accepting my tacit apology, letting me know he understands.

"Because he's from the North," Jackson says quietly next to me, and I snap my head up to him at the sound of his deep voice. "Or," he qualifies with a frown, tilting his head, "if not from the North, than recently there."

"How do you know that?" Hank asks, leaning forward with a smile, intrigued.

"I can smell it on you," Jackson murmurs, lifting his nose and giving another sniff of the air. "You smell like home. Cool winds, snow. Kerosine, which the fancier households use to heat their homes." He shrugs.noveldrama

Hank's smile broadens, impressed.

"We asked Hank to come because we trust him," dad says simply, raising an eyebrow at me and again looking pointedly at the chairs. "He knows more about the North than we do. We spoke to him this morning and he told us some things about the Community in which Jackson was raised that we found...concerning."

I clench my jaw, still angry about being blindsided by this. I look up seriously into Jackson's face. "You don't have to do this, you know," I say quietly, again squeezing his hand, letting him know that I mean it. "We can just...go to school."

"No, it's okay," Jackson says immediately, nodding down at me, even though I can still feel a kind of anxiety twining with his stoicism. He turns his head to look at my parents and Hank. "I don't have anything to hide.”

"We're on your side, son," dad says, looking seriously at Jacksons. "We just have some questions."

Jackson nods once and takes his seat, not dropping my hand.