Chapter 469

Jackson blinks, clearly still working to clear the sleep away as Jesse and I peer at him from either side. "McClintock isn't a real name," he murmurs, looking between us. "We don't...have last names in the Community - they just assigned McClintock to me when they gave me my identity paperwork, which was surely forged. The name doesn't mean anything to me."

"Wait, so," Jesse says, a devious smile curling his lips. "You're like...just Jackson? Like a pop star?"

"What?" Jackson asks, turning to him with a frown.

"Jacks," I say, a little breathless, completely captivated by the other part of his story. "Are you...do you seriously want to be a Sinclair?"

He turns his head back to me and takes a deep breath, blinking and still trying to wake up. "If you're a Sinclair then I'll be one too," he says, quite simply, holding out a hand to me. "If...that's how last names work. But I don't know how it works."

I just squeak with delight, touched to the depths of me, and I completely ignore his hand as I hurl myself back onto the bed and into his arms. Jackson laughs and catches me even if he doesn't get it - doesn't understand my reaction or indeed how incredibly sweet he is by offering to give up his last name for mine - for ours, my family. Because, of course, it's usually the opposite - if he marked me and we had a mating ceremony, most people would assume that I'd become Ariel McClintock. Jackson, oblivious to all of this, just wraps me up in a hug and holds me close.

Jesse beams at Jackson too, looking between the two of us, I think as touched as I am. "Sure, buddy," Jesse says, reaching out a hand to clap Jackson warmly on the shoulder. "You can be a Sinclair if you want to. We'll be glad to have you. Honored."

"Oh god, what is this?" Rafe asks, striding over to us already dressed in his Cadet uniform. "Are you three seriously still in bed? We have a workout to run!"

"We're coming, we're coming," I sigh, untangling myself from Jacks and pressing a kiss to his gorgeous cheek as I hop out of bed. "You don't have to be all big brother about it - it will take six seconds to get ready."

"Clearly, I do have to be all big brother about it!" Rafe protests, opening his arms to the side in his frustration. "Let's go!"

Jackson just smiles as he gets out of the bed next, looking around at the three of us as I scoot off to the bathroom. "Actually," he sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure I mind it so much. The chaos...it's not so bad."

"A true Sinclair," Jesse says, getting out of the bed last and wrapping an arm around his shoulder, beaming at Jacks.

"Wait, what?" Rafe asks, frowning between the two of them.

I just laugh and disappear into the bathroom, letting Jesse handle it.

About an hour later, I'm groaning my misery, absolutely drenched with sweat as I trail after my three gigantic Alpha trainers back into the castle. "Would you hurry up?" Jackson asks, laughing a little as he turns to me. “Breakfast soon, and if we're late there won't be any coffee left."noveldrama

"I can't," I groan, my feet literally dragging as Jesse and Rafe likewise glance over their shoulders at me, grinning at my pain. "I'm so tired - I am weak after the luxuries of Midwinter - why did you all make me run so fast so soon -"

"You have to be able to keep up, Shrimp!" Jesse calls over his shoulder as Jackson pauses for a second so that I walk at his side. When I still linger behind he wraps an arm around my shoulder, obliging me to pick up the pace, which is terrible.

"He's not wrong," Jackson says, glancing down at me, clearly amused. "Having shorter legs isn't an excuse, Ari."

"Yes it is!" I protest, throwing my arms in the air. "Why am I held to a different standard!? Why do I have to move my body faster just because all of you gigantic freaks just happened to grow longer legs!?"

"Explain that on the battlefield," Jackson murmurs, ignoring my complaints and giving me absolutely no pity. "You can't fall behind just because you're pint sized."