The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Still not going to take my magic?" Midnight asks, standing in the door to her yurt with her hands on her hips, dressed in a fairly fantastic collection of clothes that she clearly picked for herself with enthusiasm from the insanely large selection my mom bought for her.

I smile, taking in the three scarves that Midnight has stacked over a sundress, which she wears over a pair of jeans that she's tucked into a pair of yellow rubber boots. A jaunty winter hat is pulled down over her curls, the fuzzy purple pompom on top wobbling back and forth whenever she moves.noveldrama

"I promise," I say, giving her a little salute, an offering of cake in my hands as I stand before her with Jackson at my side. "Also, I love your outfit. You look great!"

"Thank you! You may enter," she says, quite dramatic and smiling, bowing us into

the yurt.

"Hey Mids," Jacks says, giving her a little hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Good to see you."

"Don't kiss me," she snaps, giving him a little shove away that doesn't budge him an inch. "Jesse is my mate. You can't seduce me away."

Jackson sputters out a protest but I just laugh and take his hand, tugging him along with me to settle on the floor amongst the guests already inside.

"Hi! Hi!" I say, laughing and putting the cake down before giving both Benny and Elias big hugs. Jesse waves from his spot stretched out on the floor. "Where is Pippa?" I ask, looking around for her. "Is she all right?"

"She's fine," Elias says, leaning close to Ben and glancing at him with a little grimace. “She's just...feeling very pregnant. And...not as fond of me as she has been."

"Why?" Jesse asks, curious, frowning between Ben and Elias.

Ben just smirks, shaking his head a little, and I roll my eyes, kind of irritated that Jesse is being this oblivious.

"We'll have to send her down some cake," I say with a sigh, looking around at the wide selection that Midnight has gathered for her little lunch party. Indeed, there seems to be very little lunch to speak of, beyond several varieties of cake. Which is probably precisely as Midnight wants it.

"No, she can get her own," Mids snaps, even as she cuts a thick slice of sponge cake and lifts it onto a plate, handing it to Jackson.

I grin at Midnight and settle in next to Elias, though my heart still worries on Pippa.

I saw her this morning but she was, indeed, oddly distracted and quietly asked me to leave after I'd only been there for about ten minutes, saying she wanted some time alone.

"Have her contractions kept bothering her?"

"She's been having them for days," Elias says with a sigh. "Ella's checked her out and says she's perfectly healthy, and the doctors say that that can happen, but..." he shrugs, looking at Ben, who looks at him sorrowfully. "She's uncomfortable. I wish I could do more."

"Why aren't you with her?" Jackson asks, sounding kind of pissed off, like he wouldn't be anywhere else if his Luna was having contractions no matter how long they went on.

"She kicked me out for a bit," Elias

says, stretching his legs out and looking worriedly around, even as Midnight hands him his own piece of cake. Said she wanted some peace so she could try and nap. This all has... not been easy on her."

"Well, it's not going to be easier once she has a loud puppy," Midnight says, handing me my own plate before popping down next to Jesse and digging into what's left of the chocolate cake. "I don't know why she decided to do a pregnancy. It seems very terrible."

Ben and Elias smile at her a bit sadly, apparently deciding not to explain it to her. I don't blame them, thinking that Midnight may never be convinced to see the more appealing aspects of motherhood.

"Um, did Rafe ever come back?" I ask, desperately curious. It's been hours, most of which Jesse spent napping in my bed. I watched for him out the window and asked for updates from the guards, but...nothing.

"Yes, I did," comes the dry answer from the door. My face breaks into a smile as I turn to see my brother standing there, his hands on his hips, looking very drawn and tired.

"Hi!" I call, laughing a bit. "What hap -"

But Midnight gasps in horror the moment Rafe takes a step inside the yurt.

"Buddy, you've got to ask," Jesse says, sitting up and wrapping his hands around his knees, grinning at Rafe. "Midnight takes boundaries very seriously and I support her in that."

"Oh," Rafe says, blinking in surprise as he steps back out of the yurt. “Um, Midnight, may I come inside?"

"Are you going to try to kiss me?" she asks, sending a glare Jackson's way. Jackson sputters in surprise. "Hey, I thought we were friends!?"

“We were,” she says, leaning forward to glare at him. "Until you tried to seduce me."

"Oh my god," Jackson murmurs, covering his face with his wide palm, making me laugh.

“Um, I definitely promise.....not to kiss you,” Rafe says, looking with baffled surprise between Jacks and Mids.

"All right, you may enter. Though it was rude of you to not bring cake." Midnight quite primly begins to eat her cake again, and I don't miss the satisfaction on Jesse's face as he watches her eat her fill.

"I apologize," Rafe says, a bit dry, sitting down on the ground to Jackson's right. "I've had...rather a rough start to the day." He nods his greetings to everyone around the yurt, his eyes lingering on Ben and Elias for a moment as he frowns, clearly still not getting it.