The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

It is so, so short a time later when I'm in the back of a transport, racing to the front line of the battle with Jackson and Rafe and Roger by my side. My hands tremble a little as I watch Roger fasten on the earpiece that my father gave him, so that he can use to communicate back to the base.

Because dad's not here - he wanted to come, but sending the King to the front along side the heir and the spare? It just...we decided against it.

Dad - he held me for so, so long before he lifted me onto the transport truck. He didn't say anything -1 don't think he could, not at that moment. But the way he and mom looked as Roger climbed in behind me - their faces pale and serious, their eyes locked on me and my brother.

I knew, in my very soul, how much they love us. How they would never, ever send us off to the front like this unless they had to.

I clenched my jaw now as I remember it, determined not to cry again. Jackson just gathers me closer into his lap, resting his chin gently on my head, cradling me against him. He doesn't say anything or send any emotions down the bond - he just holds me and lets me have a little private moment to vent my exhausted heart. But he's there - always there - just in case I need him.

God, I love him so much.

I look up at him now, steady next to me, and nod, letting him know that I'm all right.

"We can do this," Jackson murmurs, running a hand over my cap, my hair. "No one can do it but us, right? So we're going to do it."

"Yeah," I whisper, giving a tremulous smile, believing him as I secure the earpiece and let my hands fall to my lap on a shaky exhale of breath. "We're gonna do it."

"And then," he murmurs, dropping his head low to speak into my ear, our own private moment. "I'm taking you away from all of this for a few days, and we're going to get you all marked up."

I burst out in a shaky little laugh - because honestly, I haven't thought of anything in the future. Anything beyond getting to this front, and unleashing my power, and sending these Atalaxian forces straight to hell for everything they've taken from me. For Tony, and Juniper, and Jesse...

If, even, that's who took them.

God, I just...I don't even know.

But I let Jackson's promise root me because a few days away from everything and alone with him sounds just right.

The transport slows to a stop and I take a shaky breath, looking over at Rafe and Roger, who are already hopping out of the truck. Jackson helps me to my feet and I follow, my hands shaking as I lift myself down to the ground.

My breath stills in my lungs as I look around. The Moon Valley forces stretching out on either side of us in a long, steady line, but it isn't the sight that stuns me. The noise is...incredible.

All the guns, and the shouted orders, and the sounds of heavy machinery as my people work hard to hold back the Atalaxian forces. Slowly I turn towards the Atalaxian front, freezing and sucking in a great deal of air when I see the extent of the enemy stretched out before us.

There are just...so many of them. Lines and lines of soldiers, and tanks, and guns, and planes and helicopters. God, how have we held them back for so long?

How have we -

"Hey," Roger snaps, making me turn hastily to look up into his serious face. All signs of the mourning father whose son is missing are gone as he presses a gun holster into my hands. No, he's all General now. "You don't worry about them, okay? You leave the worrying to me. You just do your little magic show, baby trouble. We'll handle the rest."

I nod to him, glancing down at holster with the single handgun already loaded inside. I mean, it's a nice gun, but... "Can't I have a bigger one?"noveldrama

Roger bursts out laughing as he shakes his head at me, as Jackson smirks and kneels down to strap it onto my waist.

"Think of it as your little emotional support gun," Rafe says with a happy sigh, strapping a whole arsenal of weapons to his own broad body. "I told dad you'd want it."

"Unfair," I mutter, drifting a hand passively over Jackson's cheek as he stands up. "I'm a better shot than all of you and I just get the little one."

"Because you are the weapon, trouble," Rafe murmurs, looking over at Jackson as my mate, too, begins to load himself up. "You ready?"

"Yup," Jackson says, nodding

steadily to my brother and my uncle as he drapes weapons all over his body. Rather a nice sight, if you ask me. Jacks senses my thought and sends me a fond glance. "We're good. Let's go."