The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

I nod, understanding and crossing to the bed, climbing onto it to sit between them. Jesse turns more fully towards me so that we make a neat little triangle.

"What are you thinking, Midnight?" I ask softly, wanting her full opinion.

“I'm thinking that it's a bad choice either way,” she grumbles, crossing her arms and sinking back into the pillows. "If I let you clear my darkness and take my powers then the nice professor won't want me to be his spy student anymore, because I'll be useless. And if I keep them, then King Dominic says I can't be in the school anyway!" Her voice gets squeaky with grief on the final words and my heart wrenches for her.noveldrama

"And what I am trying to say," Jesse says, a bit between his teeth. "Is that she doesn't even know how many of her powers are tied to her corruption. It's very likely that she was gifted powers as a child that have nothing to do with it! But she won't even talk to me about trying to find out -"

"I wont be made useless!" Midnight hisses, leaning forward to glare at Jesse. "I won't just be some tiny, powerless girl! I won't do it!"

My heart twists again at the fear that underlies her words, the true vulnerability there. And I understand, instantly, what she means. Midnight's powers are all that Darkness celebrated her for, as well as her value as Jesse's mate. Without the powers...she will feel as small and defenseless as Darkness always told her she

was.

"So what do we do?" I whisper, looking between them.

"Go talk to your dad," Midnight snaps, turning her eyes to glare at me as she pulls

a pillow onto her lap, hugging it to her chest. "He always does whatever you want."

I sigh, heaving a shrug. "Unfortunately, I agree with him here, Mids. It's too dangerous to have you enrolled in school if Darkness has a hold on you."

"But he's in that egg!" she bites out, frustrated.

“Is he still?” I ask, turning to Jesse, who just shrugs, clearly exhausted and without information on that.

"Midnight," I say softly, reaching for her hand. "What if...there was a way to find out which parts of your powers would disappear if we removed the corruption? What t would feel like to have your wolf free of all that muck?"

She pauses, narrowing her eyes at me, suspicious. But when Jesse and I don't say a word, letting her process the question, she drops her eyes. "If it didn't do anything permanent," she murmurs. “ guess...it would be good to have the information."

"Okay, well,” I say quietly, reaching for Jesse's hand. "Why don't we...have a look?"

"What do you mean?" Midnight asks, anxious, leaning away from me as Jesse slips his hand against mine. "What...what are you going to do to me?"

"I'm not going to do anything,

Midnight," I say quietly, holding her gaze steadily with my own. "I e

promise

not until you ask me. But we could take a look into your soul, perhaps? See what we discover?" I hole my hand out to her too.

"Please, Mids,” Jesse says, leaning towards her, pressing a hand to his heart. “I promise you can trust us. But Ariel's right - we have to... try to figure out whatever we can."

Midnight goes very still for a moment before she sighs and reaches out, slipping her palm against my own.

I nod to her once, assuring her I'll keep my promise, before we all close our eyes and slip mentally down to that soul-deep realm where our wolves live.