The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

The girl rolls her eyes again, waving a dismissive hand at the Prince and the super hot Alpha. "Whatever, lie all you want, I get the picture." She turns and begins to walk away, giving them both a wink over her shoulder as she goes. "Come find me if you ever change your mind!"

"Damn, you really pull them in," Rafe says, standing straight and grinning at Jackson. "You'd have made a good wingman in high school."

"Trust me," Jackson says, dry. "I wouldn't have."

"Hey, so, are we done here?" Mark asks, looking anxiously towards the door. Jackson frowns at him because...what does Mark have to be worried about?

"Yeah," Jesse says, coming over with Ben, slipping his hands guiltily in his pockets. "I thought I'd be more fun tonight but...I can't stop thinking about Mids all alone in that yurt. You guys want to head back? We could continue drinking there if -"

"Nah, I gotta go...find Maryam," Rafe says on a sigh. "Try to apologize even if... god, even if she's probably going to make me flip out again. Let's go!"

Rafe slaps some cash on the bar for the drinks, including a generous tip, and then the group heads out. The car ride home is nice, cheerful and chatty, full of jokes. But Jackson mostly sits quietly, his mind on the girl who he hopes is waiting for him in their room. He can't decide, honestly, if he wants to hear all about her day first or...

Just tear all her clothes off.

When they disembark at the palace steps a little later, Jackson has to admit that he's leaning towards the latter.

The group starts up the steps together, laughing at one of Jesse's jokes.

But Jackson turns suddenly, towards where his name is shouted behind him. His wolf immediately leaps to his feet because -

Jackson knows that voice. Would know it anywhere - heard it every day for the first twenty-three years of his life -

Jackson's eyes immediately fasten on the figure standing next to a beat-up junker of a car parked right out front of the palace, his shoulders tense, his face panicked.

"Cr-Cristof?" Jackson gasps, stunned still in his awe.

"Do you know this guy?" Ben asks, stepping close to Jacks and staring at the fairly ragged young man standing at the base of the palace steps, an expression on his face that can only be described as...well, devastated.

Jackson doesn't answer and instead moves, bounding down the palace steps, taking them three at a time. "Cris!" he shouts. "Cris, what the fuck!?" Jackson laughs with joy as he races for his true best friend.

Jesse and Rafe glance at each other, not knowing how to feel. They recognize the name, of course, as one of Jackson's best friends from the Community.

But what the hell is the Community showing up at the palace for?

"Cris, I can't believe it's you!" Jackson roars, grabbing his smaller friend into a

huge hug, lifting him off the ground.

A smile comes to the young man's

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face - he can't help it. "All right, all right, put me down!" Cristof says, laughing, even as he wraps his friend in a hug of his own, pressing his face tight to Jackson's shoulder. "God, I missed you."

I

"How did you find me!?"

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"I saw you – on a god damn magazine -" Cristof says, laughing a little. "We all did, you fancy fuck."

Jackson laughs a little but shakes his head, awed. "What are you doing here!?"

"Are you okay?" Cristof asks, avoiding the question. Jackson puts him back on his feet but doesn't let him go, keeping his hands on his shoulders as he steps back, looking Cristof up and down.

"Are you?" Jackson asks, his face falling a bit. “God, Cris, you're so thin -"

"Look who's talking, you asshole," Cristof growls, even as he smiles. "But I'm serious, man," he glances up towards the palace, at the set of Alphas still standing on the steps; carefully watching and ready to intercede if Jackson needs it. "Are you like - good here? Are you safe and stuff?"

-

“Yeah,” Jackson says, nodding, his own face falling as he realizes that...Cristof isn't here just to visit. That there's an anxiety in the set of his shoulders, the way he keeps looking around. "I'm fine, Cris I'm..I'm great. I found my mate."

Cristof whips his face back to his friend. "No shit," he whispers. "True not kid?"

"True not kid," Jackson says, nodding seriously, using their old Community shorthand. "She's amazing - come in side, she'll love to meet you -"