Chapter 212

“Oh, you’re making that up, Juniper,” I sigh, flicking through the magazine myself now with a happy sigh. “My baby Mark doesn’t have a porn collection – he’s just a little baby. Plus, porn is all on computers these days anyway.”

June shrugs. “He likes it vintage.”

“Are you okay with this?” I ask Jacks, peering up at him as he stares down at the cover of the magazine, I think still a little baffled by it. His blush has faded now and honestly he looks a little pale.

Jackson takes a moment and then looks over at me. “I don’t know, should I be upset?”

I slowly shake my head. “I wouldn’t be, if I were you,” I say quietly. “I mean – we’re in the public eye, tabloids run stuff like this all the time. If you keep hanging out around us it’s bound to happen.”

Jackson nods slowly, considering it.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it Jacks,” Juniper says, stepping close and putting a hand on his arm. “Last year they ran a whole issue on whether I was sent to a boarding school to have a secret Atalaxian baby.”

He looks over at her in surprise, and then drops his eyes down to her stomach.

Juniper bursts out laughing and smacks him hard on the chest. “I mean, I didn’t!”

Jackson blushes again and apologizes, making us all laugh, but we’re interrupted when mom and dad come over to the helicopter with us.

“All right,” dad says, gesturing towards our mode of transport. “Everybody on. Except you, Junepiper.” He gathers her close and gives her a little kiss that she pretends to hate before sending her off, back into the palace and downstairs to catch a ride with Mark to Aunt Cora and Uncle Roger’s.

Everyone else starts to move towards the helicopter but I stand very still, shocked. “Wait!” I call.

Everyone turns to look at me, dad with a frown on his face. He looks at me curiously, waiting for an explanation.

“Why…why are we getting in now?” I ask, a little frantic, gesturing back towards the door to the palace. “Luca isn’t here yet!”

Rafe grimaces awkwardly and Jesse quickly turns to the helicopter, taking Jackson with him in a clear indication that this is family business. Dad turns to looks at me with pity in his eyes.

“What!?” I breathe, appalled.

“Ari, sweetie,” mom says, coming to put her hands on my shoulders, shooting dad a look that clearly reads that she’ll handle this. Dad sighs and climbs into the helicopter while Rafe comes to stand with me, offering his silent support.

“Mom!” I protest, shaking her hands off my shoulders. “Luca’s not coming!? Is he – what –“

“He’s taking the train, baby,” mom says, soft and calm, “with all the other cadets.”

“Why!?” I exclaim, starting to get mad about it. Livid, if I’m being honest.

“Well, why wouldn’t he!?” mom says, throwing her hands out a little. “You’re not upset about Ben and Daphne taking the train –“

“They’re coming from much further away! Luca is right here in the city! Mom!” I cross my arms and glare at her, seriously angry now. “It would have taken fifteen minutes for Luca to get to the palace – just as long as it’s going to take him to get to the train station. He’s only not here because you didn’t invite him!”

“Fine,” mom sighs, crossing her arms and glancing anxiously towards the helicopter. “Your dad is…still mad. About that little act Luca pulled the morning after his boxing match.”

“But Luca apologized, a lot! And…gave dad whatever was in that envelope that you won’t tell me about!”

“Your father gets over his anger in his own time in his own way, Ariel,” mom replies, calm but standing strong in her position. “There’s no rushing him, you know that. Luca is doing everything he can to make amends and your father will get over it – he’s just not there yet.”

I narrow my eyes. “Really? You’re just going to let dad take the blame for this, when we all know you’re the one who makes all of our family’s travel arrangements?”

“There were six seats, Ariel,” mom says, blinking innocently at me. “What can I say. Chopper was full.”

“You’re playing favorites,” I growl, taking a step forward to glare at my mother.

“I am not!” Mom says with a sigh and a dismissive wave of her hand, clearly done with this argument. “It just made sense. Now if we can please get on our way, beloved daughter?”

I scowl and storm away, not looking back over my shoulder, pissed as hell.

Ella moves to follow Ariel, but Rafe reaches out, tugging on her sleeve and making her hang back. Surprised, Ella looks up into Rafe’s face.

“You are playing favorites, you know,” he says, smirking down at her.

Ella’s mouth drops open, appalled, but when Rafe just raises an eyebrow at her she gives up the act, a sly grin shaping her lips.

Rafe laughs and shakes his head as the two of them start off towards the helicopter. “You’re not being fair, mom. You always play favorites.”

“A game from which you benefit deeply, my little meatball,” Ella says, wrapping an arm around her eldest son’s waist and pulling him close to her side.

Rafe slows his steps. “So, you really like Jackson better?” he asks quietly, glancing towards the helicopter where Ariel sits curled at Jackson’s side, fastening her seatbelt.

“Oh, come on,” Ella says, dry, and Rafe looks down into his mother’s beautiful face. “You want me to choose between the guy who made millions publicizing the fact that he’s mated to my daughter and the guy who carried her for hours across a battlefield and then sobbed for thirty minutes straight while I worked to heal her?”

Rafe bursts into a smile. “I didn’t know you saw that.”

“I see everything, Meatball,” Ella says, tugging him towards the helicopter. “It’s really not a contest. But…don’t tell Ariel I have favorites, okay? Luca’s family too now, and I do love him. Jackson’s just…special to me.”

“Secret’s safe with me,” Rafe murmurs, climbing into the helicopter and then holding out a hand to help his mother up.

I’m still scowling as mom and Rafe climb into the helicopter, and when we take off and start to fly south towards the Academy. But as I turn to look out the window, the sight of Jackson reading through the magazine article about him breaks my mood and makes me smile.

“What do you think?” I ask, leaning my head against his arm and peering at the magazine open on his lap.

“It’s weird,” he murmurs, glancing at me with a little smile and then back down at the page, where more pictures of him with the Royals are printed alongside rampant speculations about why he spent Midwinter at the palace.

“You’re gonna have fans now, Jacks,” Jesse says, leaning over me a little to look as well. I laugh to find myself squished a bit between the two big Alphas, my cousin and my mate. “All sorts of girls trying to find you on social media, wanting to slip into your DM’s.”

Jackson glances up at Jesse with a frown and then shakes his head with a sigh. “I’m not even going to ask what a DM is,” he murmurs. “I don’t want to know.”

“You might,” Jesse says with a wicked grin. “Lots of pretty girls in this city, and you didn’t get to meet any of them because Ariel kept you hidden away in the palace where none of them could get at you.”

I growl, possessive, and elbow Jesse in the ribs. He laughs and grins at me, wicked.

“I met girls,” Jackson murmurs absently, still flipping through the pages.

Jesse’s gasp of delight rivals my squeak of horror as I turn my protest towards Jackson now. “What!?”

“At the bar,” Jackson says, frowning and sending me a confused glance. “The night of the fight. A couple of girls came and introduced themselves – one bought me a drink. Two drinks, actually.”

“What!?” I nearly shriek, making everyone in the helicopter turn to me.

“What’s happening,” Jackson asks, putting the magazine down and glancing between me and Jesse with a frown. “Is that bad? Am I…should I not be meeting people?”

I just stare at Jackson, completely conflicted, while Jesse cackles with glee and elbows me back. “Can’t precisely forbid him, can you, Ariel?” Jesse says. “Not when you’re out the same night with another man. Why shouldn’t he do the same?”