Chapter 432

The moment Jesse’s feet hit the familiar floor of his bedroom at Alpha Academy he snarls, spinning his head left and right, one arm wrapped firm around Midnight, holding her close. A series of gasps echo throughout the room as the ambassadors stumble a little, finding their footing –

But beyond that? No sounds echo through the air. He lifts his nose, sniffing, attempting to scent anyone strange…

His heart pounds for a moment or two more but Jesse relaxes, just a touch, when he realizes that they are indeed alone.

“All right!” Jesse barks out, drawing all eyes in the room to him as he begins to move, ushering Midnight along with him from his place next to the coffee table over to Ariel’s nook. “I need Ambassadors by the door – we’re taking you downstairs so that we can contact the capital and your loved ones! Please leave the collective yurt pieces and belongings here!”

The ambassadors all gently begin to put what they’re holding on the floor and then move towards the door.

Midnight looks up at Jesse, clearly terrified, as he pushes back the familiar curtain that hides Ariel’s bed. As he does, her and Jackson’s lingering scents hit him hard – god, how long has it been since they were all here together? Since their lives just…completely fell apart?

Will they ever be the same – and quite as good – ever again?

Jesse doesn’t let himself dwell for long on the question as nineteen ambassadors move for the door.

“Ben?” Jesse calls, making eye contact with him and Elias and Pippa, gesturing for them to come over to the nook as well. The three do, the Atalaxians – especially Pippa – looking incredibly nervous.

“How are you?” Jesse asks the young woman, his eyes sweeping worriedly over her, especially noting the protective hand she keeps on her round belly.

“Um,” she says, her voice pitched high, quite shrill as she looks up at her Alpha. “I’m fine? I think? Um…” she moves her anxious gaze back to Jesse for a moment and then dropping it. “Are we…are we your prisoners, your Grace? How can we expect to be…treated?”

“What?” Jesse asks, baffled for a second.

But then he realizes that these are indeed two very high-ranked Atalaxian royals – the heir to the throne and his pregnant Luna, in fact. And, considering they’re still technically at war with Atalaxia, important political persons indeed.

“Oh my god, Pippa,” Jesse says, reaching out a hand and settling it on her shoulder. He removes it instantly when she flinches away. “I’m sorry – apologies – but no, you’re our honored guests.” He looks solidly between Elias and Pippa. “I mean, I know this is weird and complicated – and Ben probably understands the complexities of this better than I do –“

An assured nod from Ben puts Jesse’s heart at ease that he does, indeed, have a plan.

“But please,” Jesse says, pressing a hand to his heart. “You’re certainly not a prisoner. I’d like you to come back to the Palace with me? To meet my parents, and the King and Queen? But I swear, you’ll be treated with the utmost respect at every turn. I’m very aware that you came along on this little journey willingly.”

Relief crosses both Elias and Pippa’s face as they glance at each other and then, as one, nod to Jesse, accepting these terms.

“And what about me?” Midnight asks, quite squeaky, her hands clasped anxiously together in front of her stomach, her shoulders tight.

“You,” Jesse says, turning to his little mate and giving her a happy smile. “Are a Moon Valley citizen now, Mids. And a very high ranking one. So, it’s your job, in my stead, to make sure our guests feel at home.”

Jesse gestures towards the nook, indicating that they should all climb in. As he does he glances again at Ben, hoping to hell that Ben understands the true instruction here: that he is in charge, and it’s his job to keep Midnight calm.

“Why?” Midnight asks, her head whipping from side to side as she reads between the lines of Jesse’s sentences and realizes that he’s not staying with them. “Where – where are you going?”

“I’m just going to go call my dad, Mids,” Jesse says quietly, bending down to look her in the eye. “So he can send a helicopter. And bring us home.”

Her eyes go wide. “What’s a helicopter?”

“I’ll tell you all about it,” Ben says cheerfully, pointing to some of Ariel’s little library on her desk. “Plus, we can order up lots of food – whatever you want. All sorts of good things.”

Jesse takes in a deep breath and beams at Ben – because that’s a great idea.

Midnight takes a step closer to Ben, her eyes on him, sufficiently distracted. “Can we have meat?”

“You can have whatever kind of meat you want,” Ben says, grinning at her. “And cakes too – all kids of desert.”

For a moment Jesse’s heart aches because…well, Midnight’s whole world just got turned upside down, it makes sense that she’s afraid. But it’s a little bit horrible how sufficiently she’s distracted from that trauma by the simple offer of food.

He determines, inwardly, to make sure this girl is never, ever hungry again. Not a day in her life.

“How?” Midnight says, looking around. “Do you…cook in the big fireplace?”

“Actually,” Ben says, grinning at her. “See that door across the room, built into the wall?”

He points at the dumbwaiter over by Rafe’s bed and Midnight’s eyes flash to it. She nods.

“That’s a magic door,” Ben whispers. “Come on, I’ll show you how it works.”

Midnight’s eyes fly wide and then excitement takes her expression.

“Go,” Elias murmurs to Jesse, clasping him on the shoulder for a moment and giving him a steady smile. “We’ll ensure that she’s safe.”

“She’s in good hands,” Pippa says, laughing a little as Ben and Midnight reach the dumbwaiter and he opens it, demonstrating its current empty state before he hands her a pad of paper from Rafe’s desk, telling her to write down anything she wants on it.

“Thank you,” Jesse says quietly to the pair of them, already turning towards the door, a hand on his heart. “Seriously, thanks.”

“She’s a good girl,” Pippa says, giving him a happy smile and a steady nod, more comfortable with him than he’s seen her yet. “And she’s lucky to have you.”

Jesse sighs. “I hope that continues to be true. You two please eat as well – my mother and my aunt will never forgive me if I didn’t feed my guests, especially a pregnant guest.” The pair laugh a little and Jesse give them a little bow before he strides for the door, signaling all of the ambassadors to follow. “Come on! Let’s go find the Captain. And a phone.”

Mark looks worriedly between Rafe and the human girl as the trio sits in a small formal living room outside a conference room in which Dominic and Roger are meeting with their council. Ella and Hank sit in arm chairs on the far side of the coffee table, talking lightly, but Mark’s eyes continue to return anxiously to his brother. Because Rafe is usually so easy with guests and small talk – it’s practically his job, as crown prince – and today he’s just being…weird.

Ella and Hank chat amiably over cups of tea about the goings-on of the war, Ella’s worries about her missing daughters, and Hanks continued investigations into the Community in the North. Mark doesn’t listen to it much – honestly, it’s either stuff he’s heard before or nothing that he’s interested in. Instead he just…watches Rafe.

Rafe, who sits with his shoulders hunched and his jaw clenched, staring determinedly at his cold cup of tea on the coffee table.

Why? Why is he being…such a freak? Mark sighs, because if Rafe is sick or something then Mark is well aware that it’s his job to entertain Maryam. And there’s absolutely nothing less that he wants to do in the world – first because chatting about acceptable nothings is his least favorite way to spend his time.

And second because Maryam is…

Well. Unpleasant is the kindest word that comes to Mark’s mind, but he hastily searches for another one, because that’s rude.

She’s…challenging. Complicated. Willful.

“If you actually gave a crap about any of your citizens in the north,” Maryam snaps out, interrupting the Queen. “You’d arrest all of those horrible Community wolves in an instant. The atrocities they’re committing against their own people and the effects they’re having on the surrounding communities is abominable.”

Hank sighs and slumps back into his chair, raising a hand to his forehead.

Ella flicks her eyes immediately to the young woman, fighting a smile. “If we can find proof of their crimes, Maryam,” she says quietly, “then I will certainly do just that. But I won’t jail my own citizens on hunch and rumor.”

“So what?” Maryam asks, leaning forward a little, her mouth drawn into a serious line, her large dark eyes flashing. “You’re just going to let them continue to wantonly rape and pillage the countryside simply because you don’ have proof of –“

“Maryam,” Hank growls, his eyes closed, clearly sick of a behavior and an argument he’s encountered before.