The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



"Nope," my mom says, beaming around at all of us. “Cora and I are going to take over your magic class! Isn't that great!? We're going to be your new professors!"

We all look around at her, our mouths open, because...

How on earth is this ever going to work?

Silence reigns in the room, even as mom beams around at all of us. After a few second, her face drops a little. "What?" she asks, looking around. "What's wrong with that?"

"Mom, how on earth are you going to do that?" Rafe asks, shaking his head at her. "You're a Queen - you can't just drop everything to come and hang out with us. I mean, dad couldn't get away from the war for even a couple of hours today - and you're proposing to what, come live here?" "No, your father would miss me too much if I came to live here," mom says with a scowl, smacking Rafe on the arm.

"Not to mention your other two children," Cora says, dry. "Remember them? Juniper and Mark?"

"Oh, they wouldn't miss me," mom says, again waving a dismissive hand that makes me smile. “Though they do need me. No, Rafe, obviously Cora and I will just come once a week to work with you. We'll take the helicopter with Hank when he comes to work with Jackson."

"Who's Hank?" Tony asks, sitting forward with interest.

"My mom's human ex-boyfriend," Jesse whispers loudly, making me burst into a grin.

Cora gasps a little, turning to smack Jesse on the shoulder. "A very well-respected doctor who is working with Jackson on..." he hesitates now and looks between Jackson and Tony. "A side project."

"You royals just get...more interesting as the minutes pass," Tony says, grinning widely and leaning back into the couch, looking around.

Rafe narrows his eyes at Tony, suspicious. But Tony either doesn't see it or ignores it. I scowl a little, annoyed at Rafe for still suspecting Tony when I already trust him with my whole heart - something in my instincts telling me to do so. I catch my mom's eye in that moment and she smirks and gives me a little nod, letting me know she feels the same even if...

Well. Even if her own magic did have a strange reaction to his. What could that have been, anyway? Like death...noveldrama

“Well, let's get started," Cora says with a sigh, leaning forward and peering around at us, the more scholarly and analytical side of my aunt coming forward, I think a bit eager to have a problem to work on.

"Wait, mom," Jesse says, putting out a hand towards her. "Obviously, I'm pumped at the idea of you coming here every week to work with us but..." he hesitates, looking between his mother and his aunt, "what on earth qualifies you to be our professor?"

Cora stares at her son for a moment, eyebrow raised, clearly silently asking him if he wants to re-think that question. Jesse bursts into a grin, I think both entertained and slightly terrified of his mother in this instant.

"I think what qualifies us, nephew-mine," mom says, likewise a little miffed, "is first that both Cora and I are experienced magic users, and second... that no one else wants the job."

"What?" I ask, leaning forward, laughing a little.

"Alvez was one of like, two

applicants we got when we advertised this a few years ago," mom says, laughing. "And he was nice! At least...before he got possessed." She shrugs. "There are not a lot of magic users out there, and those who are aren't precisely thrilled at the idea of moving to a remote castle to secretly teach a bunch of Alpha boys."

"And girls, now,” I say, holding up my cookie in a little toast to myself.

“And girl,” mom agrees, giving me a wink and holding her own cookie up towards mine. We pretend to clink them and then laugh, taking bites. Everyone ignores us.

“Any other questions, beloved first-born?" Cora asks, turning towards Jesse.

"Yes, actually," he says with a wry smile, turning towards his mom with his arms crossed, clearly about to quiz her about her qualifications. But before he can, Cora just raises her eyebrow again, lifts her hand and snaps her fingers once.

Instantly, a cloud appears above Jesse and dumps a great deal of rain all over him in a single gush, making him gasp and leap out of his seat as a tiny, adorable grumble of thunder rolls through the room.