The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Gabe," my mate says, shaking his head at me and working hard to sit up. "Please, call me Gabe."

He groans, though, and falls back.

letting me know that he

"Easy, easy," I say, glancing up at Ben, who nods to me finished administering the antidote via IV and that it all went well. "Your body is still recovering from...well, from when I poisoned you." I grimace. "Sorry about that."

"I'm not sorry about it," Gabriel sighs, turning his head to me and shaking it. "I'm so grateful to you, Ariel. I was completely lost to that darkness - me and my wolf both. And I'm so, so sorry." His eyes take on a true, deep sadness and guilt as he looks over my face, his eyes lingering on the bruise on my jaw.

"Gabe?" Elias asks, hesitant, coming to kneel by my side, Pippa following. "Is it...I mean, is it you?"

"It was always me," Gabriel says, shifting his eyes to his brother. "As shameful as it is, I can't pretend I was body snatched or something. It was me, grasping and jealous and hungry for power. But everything just looked so...different, from inside the darkness." He shakes his head, tears starting in his eyes. "I'm so sorry. Pippa - I," he sighs as she reaches out and takes his hand. "Pippa, I was so horrible to you."

"You were a real brat," she says, laughing a little, her voice thick with tears. "But I forgive you, Gabey-baby. I'm just glad to have you back."

Gabe laughs at what is clearly an old nickname, his eyes fluttering shut in relief and exhaustion.

"Are you...sure he's fixed?" Jesse murmurs, looking anxiously between Jacks and I, Midnight still tucked protectively behind him. "He's not just faking it?”

"He's cleared of the darkness," Jackson murmurs, his voice grumbling as he narrows his eyes at Gabriel. "But like he said – he did all those things, even if his free will was... tainted. I'm not sure he gets to land solidly in the 'good guy' category just yet."

I click my tongue at Jackson, giving his shoulder a little shove, but he just turns his steady gaze on me, shaking his head, letting me know he still doesn't like the guy. And smile@little because...well, because Jacks is biased against anyone who is my mate and has punched me in the face. And I rather like that about him.

"Do...do you still have your magic?" Midnight ventures, taking a step to the side to peek around Jesse, looking interestedly at Gabriel. Jesse smiles at her, encouraging, and slips an arm around her shoulders.

"I don't know," Gabriel says, looking down at his hands.

As we all watch he begins to experiment with it, creating the sparks of magic that are the part of his skill that he lends to me and then flashing up a shield all around him. Jesse tries his shadows against it and finds that they can't get through.

"Um," Gabriel says, apparently trying something else and failing. He glances at Midnight. "It looks like my powers are what they were before I made a deal with Darkness, which significantly expanded them. Before

-

I could start and stop magic – urge other magic to begin, or create a personal shield against it, but now..." He glances around at all of us. "I can't protect the Castle anymore - that big barrier was only possible with Darkness's influence. And I probably can't shift to this world either."

I sigh, and nod, sorry to have taken power from him. But still - this has to be better, right? My memory flashes back to his poor wolf,

drowning in that oil. And to Gabriel's hot temper and avarice - I mean, he killed his cousin so that he could take the throne, happy to be Darkness's puppet there. noveldrama

Midnight steps back behind Jesse, tucking her face against his back and

wrapping her arms around his waist, looking incredibly anxious. My heart goes out

to her because - what do her powers look like without Darkness's influence? Does she even know?

"Look, this is all very cute," Jesse sighs. "Family reunion with the newly non-evil brother. But..."