The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0349

Luca, I'm horrified to see, is not the same as he was at the beginning of the fight. Gone is the brash young man, all confidence and vigor. Now, as Ben said, all that's left is the bulldag: grim determination, his jaw set as he moves into the ring.

The Atalaxian, I can see, is likewise changed. He knows he has the advantage now-knows that Luce has quite a literal soft spot in his side. And as they come back together, the Atalaxian goes right for it.

My eyebrows raise, my breath hitching as Luca dodges the fist that the Atalaxian aims directly for his wounded rib, as Luca moves nimbly away and dodges around to his opponent's side, landing a blow on the Atalaxian's cheek that makes him stumble back.

As I watch I feel my fingers slip on my bond with Luca, desperate to know how he's feeling kind of shocked, really, at how much the emptiness echoes between us now that I've closed it off. I hadn't realized, I guess, how much information I was getting down the bond from him- even when I wasn't trying to, even when he's far away.

But the moment that his emotions start to seep through again it's immediately blinding pain, and I gaso - my knees going a bit weak and I squeeze my fingers shut.

Luca - how is he doing this? How is he still fighting when his body is in that much agony?

The Atalaxian turns towards him now, working hard to back Luca into the ropes again. I clench my hands under my chin as I watch Luce fight hard to change the flow of the fight, to be on the offense instead of the defense. But the Atalaxian - he's got his teeth in it now.

Suddenly, the tice shifts again and my mouth falls open in a gasp as I see the Luca shoot out one hell of a punch, connecting directly with the Atalaxian's already-bloody nose-

But in doing so, Luce left his wounded rib right open.

Which is precisely what the Atalaxian wanted

The Atalaxian almost smiles as he winds his arm up and punches, hard-bone-shatteringly hard into Luca's right side.

I scream as I watch Luca crumple against the pain, dodging his body desperately away from the Atalaxian's fist, and in doing so dropping his hands-

Dropping his hands away from his face, precisely the opening that the Atalaxian was waiting for all night long

The blow comes hard, and fast, the Atalaxian's fist ripping across Luca's ear and cheek with a sickening smack that sends my mate immediately to the ground.

Everyone in the stadium shouts, and moans, and screams - but I think that mine caries out over them all as I stare at my mate laying senseless on the canvas.

I scream my mate's name, desperately scared for him, and I'm hanging halfway over the wall of our box in my desperation to get closer. I feel a hand grabbing for my arm, but I smack it away, my nails extending razor-sharp, refusing to be pulled back

The Atalaxian dodges away from Luca, moving to the center of the ring with his fists still up, like he's ready to punch Luca down again the moment he stands.

But Luca - he doesn't stand.

My breath is shallow in my lungs, like I can't pull it in any deeper, and I can't see anything - anything else in the world right now except the back of Luca's head as he lays limp on the mat.

The ref clodges over, looking down at him, demanding that he stand.

But there's no response from Luca, who lays stil.

The ref, to my horror, begins to count.

I look desperately around now, knowing that Luca only has ten seconds

I look at his uncle, who runs around the ring to shout Into Luca's face, begging him to get up-

I look at his mother, Linda's arms around Gran's shoulders, Gran's face pressed devastated Into Linda's side-

My eyes dart back to Luca now when I see his shoulders twich - can see the desire in him to get up- "Two!" the ref shouts, his counting too slow as time seems to drift.

And then suddenly I'm moving - without a thought I can't help it. My legs are over the wall to the box, and I'm falling the short distance to the seats below us. My heeled shoes hit the ground with a clatter and miraculously can't break - there are shouts around me as people turn to see what the hell is going onBelonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

"Three!"

But as soon as my people see me rise and start to move towards my mate, they make way, pushing each other aside so that there's room for me-

Room for me to run - to get to the aisle - to start down towards the ring itself -