The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0346

"Just don't blow my cover," he murmurs, rubbing my back for a moment as the bell sounds again and the fight starts anew.

I watch carefully as Luca and the Atalaxian champion come together again and again, sometimes trading blows, sometimes moving in fast just to dodge away again. Luca, I notice, gets in quite a few combinations that look very impressive and which always make the crowds cheer. But Rafe, still standing close at my side, doesn't cheer along.

I can't help glancing up at him, wondering what he's seeing that others aren't. Because to all means, it looks like Luca is doing much better than our enemy. "Tell me," I urge, somewhere in the third round.

Rafe glances down at me for a second, I think deciding whether or not I actually want to hear it, but when I look up at him with pleading eyes he leans closer to me. Luca's doing great," he says, and I nod, recognizing that. "But, tell me what you're seeing with the Atalaxian."

I turn my eyes back to the ring, studying him. "He's advancing a lot," I say, narrating what I see happening in front of us, and slightly below. The ring - it's really not very far at all - close enough for me to see Luca's muscles shake whenever he delivers one of his shattering blows. "But not...not punching very much?"

"Look harder," Rafe murmurs, instructing me and sounding a lot like dad.

not to Luca's face. "He's hitting

learn more. "I think that's both of their strategy laid out." "Okay," I huff,

a little. "Luca's strategy is to beat the shit out of him, to hurt him as much as he can as early as he can, to get as many points from the judges as possible." "Sensible,"

continues. "But the Atalaxian - he's playing the long game here. See how he's making Luca dance, always pressing

probably twice as much as the Atalaxian, always dodging

mean?"

voice a little grave. "And see all those body blows?" Rafe raises his chin now to where the Atalaxian hits Luca again and again in the sides and the

says, her voice distracted as she keeps

says, probably from experience. "Especially that often, again and again? They're exhausting, and they make you want more than anything -

open..." I murmur, my eyes going wide

the knock-out blow," Rafe finishes, nodding, worry all over