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.

out. And then, as I watch more closely, I realize that the Atalaxian is landing a lot of blows, just not to Luca's face. "He's hitting Luca a lot in the sides," I say quietly, as if it's a secret between

and Daphne glances up at us, likewise listening and wanting to learn more. "I think that's both of their strategy laid out."

much as he can

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

as much as the Atalaxian, always dodging backwards, always getting out of the way as the Atalaxian

mean?"

little grave. "And see all those body blows?" Rafe raises his chin now to where the

as

that often, again and again? They're exhausting, and they make you want more

murmur, my eyes going wide as I put it all

the knock-out blow," Rafe finishes,