The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 181

My bolt flies as Wright charges directly for me, his eyes focusing on my exact location either by dint of my scent or my snarl. He dodges, though, at the last second, when he sees the crossbow bolt flying directly for his chest –

His quick movement works and the bolt glances off his arm, ripping through the fabric of his uniform and spraying blood into the air. Wright roars, turning to survey the damage even as he stumbles towards me. Perry’s face is the picture of shock and confusion, but I don’t bother to give him more than a glance as I spin, leaping to my feet even as I load another quarrel.

As fast as I am, it’s too slow. Just as I get the bolt into place and spin on my feet to shoot again, Wright’s full weight hits me like a freight train, knocking me to the ground. I shout in pain and fear as he lands on top of me, but the sound leaves me in a rush along with the rest of my breath.

“Fucking bastard,” Wright snarls, and even as I gasp, trying to get more breath into my lungs, I can smell the scent of his blood on the air.

Even in my pain and panic, something is satisfied at that.

But Wright grabs my face, whipping it towards him, my cheeks pressed between his fingers as he pins me down with his weight, snarling down into my face. “What, little Shrimp,” he snaps, using my nickname like the dirty word he probably imagines it to be, “got no recourse without your prince, or your duke, or your boxer to save you!?”

I snarl, but Wright shakes my head viciously, addling my thoughts. He releases me for a second, but I groan when I feel him plants his hand on the side of my face and press, hard, so that the whole left side of my head is pressed into the dirt.

“This is for Graham,” Wright whispers, violent and cruel as he begins to press down. I gasp in pain and fear as I realize that he’s going to crush my whole head under his hand – that he could probably do it, if he puts his whole weight into the act –

“Wright!” Perry shouts from behind. “Come on, there’s no time for this!”

“He’s the reason my brother’s life is nothing now!” Wright shouts, his voice frantic in the killing rage in which he’s caught.

“Don’t fucking kill him!” Perry shrieks, and I feel a disturbance in Wright’s weight, even as I thrash uselessly in my panic, trying to get him off of me, to save my life. “You read the note – you heard what it said – you’ll be kicked out, even if you make it!”

“He – “

But Wright doesn’t get to finish his words because there’s a sudden earth-shattering roar behind him.

Perry shrieks first – a shrill, terrified noise that ends suddenly in a cry of pain.

And then Wright goes still, turning, and I see his eyes go wide as the roar sounds again and he’s whipped off of me, a huge paw connecting with his chest and tossing him through the air like a ragdoll.

My eyes go wide as I stare at the huge wolf standing above me, one leg over my laid-out body –

Because, I mean, I’ve seen my dad’s wolf form before, so I am used to big wolves. So, when I say this one is huge…

God, he could give a polar bear a run for his money.

But there’s no time to think on it as the wolf standing above me snarls at the cadets in front of him, his teeth fully bared in warning and malice. For an instant – just barely – I’m terrified that I’m next – that this is just some rogue cadet who is taking out everyone in his path so that he can get to the Destination first –

But then, I catch his scent. And my fear drops from me in a second.

Because it’s… it’s Jackson, standing across me, just begging Wright and his little crony to challenge him to a fight.

I lift myself to my elbows, looking to my left where Perry is holding his hands up and Wright is moaning, rubbing his back where it clearly hit a tree.

“We’ll go, all right!?” Perry shouts, glaring at Jackson and edging towards the ridge line. “Call it even!”