The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 28

I roll onto my stomach, hoping that I can get to the edge of the circle, that if I get close Jackson can push me out and end the bout –

But suddenly he’s on top of me, holding his staff in either hand and looping it over my head so that it presses against my neck. When he pulls back, I’m lifted onto my knees, my back pressed to his chest, the staff choking me so that I can’t get any air –

Something electric passes between us as our bodies touch but I can’t concentrate on that as I gasp, desperately pressing my hands against the staff, trying to get it away from me, but he’s so much stronger than I am –

“Yield!” Jackson demands, shouting the word above me. I nod frantically, trying to yield, but he doesn’t let me go.

“Ari!” I hear someone shout – Rafe – but I can’t see.

“Do not interfere!” someone snaps.

“I told you,” Jackson continues, lowering his head so that his mouth is close to my ear now, “to yield –“

I drop my shaking hands, trying to do whatever I can to communicate that I’m giving up – that he’s won –

When suddenly he goes rigid behind me, and then slack, and the staff falls away from my neck.

Immediately, I collapse onto the floor, coughing and gasping for air. My eyes are shut as my face presses to the mat. I press my palms flat, letting air flood my lungs –

But something grabs my shoulder, spinning me – my back hits the floor hard and terror runs through me as my eyes fly open to see Jackson crouched above me, his eyes flaring. I gasp as I realize that he’s losing control – that he’s going to shift into his wolf in moments if he doesn’t contain himself –

Because if he does that, I’m a goner – he’ll shred me to pieces –

“No!” I shout, my hands going up, pressing to his chest, desperate to – I don’t know – to get him off of me? Or to remind him that he’s a man and that he can’t kill me –

As soon as my hands touch him a pulse pounds between us in the air, like a shock wave or a…a…god, I don’t know how to describe it. Jackson’s eyes go wide as my mouth falls open, as my hands begin to heat where they touch him.

Jackson’s eyes fly to his chest and he whips one hand upwards, seizing both of my wrists and yanking them backwards, pinning them up above my head as he looms over me, snarling, pinning me to the floor with the weight of his body.

I gasp in fear, turning my head away and pressing my eyes shut.

“Ari!” I hear Rafe’s shout again, and then the noise of pounding feet.

“What,” Jackson snarls, and I can feel him movinging closer to me, hear him taking a deep sniff of my scent. “What the fuck are you!?”

I sob a little gasp of fear, shaking my head, having no idea how to answer that or if I’m about to die –

When suddenly…

There’s nothing holding my wrists anymore. And the weight lifts off my body. And then the shadow retreats, and light presses against my closed eyes.

I stay perfectly still for a moment before I peek through my lashes to see…

Nothing. No gigantic wolf bent on my destruction.

Nothing.

I look around for him, frantic – what is he planning, some kind of second attack!? But he’s not there. I sit up, confused, looking for him, terrified for what’s coming next…

And suddenly I spy him across the room, stalking towards the door.

My face goes slack because I…I don’t understand it…

“The bout in Circle 2 goes to 120,” a dry voice says next to me, and I spin my head to see a Lieutenant marking his clipboard before walking away. And suddenly Rafe is kneeling at my side, his hands on my cheeks, his eyes moving over me frantically.

“Are you all right?” Rafe gasps, his eyes moving over me frantically, looking for wounds and broken bones. “Did he –“

“How did…” I start, shaking my head to clear it, “how did I win!?”

“Because,” Rafe growls, falling back on his ass and shaking his head at me when he realizes I’m okay. “You’re still in the ring. He’s not.”

My eyes go wide as I look around me and realize that Rafe’s…Rafe’s right.

I’m still within the circle. And Jackson is…gone.

“Welcome to the top 80% of candidates, Ari,” Rafe says, shaking his head at me, as baffled as I am. “I don’t know what kind of mystical intervention just happened, but it may have just saved your ass.”

I groan and flop back on the mat, wishing to hell I had some idea what on earth is going on.