The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 737

“I was under the assumption, Ella,” Dominic says, leaning forward towards her, “that you would see Ariel and realize that she needed to be taken to a major medical facility for rehabilitation. Not a spa. It’s – god, Ella, but it should be impossible for her to be sitting on a couch drinking a glass of wine and laughing at her friend’s jokes!”

“But she is, Dominic,” Cora says, shaking her head at him. “The girl is a wreck but she’s nowhere near close to that description. Could it be because the bond was newer? You and Lydia were together for years –“

“No,” Dominic says, shaking his head as he looks at each of them in turn. “I’ve spoken to others who have experienced breaking a mating bond – it’s always the same no matter the length of time. The physical effects are always devastating as well as the emotional.”

“What the hell is going on,” Ella breathes, looking towards the door and running an anxious hand through her rose-gold hair. “Why is my girl different?”

“Have you considered…” Roger hesitates now, glancing down at Dominic.

Dominic looks up at his brother, clearly inviting any insight.

“Look, I did a lot of research on mating bonds back when we were young and Dominic and Lydia’s formed theirs,” Roger says, glancing at each of his listeners in turn. He sighs. “We don’t need to go into the reasons why – I was devastated.”

Each of the listeners nods, remembering that Roger and Lydia had been engaged when Dominic turned sixteen and his bond with Lydia snapped into place.

“But I do remember,” Roger continues, “reading about rare cases in which bonds weren’t fully broken but instead…bruised? Or drawn quite thin? Shredded and damaged but…intact.”

Ella gasps a little, a hand flying to her mouth.

Dominic curses low under his breath, turning back to the camera and glaring hard into it. “If that boy didn’t even have the courage to give her a clean break,” he snarls, “I’m going to kill him, revive him, and kill him again just for the pleasure of it.”

“D-do you think you can tell, Ella?” Cora whispers, looking at her sister. “You’ve checked on her bonds before –“