Chapter 0340
Chapter 0340
And right in time to see Luca come out of the dark tunnel on the eastern side of the stadium, the lights flashing all around him as a confetti cannon filled with silver and gold rectangles explodes above him, filling the air with fluttering flares of light.
I shout and cheer along with everyone else as Luca raises his gloved fists to the crowd, moving forward in his black robe, which he wears with the hood up over his head. The fabric flows down his body, open at the front, and then streams behind him as he strides steadily forward. And even though a small part of my mind is still worried about Ben, still wanting to check to make sure he's really okay-
I have to admit, most of me is swept away by the sight of my mate moving powerfully towards the ring, shouting out at the crowds, pounding his glove against his chest one moment, then turning in circles and pumping his fists up into the air. The stadium full of people screams his name, riled to a fever pitch.
I can't help it - I shout my support as I clap and grin down at my mate-
My mate!
Mine!
Luca Grant, my mate, so handsome, so powerful, so charismatic. He just looks so confident and good striding down the line of people towards the ring that suddenly all of my worries disappear.
Because who - who on earth could take on that man?
My man.
Jesse nudges me with his elbow, and I flash my eyes away from Luca for a second to see my cousin grinning at me, clearly picking up on my proud energy. And I laugh a little, leaning far over the edge of the box, shouting Luca's name and continuing to cheer for him with all of my heart.
We're all cheering - everyone in the box - everyone in the stadium except the Atalaxians - as Luca stops at the end of the corridor that leads to the boxing ring, stops to duck down and give a woman standing there at the edge a quick kiss on the cheek. When we all realize that it's his mother, the crowd roars louder, loving his support of her. He likewise takes a moment to wrap his Gran in a big hug before moving to his corner of the ring, where his uncle and the rest of his coaching team are waiting with crossed arms.
Bruce Grant pats Luca warmly on the back, his face serious, as Luca climbs up the side of the ring. And then when Luca ducks beneath the ropes, and steps in, and begins to dodge around on the canvas, punching out some practice blows and showing off his footwork, the entire crowd screams louder. I see Luca laugh, loving it, and then he stops his faux boxing to pause in the center of the ring, cupping this boing glove at his at his car and gesturing for everyone to make a great deal of noise.NôvelDrama.Org owns this text.
The crowd complies, to say the least, and the stadium roars with love for our champion - a sound so loud and echoing I have to think that they can hear it in the city all around us. I laugh to hear it, absolutely loving the idea of the entire nation all cheering for my mate.
My heart soars with joy and pride as I clap and cheer, unable to tear my eyes from him. My cheeks ache with smiling so much when I see Luca laugh - laugh, and drop his hands, and simple turn in a circle, soaking in all the love and the support of his people. Because Luca's a showboat, but he loves this the most - loves the fight, and the crowd, and the pride that comes along with it.
Slowly, as he turns, I see his expression change because he's searching now. He narrows his eyes, his smile falling just a bit as he concentrates, scanning the crowd for something. He goes still when his gaze lands on our box.
When his eyes land on me.
And then he bursts into a wide, dimpled grin that carries with it all the love he has for me. I feel it pulse down our bond like a physical blow, hitting me so hard all at once that I stumble back a step, and then I'm laughing, and leaning forward, shaking my head at him a little, sending everything I have down the bond to him -
All of my love, and my support, and my joy, and my pride, and my pleasure. And just a little bit of a hint at how good I think he looks in his little boxing shorts under all that light.
This all passes between us in a blink, and no one is aware of it but us, but when Luca's grin deepens and he raises a single gloved fist and points it directly at me?
The crowd sees it now, and absolutely explodes.