All Chapters of Too Late, Prince! I’m No Longer Your Chubby Luna: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

ALORA POVThe silence between us in the damp alleyway was heavier than the cold fog drifting off the Shadow Ridge.He stood barely five feet away, his towering frame casting a long, dark shadow against the brick wall. Up close, the crackling energy radiating off his skin was undeniable—it felt like standing near a high-voltage wire during a summer lightning storm. My skin prickled with intense heat, and deep within my chest, my White Light origin-core throbbed in a steady, demanding rhythm that made my collarbone ache.I clutched my handbag tightly against my coat, my knuckles turning white as I stared into his silver-gold eyes. They were the exact shade as mine—radiant, intense, and completely unnatural for a human."I asked you a question," I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the chaotic storm raging in my veins. "What was that blue spark? How did you do that to his hand?"The young man didn't answer immediately. His dark brows drawn tight, his intense gaze swept over my fa

ALORA POVThe warning hung in the cool library air like frost on glass.I stared down at his hand resting on the polished oak table—the calloused knuckles, the faint trace of static ozone lingering in the space between us, and the absolute, unyielding stillness of his frame. He was barely two feet away now, so close I could see the subtle ring of dark charcoal encircling his radiant silver-gold irises.My White Light core throbbed violently against my ribs, demanding that I reach out, that I bridge the narrow gap separating us. It was a terrifying, instinctual urge—an ancient hunger to connect that took every ounce of my willpower to suppress."Are you threatening me?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady, holding my ground against his towering presence."It's not a threat. It's advice," he said low, his voice carrying that rough, gravelly rumble that made my teeth ache. He slowly lifted his hand off the wood, tucking it back into his pocket. "People who dig into things they don

ALORA POVThe autumn drizzle had turned into a torrential downpour by eight o'clock, drumming violently against the stone archways of the science building.I stood under the shadow of the wide stone porch, pulling my dark rain coat tightly around myself. Maya had run ahead to the library to grab a study room before the storm worsened, leaving me alone in the dimming, rain-swept courtyard. The wind whipped down from the Shadow Ridge, carrying a bitter mountain chill that made my breath bloom in pale white clouds.I picked up my canvas backpack and stepped out from under the awning, eager to reach the warmth of Oak Hall.The stone walkways were slick and dark, reflecting the orange glow of the flickering streetlamps. As I turned the corner into the narrow passage behind the old lecture hall—a shortcut through the oldest part of the campus—the heavy shadow of the gothic arches swallowed the ambient light."Well, well. Look who decided to take this route."An arrogant, raspy voice cut thr

ALORA POVThe dawn broke over Northridge in shades of bruised steel and pale slate.I stood by the wooden wardrobe in Room 312, tightening the straps of my heavy leather travel pack. Outside the window, a thick, milky mountain fog drifted down from the Shadow Ridge, blanketing the campus quadrangles in eerie, silent white. The rain from two nights ago had washed the air clean, leaving behind the sharp, unforgiving scent of damp earth and pine resin.Today was the start of the three-day Shadow Ridge Foothills field expedition."Are you sure you have enough thermal wool?" Maya mumbled sleepily from beneath her heavy yellow duvet, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "My biology professor said the eastern ridge gets freezing once the sun drops behind the peaks.""I packed two wool sweaters and my heavy cloak," I said, offering her a quick, reassuring smile as I pulled my dark leather boots on and laced them tight. "Plus, Clara made sure I knew how to survive a cold mountain night years ago."

ALORA POVThe sun dipped behind the jagged peaks of the Shadow Ridge with a sudden, brutal finality.In a matter of minutes, the pale violet twilight dissolved into a dense, pitch-black mountain night. The wind howling off the high glaciers whipped through the pine boughs with deafening force, carrying a freezing frost that crystallized on the fur-lined hood of my coat.We pressed forward along the narrow cliff ledge, our heavy boots crunching against frozen shale.Up ahead, Julian’s flashlight beam danced erratically against the dark rock face. He and Sarah were huddled close together, shivering violently as they fought against the gale. But beside me, Alexander moved with steady, unyielding power. He didn't shiver. The intense kinetic heat radiating off his broad body was so fierce I could feel it through my coat whenever he stepped close to shield me from the worst gusts of wind."There!" Julian’s breathless shout barely carried over the roar of the gale. "The waterfall! The cabin