Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 106

**Chapter 106**

The night felt interminable, stretching on like an endless road under a moonless sky. Sleep eluded me, slipping through my fingers like sand.

The thought of discussing sex with my mother had me reeling. The sheer embarrassment of it was overwhelming, compounded by the shock of her outrageous suggestion that I should sleep with four different men. It ignited a flame of anger deep within me, a visceral response to the idea that I had no say in the matter.

For what felt like the hundredth time, I pressed my hands against my face, desperately seeking a way out of this tangled mess. I buried my face into my pillow, stifling a groan, careful not to wake Loren, who was blissfully snoring away, oblivious to my turmoil.

Frustrated, I slammed my pillow over my head, hoping to drown out the chaos in my mind. After what felt like hours of restless tossing and turning, fatigue finally claimed me. Yet, when morning arrived, it came too early, dragging me from sleep at the crack of dawn for my training session with Valentin.

We might have broached the subject of intimacy, but that certainly didn’t mean our morning training sessions were going to be canceled. Oh no, I was still the vampire-slaying wolf savior, and nothing would change that.

I shuffled out of my dorm, dragging my feet as if they were leaden weights.

Maximus stood waiting for me in the hallway, arms crossed over his chest, radiating disappointment like a mother scolding a wayward child. Someone should have reminded him that I already had one of those. I gingerly closed my door behind me, raising my eyebrows at him in a silent question. He merely scoffed and turned on his heel, striding out of our building. I fell into step behind him, crossing the lawn toward the gym in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavily in the air between us.

Unfortunately, my mind was a swirling tempest of thoughts, particularly fixated on the last time we had “consummated” our bond. As I stepped into the locker room, the heat of embarrassment washed over me, confirmed by the way the air felt thick and steamy around me. I huffed in frustration, plunging my head beneath the icy cascade of the shower, hoping to shock my system back to clarity.

When I emerged, my hair plastered to my forehead, Maximus and Thorne regarded me with expressions that suggested they thought I had lost my mind. Valentin, however, seemed to possess some uncanny ability to read my thoughts, his eyes boring into me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. He shook his head as if to clear away whatever nonsense had clouded his mind before addressing us all.

“Today, we’re going to switch things up,” he announced, his voice steady and commanding. “You will fight as a team.”

Thorne’s scoff echoed in the room. “A team? You expect the wild dog that is Smith to fight alongside two sons of High Alphas? Good luck with that.”

“Watch your tongue,” Maximus growled under his breath, his irritation palpable.

Valentin shot Thorne a smile that dripped with sarcasm. “You’ll be fighting alongside a High Alpha as well.”

That revelation sent Maximus into a frenzy. He shot a glare at Valentin, his voice sharp as he demanded, “You’re fighting with us? Why? Who are we up against?”

Valentin raised his hand, then waved it with a flourish. Eight large sparring dummies, crafted from sand, floated into the air, circling us like predators sizing up their prey. Maximus and Thorne exchanged annoyed glances, while Valentin wore a smirk that suggested he relished this moment. I stood in awe, marveling at the magical prowess Valentin wielded with such ease.

“These dummies are trained in the art of vampire combat,” he explained, his tone matter-of-fact. “They’ve adapted their skill sets based on my studies of vampire techniques. This is the closest we can get to simulating an actual vampire fight.”

He moved closer to me, positioning himself in front of me, then lifted his hand again, flicking his wrist. The dummies began to sway toward us in a synchronized dance, and Valentin dropped into a fighting stance. Maximus and Thorne hesitantly mirrored his movements, flanking me on either side.

“Communication is crucial!” Valentin called over his shoulder, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes. “Trust each other and trust Zora. That’s how we’ll bring these down.”

“Fucking creepy,” Thorne muttered beside me, his annoyance evident.

“Quit complaining and take them down,” Maximus snapped, lunging at one of the dummies with determination.

In an instant, the dummies launched their attack. I watched as Valentin struck the first one, sending it skittering away from him and the others. With a swift movement, he knocked it further back using his telekinetic powers. I was so engrossed in his display that I didn’t notice another dummy charging toward me until it was almost too late.

Reacting instinctively, I whipped my leg around and drove my heel into the space between its shoulder and head. The impact sent a shockwave through my body; I hadn’t anticipated how solid these things would be. Without missing a beat, I jumped to my other foot, swinging the one I had just used to strike, slamming it into the dummy’s stomach with all my might. The force propelled it backward, crashing into the wall on the opposite side of the gym before falling limp to the floor.

One down.

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