Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 129

**TITLE: Where Sleeping Rivers Dream We Follow Trails Toward Tomorrow**
by Evan Milesa Cade

Her hand danced over his chest, teasingly swirling around his nipple, a gesture that should have ignited something within him. Instead, a wave of nausea crashed over Kairos, forcing him to peel her hand away with a sudden urgency. He attempted to glare down at her, but the alcohol coursing through his veins diluted his intensity, rendering his expression less formidable than he had hoped.

“Your options are anything but limited,” he slurred, the words tumbling from his lips with a clumsy bravado. “My father once told me that all the High Alphas or their heirs could petition for the Alpha Consort position.”

Amara let out a soft hum, her fingers returning to rest on his chest, a playful pout forming on her lips. “They were, but Lunerly is already engaged, Thorne is dreadfully boring, and Maximus is… well, otherwise occupied,” she said, trailing her finger down the sharp curve of his jaw, her gaze locking onto his with a mischievous glint. “Which leaves you as my best bet, love.”

A tightness gripped Kairos’s jaw as he processed her words. Was it truly the case that he was the last contender left standing? Thorne, with his infatuation for the Queen and her daughter, was clearly out of the running. Kairos doubted the Queen would ever consider a plain Alpha for her daughter. He had heard whispers of Lunerly’s engagement to Bella, but the validity of that rumor remained uncertain. And then there was Maximus, who seemed so entangled with Zora that it was as if he were a puppet dancing on her strings.

Damn Zora, he thought bitterly. She was an ever-present specter in his mind. The moment her image flickered to life in his thoughts, he felt an unwelcome stirring in his pants. Amara, ever perceptive, noticed the shift in his demeanor. She purred softly, letting her hand trail down to tease the line of his trousers with one of her long, manicured nails.

“You like that idea?” she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. “You and me?”

Disgust curled in his stomach at the thought, yet a desperate need for relief clawed at him—a need to escape the relentless fantasies of Zora that had plagued him all week. He grasped Amara’s wrist, looking down into her eyes. Her lips curled into a smirk that spoke of knowing too much. He remained silent, his mind a tumult of conflicting desires.

Without another word, he pulled her away from the fridge, leading her to his bedroom with a sense of urgency. He flung the door open, a wave of relief washing over him when he realized Petyr and Alexei had vacated the space. He had no desire to explain himself to them, not now.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, Amara’s lips were on his, tasting of the cheap beer he had provided for the party. Her kiss was rough and demanding, and it churned a sense of loathing within him.

Zora’s lips would be soft, he thought involuntarily, a memory that ignited a spark of anger within him.

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