Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 177

**TITLE: Where Sleeping Rivers Dream We Follow Trails Toward Tomorrow by Evan Milesa Cade 177**

**Chapter 177**

**Thorne**

The weight of bitterness clung to Thorne like a heavy cloak as he trudged across the campus grounds. Each step felt laborious, a reflection of the turmoil brewing within him. Zora Smith had slipped through his fingers, vanishing from the library just as he had become distracted, lost in thought. The moment he realized her absence, he had cursed Petyr with a fervor that surprised even himself, bolting from the library in a desperate attempt to catch up with her.

As he stepped into the biting cold of the night, the silence enveloped him, broken only by the gentle whisper of snowflakes descending from the darkened sky. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath, a sense of defeat washing over him. The evening was slipping away, and he felt a familiar bitterness creeping in—a bitterness he had reluctantly accepted since he had been assigned to Zora Smith as her knight.

He hated that he had been chosen for her service. He resented the fact that she was deemed worthy of a knight by the queen herself. And then there was the matter of the fated mate bond they had once shared, a bond he had carelessly severed. Finally, he could not shake the bitter taste of betrayal that lingered, knowing Zora had orchestrated the expulsion of his betrothed from the campus.

The news that Amara would be sent to a rehab facility in London had hit him like a punch to the gut. Not that he was surprised by her struggles—Amara had always danced on the edge of chaos, and addiction was a familiar partner in her life. What appalled him was the fact that someone had exposed her vulnerabilities to the world. And to vampire blood, of all things? It was absurd.

Nothing about this situation made sense.

“Fucking Smith,” he grumbled to himself as he approached his house, the familiar sight of it doing little to ease his frustration. The dull thrum of music echoed from within, a reminder that his friend Kairos had decided to throw a party while he had been trapped in the library. “Maybe this will help dislodge the stick up my arse,” Thorne thought with a roll of his eyes, his irritation bubbling just beneath the surface.

Kairos had been acting strangely ever since their second confrontation with Smith. The fiery rage that usually characterized him had been replaced with an unsettling calmness. It was disconcerting, even more so than when he was actually angry. Thorne couldn’t shake the feeling that something fundamental had shifted within his friend.

Then, in a twist that left Thorne reeling, Kairos had simply given up on the final challenge against Smith. It was as if all the fervor he had displayed throughout the first semester had evaporated overnight. Thorne had dedicated himself to ruining Zora Smith, and now, Kairos seemed to have adopted an attitude of quiet indifference.

Confusion swirled in Thorne’s mind as he pushed through the door of his house. The party atmosphere was surprisingly subdued, a stark contrast to the raucous celebrations he was accustomed to. A few guests lounged on the couches in the front room, their laughter mingling with the music, but it lacked the vibrant energy he had expected. Female alphas perched on the laps of their male counterparts, their fingers gently tracing down their chests, but the overall vibe felt muted.

Thorne made a beeline for the kitchen, craving a cold beer to drown his frustrations. As he entered, he spotted two of Kairos’s friends from the North, their heads bent together as they shared hushed laughter over their drinks. He yanked open the fridge, rummaging through the clutter to find his own beer.

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