Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 37

37 /187

**Where Sleeping Rivers Dream We Follow Trails Toward Tomorrow by Evan Milesa Cade – Chapter 37**

The sound of laughter erupted from Rigert and Hanson, a cacophony that echoed through the trees like a mischievous wind. I scrambled to get myself upright, pushing my hands into the forest floor as I shifted to all fours. Instinctively, I barked at them, baring my teeth in a display of defiance. They recoiled, their eyes wide with surprise, as I inched closer, a growl rumbling deep in my throat. Just as I was about to close the distance, Kairos stepped in front of them, a solid barrier of authority.

My ears flattened against my head, a clear sign of submission I couldn’t suppress. Kairos crossed his arms, his stance radiating irritation as he glared down at me.

“This is precisely what I was warning you about,” he snapped, his voice sharp as a whip. “Letting your anger dictate your shift.”

I paused, blinking up at him, confusion swirling in my mind. Anger? That wasn’t what I felt moments before when his lips had brushed against my neck, igniting something within me that I couldn’t quite name. I growled again, a low, warning sound. He merely raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

“Shift back, Smith,” he commanded, his tone laced with impatience.

This time, I let the anger take control. My bones cracked and shifted painfully as I stood upright, my body morphing back into my human form. I glared at Kairos, our eyes locked in a battle of wills.

“Maybe if you didn’t provoke me, I wouldn’t have shifted in the first place,” I retorted, my voice dripping with resentment.

Kairos smirked, a wicked glint in his eyes. “My role is to provoke you, to draw out that anger. You need to learn to resist the urge to shift. Rigert and Hanson managed it. Why can’t you?”

Behind Kairos, Rigert and Hanson were still cackling, their laughter ringing like chimes in the air. I shot them a fierce glare that silenced them momentarily, but their smiles remained, taunting me. With a final scowl aimed at Kairos, I stormed off into the depths of the forest, grabbing my bag with a sense of urgency. I slung it over my shoulder and exited the class without a backward glance, the weight of their stares heavy on my shoulders.

Later, I found myself in the bustling cafeteria, sitting across from Loren as we settled down for lunch. It was clear that news of my earlier mishap had spread like wildfire across campus. The whispers and glances directed our way felt like a swarm of bees buzzing around my head, especially in light of my rejection two weekends prior.

“Gods,” Loren shook her head in disbelief. “What is it about him that makes him target you so relentlessly?”

“I honestly don’t know,” I muttered, pushing my sandwich around on the tray. “You’d think that winning that fight would have made him back off a bit.”

Loren hummed thoughtfully, her fork piercing through the greens of her salad. “What was the deal you made with him again?”

“I kneel,” I grimaced, shoving my tray away in frustration. “Absolutely not. I refuse to do that.”

Loren shrugged, taking a hearty bite of her salad. “I can see your point, but maybe it would be enough to keep him off your back.”

A groan escaped my lips as I cast my gaze across the cafeteria. There they were—Kairos, Thorne, Maximus, and Petyr—occupying their usual spot like kings on their thrones. Alessia, Loren’s sister, was nestled beside Petyr, her arm draped possessively around his bicep. Meg, Maximus’s sister, perched on the table, her eyes scanning the room like a hawk.

When our eyes met, she shot me a wink before biting into her apple, and I felt a grimace spread across my face as I turned back to my pitiful sandwich.

“What did he even do to set you off?” Loren asked, curiosity lacing her tone.

I felt my cheeks flush. “Sorry?”

“Kairos,” she continued, her fork clinking against her plate. “Or was it just his presence that got under your skin?”

I bit my lip, prodding at my sandwich once more. I wanted to trust Loren; I knew I could. She had never pried into my relationship with Pietha, my stylist for Mateball, nor had she questioned my frequent absences for training with the elusive Valentin.

But from what Victoria had shared, it was exceedingly rare for a wolf to have a fated mate, and even more so for one to find another after rejecting the bond with their first. If I divulged the electric jolt I felt from Kairos’s kiss or how my heart seemed to sync with Valentin’s, I knew Loren would have a million questions. Revealing that I was the Princess of all wolves felt like a risk I wasn’t ready to take.