Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 72

“Come on!” Loren pleaded, her voice tinged with urgency. “It’s her first day on campus. Do you really think she’s going to want to go to a party tonight?”

I rubbed my palm over my face, feeling the weight of her insistence. We had been at this for what felt like an eternity, and Loren’s relentless enthusiasm was starting to wear me down.

“It’s not about Amara,” I reiterated for what felt like the hundredth time. “It’s about going back to that ridiculous house with those ridiculous people.”

“But it’ll be different this time,” Loren insisted, her tone hopeful. “We’re bringing our own drinks! Maximus said he’d keep an eye out, and Jeckell isn’t even going to be there.”

“That doesn’t guarantee that others won’t try to pull the same nonsense,” I replied, feeling the frustration bubble up within me. I palmed my face again, exasperated. “Honestly, Loren. All I want is to curl up with my cheesy romance novel and get some sleep.”

I turned my attention back to the book resting in my lap. I had discovered it earlier that day in the “free” section of the library. A cliché tale involving mermen and sirens—completely unrealistic, but oh, the steamy scenes were something else.

Loren huffed, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest. In a sudden burst of energy, she leaped across the room, snatching the book from my hands and tossing it aside. I stared at her, my mouth agape in disbelief.

“I was reading that—”

“I refuse to let you live your life in fear!” Loren declared, her voice rising with determination. “You have two more years here, and one of those will be without me. I need you to actually have some fun for once!”

“My book was fun,” I muttered sullenly, but Loren was already pulling me off my bed. She guided me back to her makeup chair and began to fuss with my hair, her fingers deftly weaving through the strands.

“Shush,” she commanded, her tone playful. “Braids or straightened?”

An hour later, we found ourselves retracing our steps toward the same house we had visited nearly two months prior. This time, Loren had given me the freedom to wear my own outfit, and I could feel the concrete beneath my boots as I walked. I wrapped my arms around myself, the cool breeze sweeping across the campus and rustling the first fallen leaves.

Loren strode ahead of me with purpose, her outfit reminiscent of our last party adventure: a snug black skirt, cherry-red heels, and a black mesh top that danced around her waist. The sound of her heels echoed against the pavement as she turned back to beckon me forward.

“Come on, you two!” she shouted, her excitement palpable. “I want to dance!”

“I hope she’s not expecting me to dance,” a voice grumbled beside me.

Suppressing a smile, I glanced sideways at Maximus. He had joined us outside our dorms, fulfilling his promise to Loren to walk us to the party. He looked sharper than usual, dressed in dark jeans, pristine white sneakers, and a long-sleeved grey shirt rolled up to his elbows. His hair had grown longer, curling slightly at the nape of his neck.

A strange impulse surged within me, one that made me want to run my fingers through those curls.

Mona, my inner wolf, chimed in from the depths of my mind. Not strange at all, she mused. After all, he is your fated mate.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Go sniff someone else’s butt or something, I shot back mentally.

Mona grumbled in response, her voice fading into the background. I caught snippets of her thoughts—words like “ungrateful” and “I am thousands of years old.” Just the usual bitterness from my inner wolf.

“Are you alright?” Maximus’s voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. I shrugged, trying to mask my unease.

“Fine,” I replied, though the word felt hollow.

A moment of silence passed, thick with unspoken words.

“We don’t have to go,” he whispered, his concern evident.

“Loren wants to,” I replied, my voice steadier. “Besides, she’s right. I can’t spend my entire life cowering from parties.”

“Given what happened to you,” Max grunted, his tone serious. “I think you have every right to be cautious.”

I nudged him playfully, our shoulders brushing together. A small electric jolt surged through us, igniting something warm. “But I have the big bad wolf to protect me now, don’t I?”

I caught the slight twitch of Maximus’s jaw as he turned to me, his gaze intense. He licked his lips, opening his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it abruptly as we approached Loren.

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