Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 73

**Kairos… an hour earlier…**

The atmosphere in the house was electric, alive with laughter and music that reverberated through the walls as Kairos descended the staircase from his room. Fresh from the shower, he had slicked his hair back, a deliberate choice to present himself well. Cuffing the sleeves of his shirt, he stepped onto the first floor, where the party was in full swing. Bodies swayed rhythmically to the pulsating beats, while a few patrons lingered near the bar, nursing their drinks and engaging in animated conversations.

Navigating through the throng of partygoers, Kairos made it a point to acknowledge those who greeted him with a nod or a smile. After all, maintaining his reputation was paramount, especially in light of the scandal involving Jeckell that had erupted a few months prior. The school administration had been relentless, and his father had been even more insistent, constantly reminding him of the need for “good behavior” and “appropriate interactions.” With this pressure weighing heavily on him, he and his friends were hyper-aware, determined to keep any reckless behavior out of his house.

As he reached the bar, Thorne approached him, clapping a hand on his shoulder with a grin that barely broke through the cacophony of sound. “Brother,” he bellowed over the thumping music, his voice booming like thunder.

“Is everything good?” Kairos shouted back, trying to catch Thorne’s eye amidst the chaos.

Thorne nodded, but there was something in his demeanor that suggested otherwise. His jaw was tense, and Kairos felt a flicker of concern. Leaning in closer, Thorne lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret. “You hear about who made their way to campus today?”

Kairos shook his head, curiosity piqued. Thorne’s eyes widened, and he leaned in even closer, his breath warm against Kairos’s ear.

“Amara Luna,” Thorne revealed, his tone laced with excitement. “My sister. The Princess.”

A smug frown crept across Kairos’s face at the mention of the adopted Luna Princess. He had heard the tales—how she was tall and graceful, possessing a beauty that was sharp and striking, akin to that of a hawk. But he also knew the darker side of her allure; she had a reputation for seducing powerful Alphas, bending them to her will, only to discard them for someone new. She played with men’s hearts like a skilled musician, plucking at their strings until they sang to her tune.

Kairos had no intention of becoming one of her puppets.

His own romantic life had grown increasingly dull since the start of his third year. It was a stark contrast to the whirlwind of emotions he felt whenever he thought of Zora Smith. She had nearly shattered him—both physically and emotionally—leaving him with a leg broken in fourteen places and forcing him to miss two full days of training. Yet, despite the chaos she had caused in his life, he found himself wondering what it would be like to hold her close, to wrap her in his embrace and keep her safe from Maximus, from Thorne, from everyone.

“Mate, you listening?” Thorne’s voice jolted Kairos from his reverie. Blinking rapidly, he turned to see Thorne pointing across the room.

“She’s been eye-fucking you for the last five minutes!” Thorne exclaimed, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

Kairos’s gaze followed Thorne’s finger to where Amara Luna sat, elegantly positioned in one of the few opulent chairs in his house. Her right ankle crossed over her knee, she sipped her drink through a straw, her lips glistening. There was no denying it; she was indeed giving him an intense look, one that left little to the imagination.

Then, to his astonishment, she shifted her legs, causing her skirt to ride higher on her thighs. She placed her right foot on the floor with deliberate slowness, ensuring that Kairos caught a glimpse of the enticing underwear she clearly wasn’t wearing before recrossing her left ankle over her right knee.

Kairos raised an eyebrow, incredulous, before turning back to Thorne. He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “That’s what you rejected your fated mate for?”

Thorne recoiled slightly, a scowl etched on his face. He shot Kairos a glare that was half-hearted at best before drifting off into the sea of partygoers. In a moment of frustration, Kairos snatched a beer from a first-year Alpha, downing half of it in one go before snarling at the startled freshman, who scurried away. He finished the rest of the drink in a few swift gulps, slamming the empty can against the wall with a satisfying crunch before tossing it into the house.

With a sense of irritation bubbling inside him, he wandered into the main room, where a throng of Alphas danced with abandon. Amongst them, a few Betas loitered, and one in particular caught his eye. Loren Moonbeam moved gracefully, swaying like a tree bending in the wind. He leaned against the wall, observing her, marveling at how different she was from her sister, Petyr’s mate. The contrast was striking, leaving him to ponder how two such dissimilar individuals could share the same bloodline.

He was still lost in this thought, a smirk playing on his lips, when a flash of vibrant red hair entered his line of sight, and his stomach plummeted. Zora Smith had returned to his party. Again.

A sneer curled on his lips. Was she truly that foolish? Did she not recall the chaos that had unfolded the last time she had stepped foot in his house? His anger intensified as he noticed the towering figure of Maximus looming behind her in the doorway.

Fucking Maximus. The traitor.

Kairos’s eyes were riveted on Zora as she maneuvered through the crowd, making her way toward the younger Moonbeam. They both held drinks, ones that Kairos knew he hadn’t served. The sight of the three of them together twisted something dark and sick in his gut.

Turning away, he nearly collided with a woman standing behind him. He was about to apologize when a hand, adorned with long, pointed nails, curled possessively around his shoulder. “Kairos,” Amara purred, her voice dripping with sweetness that made his skin crawl.

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