Their Hidden Princess (Zora and Maximus) novel Chapter 245

Chapter 245

Thorne’s POV

Thorne wasn’t drinking, but only because it was drinking that had caused him to make some of the greatest mistakes of his life. He ached for the bottle, though, desperately wanting to drown his sorrows under the numbing taste of alcohol.

But he already knew that numbness wouldn’t last. Eventually, he would wake up from any drunken stupor and once more have to face the reality of his mistakes.

He wasn’t a coward, but he could admit to himself that he was afraid of the kind of man he had become, so angry and vicious with his mate. His sense of duty had blinded him and he had lost himself.

Not just himself, he’d lost the only woman he could have ever hoped to love.

No, he didn’t drink, but he found other ways to push himself beyond the point of being able to think. He went to the gym, pushing his limits as he punched the bag, imagining it was himself he was beating up. He punched until his knuckles bled. As an Alpha, the skin quickly mended. Too quickly.

He wanted to feel the pain, so he kept punching, kept bleeding, over and over again.

He stopped taking care of himself. Usually he’d be well-shaven, but his beard was several days old now. He had no intention of trimming it back. He didn’t really eat, and his showers were limited to a quick five-minutes after his workouts.

He didn’t deserve nice things, not even steamy showers. Not after what he’d done.

It was maddening, being caught in a loop of self-pity and regret, with no clear way out of it. All he wanted to do was earn Zora’s forgiveness, but she had left the school along with Professor Lunerly, Maximus, and Kairos. Her other mates. Her loyal mates.

Not me, the one who betrayed her.

He was at the gym late. It had to be the middle of the night because no one else was there. The gym owners had long ago stopped trying to kick Thorne out, knowing he would just keep going until he dropped. Instead they locked him in. Because of his ranking, they trusted him enough to give him a key.

Didn’t they know he wasn’t loyal?

He was at the bag again, punching away his frustrations, when he heard a voice behind him.

“Thorne.”

Great. Now I’m hallucinating.

Why else would he be hearing Zora’s voice? Maybe he needed a break.

He lowered his fists and stepped back from the punching bag. At once, his broken knuckles mended themselves.

“Throne. Turn around.”

That damned voice again. He should ignore it, not give in to his slow delve into madness. But ignoring her wishes was part of what led him to this lonely and miserable path, so he decided to obey, turning.

Zora was there. Not tangibly. Instead, she looked like a ghost, semi-transparent and with a soft glow.

“Great, Thorne. Now you are really losing it.”

“You aren’t losing it,” Zora said. “Sure.”

Gods, she was beautiful, even in ghost-vision form. He’d never been immune to her beauty. Her hot body, her soft pouty lips,

those eyes that could see straight through him. At least his mind was blessing him with seeing her again, even if this meant a further descent into madness.

He looked his fill. She shook her head and exhaled, exasperated.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Looking at you before you disappear.”

She placed her hand on her hip and cocked her head to one side. “Well, at least you think I’m physically attractive.”

“I have eyes,” he said, then cursed himself. What was he doing, talking to a figment of his imagination?

“I would in a heartbeat.” He hung his arms at his sides. “But I have no idea where you are, Zora. You think I wouldn’t run to you if I did? I’d be beside you in an instant.”

“Prove it,” she said. “How?” Thorne demanded. “Tell me how?” He felt a bit desperate then, approaching the apparition. He almost dropped to his knees, ready to beg if he had to. He would do whatever it took to have the answer. But of course, the ghost of his own mind wouldn’t know the answer.

All this was, was further self-mockery.

“There’s no way,” he said, defeated then. “Just leave me alone.”

“There is a way,” Zora countered. “Go to the road. Take the car to me.”

“I don’t know where you are,” Thorne said. “Tell you where you are.”

Without answering, Zora disappeared. Of course she did. She’d never been real, why would he expect her to stay and talk to him?

It had been nice while it lasted though. To see her again, even if she hadn’t been real, felt like a blessing from the Moon Goddess. Or a beautiful kind of torture.

“Thorne,” said a male voice from nearer the road. Thorne recognized it, and it wasn’t from someone he would willingly hallucinate. He didn’t think even his mind was cruel enough to make him think about Professor Lunerly. “Thorne. You aren’t imagining this. Get over here. We don’t have a lot of time.”

Throne turned and followed the voice to the street, where Lunerly stood beside a car. “Get in.”

“Where are we going?” Thorne asked.

Lunerly lifted a brow, and a spear of hope shot straight through Thorne’s heart.

It hadn’t been a hallucination.

It had been real.

Lunerly asked, “Are you ready to win back your soulmate?”