Their Hidden Princess (Zora and Maximus) novel Chapter 253

Chapter 253

Thorne’s POV

The punch had been so unexpected, catching Thorne so off-guard that he stumbled backwards. Warm blood dripped from his nose, and he wiped it away with his sleeve.

Kairos growled, still furious, and came for another attack. Thorne backed up, but Max and Valentin moved quickly, catching Kairos by the arms and stopping him from trying another blow.

“Let me go,” Kairos roared, fighting the other two. Individually, he might have pushed one off, but together, he wasn’t able to. “The asshole deserves it! He deserves worse!”

“We’re in agreement on that,” Valentin said, his voice eerily calm. “But killing him will not solve our current problem. That isn’t want Zora needs.”

Whether Kairos heard the words or not was difficult to tell, as he continued fighting against the hold of the other Alphas. His angry glare stayed on Thorne.

“What the fuck were you thinking, running away? She’s sick as the hells and you just fuck off? This is your fault asshole!”

“I know that,” Thorne said. He stood a little straighter, trying to prove his point. “But I’m back now. I’m not going to run again.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’ll prove it.”

Kairos growled, low and dangerous.

“Kairos,” Valentin said sternly, in his professor voice.

“I don’t take orders from you, professor,” Kairos snapped.

“This isn’t an order. It’s a reminder. He is one of Zora’s mates. She needs him. And he is back now,” Valentin said. “We need to give him a chance. That’s what Zora would want.”

“It’s what she needs to get better,” Max added.

Kairos continued to growl but it softened slightly.

“I want to help,” Thorne said. “I want to fix things with Zora, and be her mate for real.”

“If you fuck this up again, I will tear your head off myself,” Kairos said. The anger in his eyes blazed with such intensity that there could be no confusion of his sincerity.

“I won’t,” Thorne said, and hoped it was true. He would do everything in his power to make it so.

Kairos stopped fighting the others. Stepping back, he shrugged them off. “Then get in there and fucking fix this.”

“I will,” Thorne said.

Kairos huffed a harsh breath, and turned to the side. He didn’t storm off, exactly, but he took a few angry steps in one direction, away from the door.

Thorne inhaled deeply, gathering his courage, and stepped forward.

Just as he was about to pass Professor Lunerly, Valentin grabbed him by the arm. Thorne looked at him confusion. Wasn’t Valentin on his side? “You look and smell like a dumpster caught fire,” Valentin said. “Shower first. Clean yourself up. Go to her like the man you want to be.”

“You can borrow some of my clothes,” Max added.

Throne looked down at his stain and dirty clothes. He hadn’t been able to smell himself in a while, nose-blind, but knowing the kind of life he had been living, he could only imagine he reeked something awful.

“There’s a fresh razor in the bathroom,” Valentin said.

Throne instinctively raised his hand to his scraggy beard.

He held fast.

He would never run away from her again. Zora started to smile, and it stole his breath away.

“I’m glad you are here,” she said, and it seemed like she meant it. He had no idea what to do with that. He had friends and family, but never anyone who would be so pleased to see him. She looked at him like he had hung the moon in the sky.

Like she forgave him.

“Zora,” he said, and the name felt so right on his tongue. It made him feel shame. He closed his eyes, looking down. Seeing her face, her happiness, cut into him. He didn’t deserve any of it. “I’m sorry, for everything. I’ve hurt you so much. I…”

“You are here now,” she said, like that made everything right away.

Thorne couldn’t accept that and shook his head. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Thorne…”

“I don’t deserve you,” he said again, pressing onwards. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, finally seeing her again. “But I want to be the kind of man who is worthy of you. I’ll do whatever it takes to become that man, and I’ll never hurt you again.”

Her smile softened, and her eyes were kind.

“Thorne,” she said again. “Kiss me.”

He could not resist that command even if he wanted to. He leaned in slowly, gently, and pressed his lips to her.

At once, the sparks ignited, and the mating bond bloomed inside of him, growing stronger and brighter like it was finally coming back to life.

He would never let it waver again.