Their Hidden Princess (Zora and Maximus) novel Chapter 296

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Chapter 296

Zora’s POV

Kairos could seemingly wait no longer. He dashed forward, growling and snarling. Then he lunged, straight at Neo–no, at

Renault.

Renault lifted and caught him with one hand. Kairos struggled, kicking with all his limbs, as Renault squeezed, cutting off Kairos ‘breath. In my chest, the bond with Kairos wailed and shrieked.

Finding my legs, my strength, I tore from Max’s hold and rushed forward.

“Let him go!” I shouted. “Neo, please.”

Renault looked at me sharply, and just for a moment, something shifted in his gaze. He released Kairos then, who fell to the ground in a furry lump.

Moving quickly, I closed the distance, putting myself protectively between Renault and Kairos, who wasn’t moving. This brought me way too close to Renault, but, somehow, even knowing who he really was, I wasn’t afraid of him, not for myself.

He was a vicious cold monster of legend, but he was still my mate. Gods, the truth hurt down to my core, yet I still knew he

wouldn’t attack me.

He lowered his arm to his side, making no move against me. But his eyes on me were icicles, unfeeling. So different than the passion that existed in the depth of Neo’s gaze.

How could this be? How could I not have known?

“Was it all fake?” I asked. “Was nothing real?”

“There was no lie in the beginning,” Renault told me. Even his voice was different now, distant. Pompous. With a hint of a disgusted sneer. “When you awoke me in that tomb, I had no idea who I really was. And for many days after, I was unsure. Yet, over time, fragments of my memories returned to me.”

“And today?” I asked. “When you healed my wounds? When you asked me…” I couldn’t even finish the question. He had asked me to run away with him. “Was that some kind of mockery? So that you could throw it back at me now?”

His blank features hardened. “No. I meant it.”

“Don’t listen to him, Zora,” Max said, stepping closer. Renault looked at him sharply, daggers in his gaze, and Max paused. Then, slower, he started again toward me. “He led the vampires to us. That’s the only way they could have found us. Or that they would have brought so many in number.”

What Max said made sense, so I looked again to Renault for confirmation.

“I don’t care what happens to them,” he said bluntly.

Max had been inching closer to me, but Renault moved in before he could close the distance. He wrapped one arm around my waist and pulled me against him. I tried to look at Max, but Renault cupped my cheek with his hand, keeping my focus on him

and him alone.

Red swirled in his eyes, overtaking the colorless darkness that had always been there before. When he spoke, I saw that his canines had extended. There was no secret in this, no curse. He was a vampire through and through. Yet he was also my mate.

The Moon Goddess played a cruel trick with this one. How could I care at all for a man who was so callous, so uncaring that he was known to be pure evil?

And at the same time, I was supposed to kill him? It wasn’t fair.

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