Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 36

**Where Sleeping Rivers Dream We Follow Trails Toward Tomorrow by Evan Milesa Cade**

**Chapter 36**

After the explosive confrontation in Valentin’s office, he seemed to vanish from my life for an entire week. I didn’t harbor any resentment towards him; in fact, I understood completely. I had no desire for his assistance. Instead, I threw myself into training, often alongside Loren, but without Valentin’s presence. I craved strength, yet the thought of his so-called “help” only weighed me down further.

It was a weight I didn’t need.

The Monday following my clash with Valentin and Victoria marked the return of classes, and I trudged through the familiar routine, albeit with a sense of isolation. Loren had decided I was capable enough to venture to shifting class alone, especially now that I had a feisty wolf companion residing in my mind, tail swishing with sass. As I made my way toward the forest, anticipation bubbled within me. What would my first class with a wolf be like?

“Don’t get your hopes up,” my wolf cautioned, her voice laced with skepticism. “Shifting is a challenging endeavor.”

“I can handle hard things,” I shot back defiantly as I approached the clearing designated for our class. My fellow students were already gathered, their bags strewn across the ground. Among them were a few new wolves, all of whom had recently awakened their own wolves.

“You can,” my wolf conceded, “but this is particularly tough. Remember, you’ve only just awakened me. Don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go as planned.”

I rolled my eyes at her negativity. If I could shift to sever a fated mate bond, then surely I could manage a simple class shift. As I finally joined the group, I caught a few snickers from my right. Curiosity piqued, I turned to see two male wolves I recognized but had never conversed with, openly mocking me. The taller one, lanky with disheveled black hair, thrust his chin in my direction.

“Nice of you to finally grace us with your presence,” he sneered, a smirk playing on his lips. “Too bad the only reason your wolf showed up was because you broke a fated bond.”

“That’s pretty pathetic,” chimed in the other wolf, more muscular with striking blonde hair that had dark roots. “Breaking a fated mate bond when you were wolfless.”

“First of all, I’m not wolfless anymore,” I retorted, irritation bubbling to the surface. “And secondly, it wasn’t exactly a choice I made, was it?”

“No,” the lanky wolf laughed, clearly reveling in my discomfort. “That just makes it worse for you.” He nudged his friend, a gleeful glint in his eyes. “How embarrassing, to be one of the rare few to have a fated mate and still get rejected.”

A low growl rumbled in my throat as I glared at them, fists clenching at my sides, a familiar fire igniting within me, reminiscent of the moment before I shifted at Mateball. Was this a sign that I was about to shift again?

“It is,” my wolf chimed in, a hint of surprise in her tone. “But those idiots aren’t worth it. They have no idea who you are. Just ignore them.”

“Smith!” A commanding voice sliced through the air, pulling my attention away from the two tormentors. I turned sharply to see Kairos glaring at me from across the clearing.

I had completely forgotten that he was the teaching assistant for this ridiculous class.

Do you ever just shut up?

My wolf huffed in response, retreating to the back of my mind where I couldn’t see her anymore. I was still fixated on Kairos when my gaze shifted back to the forest. Professor Valencia stood beside him, her arms crossed and her white eyebrows raised in disapproval.

“Control yourself,” Kairos barked, his tone sharp.

“I’m fine,” I snapped back, irritation flaring.

“Clearly not,” Kairos hissed, his eyes narrowing. “Your hands were starting to shift. In this class, we control our transformations. We are Alphas, not common wolves.”

A growl threatened to escape me again, the fire within rekindling. Just then, Professor Valencia stepped forward, her presence commanding.

“Enough, both of you,” she interjected, her voice cutting through the tension. “Mr. Moonraiser, you should know better. I am aware that you and Miss Smith have had your differences, but I expect professionalism from my teaching assistant!”

Kairos shot me another venomous look before turning back to Valencia, muttering, “Sorry, Professor.” I could sense the lack of sincerity in his apology. “I just didn’t want Smith shifting and tearing Rigert’s throat out.”

Professor Valencia’s gaze traveled over me, scrutinizing from my toes to the top of my head. A shiver of discomfort ran down my spine; there was something unnerving about her assessment.

Beside me, Hanson and Rigert closed their eyes, taking deep breaths. I followed suit, but my gaze remained fixed on Kairos. He smirked, clearly enjoying my reluctance.

“Eyes closed, Smith,” he teased, his voice dripping with mockery. Rigert and Hanson chuckled softly beside me. The flames of annoyance licked at my skin once more as I shot Kairos one last glare before slamming my eyes shut.

Keep it together, my wolf urged.

I’m trying, I gritted back in my mind.

I focused on my breathing, matching the rhythm of Rigert and Hanson, while remaining acutely aware of every shift in the grass around me. I could hear Kairos moving closer to us, starting with Rigert and then making his way toward Hanson.

“Good,” he said, his tone almost condescending. “Remember this when emotions become overwhelming.”

He circled behind us, and I took another deep breath, attempting to calm the turmoil within me. But the proximity of his presence ignited a storm of rage. I recalled the moments he had held me down, his hands gripping my wrists, and the memories sent a shiver down my spine.

I felt him step away from Hanson and approach me. The hairs on my skin stood on end as I bit my tongue, striving to maintain my composure and focus on my breathing. Then, without warning, I felt a hand wrap around my waist.

Electricity surged through me, and I fought to keep my mouth shut, biting my lip to stifle a whimper. The sensation was intoxicating, but I was acutely aware of the source. The hand remained firmly pressed against my hip, and I could feel Kairos’s chest pressing against my back. Another wave of electricity coursed through me, and I struggled to keep my breathing steady.

“Control,” my wolf warned, her voice urgent.

Then, I felt Kairos lean closer, his mouth hovering just above the spot where my shoulder met my neck. A soft noise escaped my lips as I continued to breathe, my eyes squeezing shut tighter.

Suddenly, his lips met my skin, and an explosion of electricity erupted within me. I yelped, instinctively flinching away from him, allowing the fire that had been simmering in my chest to engulf me. The cracking sensations I had experienced during my first shift rushed back, and my yelp morphed into a pained, animalistic sound.

Before I knew it, I found myself flat on my stomach, my paws pressing into the forest floor as Kairos loomed above me, his mouth set in a disturbingly thin line.