Their Hidden Princess Chapter 112

I stumbled back into my room and Loren was at her desk. She immediately stood up as I walked in. She launched herself at me and I sighed into the hug, allowing my body to finally relax.

“I’m so sorry!” Loren sputtered. “I knew I should’ve stopped talking but I couldn’t and I –”

“I’m sorry,” I said back cutting off her rambling. “I left so quickly. I didn’t explain. I just –”

Loren dragged me over to sit us both in our desk chairs. Her hand rubbed up my back, just as Maximus had moments ago. Moments before he dropped a bomb on me.

“I’m a bit overwhelmed,” I murmured with a humorless laugh.

Loren snorted in response. “I wish I blamed you but unfortunately, I don’t,” she said. “What happened?”

“I just—” I paused and lifted my head to look her in the eye. “I just felt so upset at how much I was keeping from you.”

My voice broke at the end. Loren’s face dropped slightly from it’s normal smile. Her hand kept rubbing at my back, urging me to go on.

“And Maximus,” I murmured, eyes slipping shut. “You both have been so supportive and I’ve lied and lied and lied. But somethings, I’m keeping for your safety and somethings I’m keeping for my own.”

My eyes slipped open and I watched as Loren nodded. I gnawed at my lower lip and took a shaky breath before I finished. My hand went to fiddle with the end of my braid.

“I promise, I’ll tell you everything I can,” I murmured. “And the stuff I can’t, just know that I trust you. But I don’t trust other people.”

Loren nodded again as I finished. She stroked a hand over my head before throwing herself back into my arms. I let my chest rest against the top of her head for a moment. We locked ourselves in the embrace. After a beat, Loren pulled back and gave me a soft smile. Her eyes twinkled with swelling tears. I wiped at my own face.

“I trust you,” she said. “And I’m honored you trust me with the information you can give me.”

I snorted. It was all snotty and gross from my crying sessions and the tears I wiped away. “What little I can,” I said. “Speaking of which, did you know that if a bond is un-finished in a person with multiple bonds, it hurts the people in the other one.”

Loren frowned. “What? I guess I don’t know much about multi-fated mates wolves.”

“Me either,” I scratched at my head. “Which is unfortunate given that I’m one of those wolves.”

Loren barked a laugh and stood up. She walked back over to her own desk and slung her bookbag over her shoulder. She jerked her head towards the door.

“Come on,” she said. “Let’s go see what the library has. I was just heading there anyways.”

That was how I found myself at a nearly full library on Sunday night. Nearly everyone was in the library at that moment. Kairos and Petyr were sitting in one corner. He gave me a curt nod in greeting which I returned.

Thorne was tucked into a desk in a dark corner and was clearly sulking. I almost rolled my eyes but then I remembered what Maximus said. All of my bonds had to be consummated. Did that mean I’d have to put things right with Thorne? That was going to require a lot more effort than I had in me.

Loren and I walked over to our usual spot. Unfortunately for us, our table was taken by a girl who I’d never seen before. She had blunt, black microbangs. Her hair was tied up in a knot on top of her head. A bunch of silver-looking piercings dotted her face. She had electric red, wide rimmed glasses on. If it wasn’t for her violet eyes, I would’ve thought she was a vampire as her skin was incredibly fair.

I frowned and turned to figure out a plan with Loren. As I looked at her, I saw she was shocked into place. I pinched my eyebrows together and gave her a look. Her jaw was clenched and purple eyes wide. Her skin was almost the color of her white hair. I looked back at the girl and was incredibly confused. She didn’t look threatening at all.

“Loren,” I whispered. “Just cause she has piercings doesn’t mean she’s mean.”

“I know,” Loren snapped back. “Because she’s fucking Ani.”

Ani?

Ani. Ani was the girl that Loren thought was her fated mate.

A smile worked it’s way onto my lips as I turned around. Loren squeaked in protest behind me but I completely ignored her. I set my hands on one of the chairs and pulled it back lightly. It skittered on the floor and the dark-haired girl lifted her head to look at me.

“Hi,” I said, all sunshine and rainbows. “Do you mind if we—”

“Oh, no, go ahead,” The girl said. Then she turned head and made eye contact with Loren. She smiled, tight lipped but as if she was holding back a grin. “Oh, hi, Loren.”

“Hi, Ani,” Loren said, sheepishly. “You really don’t mind?”

Ani gestured to the rest of her empty table. She started pulling most of her books back closer to her. “Not at all. Sorry, I spread out a bit.”

“I’d do the same,” I murmured. “The library is packed.”

Ani hummed and looked around us. “Guess it is,” she said. “I’ve been in here all day. I’ve barely noticed.”

I slipped into my seat and Loren followed suit. She was far more stiff as she did and continued to be stiff as she pulled out her notebooks. I tried to not laugh at her. Was I the same way with my fated mates?

“All day?” I asked Ani, trying to make light conversation as Loren acted completely odd. “Semester just started.”

Ani shrugged. “I transferred in at the beginning,” she said. “From the other Academy. When I got put her last semester after there were disruptions at our own Academy, I found I fit in really well.”

Disruptions? No one had mentioned that Amara and the rest of her classmates came to our school because of disruptions. I made a mental note.

Ani sighed and gestured to her notes. “Seems I under estimated how well I’d do in High Magiks. I’ve been struggling on it since day one.”

I nodded. Then, I got an idea. “You know,” I said, matter-of-factly. “Loren is really good at High Magiks.”

Ani cocked her head and glanced at my blonde friend. “She is?”

Loren glared at me then whispered under her breath. “I am?”

“She sure is,” I said and stood up. I jerked Loren’s chair closer to Ani’s, ignoring the death glare she was sending me. “And it’s good you’re here too. I have to go digging for some research so you’ll be able to keep Loren company.”

“Oh,” Ani blinked at me then smiled at me. “I’d love to.” Her gaze trailed over to Loren and she smiled brighter.

Loren looked like she was going to murder me. I completely ignored her as I stepped back from the table. I wiggled my fingers at Ani.

“Make sure she does her work!” I chided. “And watch my stuff, would you Loren?”

“I’d be delighted,” Loren said, dripping with sarcasm.

I stifled a giggle before I turned and walked over to the librarians desk. I needed to get all the information on multiple fated mates that I could possibly find. I leaned against the desk as I waited for her to come over.

Across the library, Loren had finally turned soft again. Her head was leaning toward Ani’s as the two chatted and laughed. My heart swelled with joy. Loren deserved happiness. Possibly more than I did.

And if I couldn’t give it to her, then she deserved someone who could.