Their Hidden Princess Chapter 89

Zora

I almost couldn’t believe my eyes a they carted Kairos off the gym mat. Neither could anyone else in the gym. They were silent, save for a few murmurs that rolled off the walls and into my ears.

My fellow classmates were bored by the fight. Or they said they thought Kairos held back. I couldn’t disagree with that one. It was like he’d been stunned. He just stared at me as I threw punches at him. Then I choked him out like it was nothing. As I continued to watch Kairos’s lifeless body move out of the gym, the crowd dissipated into nothing. The only people left were Maximus, Loren, Valentin and I.

Loren launched herself at me and wrapped me in a hug, buzzing with excitement. “You did it!” she cried. “You really did it!”

I held her back so I could look her in the eye. I gave her a smug smirk. “I did, huh?”

“There’ still one more challenge,” came Maximus’s voice. He walked up and looked me in the eye. “It could be anyone’s. We have to train harder.”

“Jeez,” I scoffed. “Couldn’t be happy about my win for a second?”

It was a half a joke but I could tell by Maximus’s face that it was not a joke to him. Valentin cleared his throat, causing Maximus to step to myself so we could address our headmaster. He walked up onto the stage and pinned me with his gaze.

“Though I still think this is idiotic,” Valentin mused. “I can’t say I’m not impressed. Everything you’ve been doing on the side has culminated.”

I couldn’t help the blush that spread over my cheeks. “Thank you,” I said, softly. I felt Maximus step closer to me. His arm went around me and curled into my hip, fingers pressing into my skin possessively.

“Still think my methods are ‘unethical’?” he grit out from behind me. I furrowed my eyebrow in confusion and looked at Valentin. As always, his face was set in an emotionless trace.

“Highly,” Valentin replied, a bit of grit in his voice as well. “They’re untraditional and could kill someone in practice. But Miss Smith seems to have used them to her liking.”

“Unethical?” I said towards Maximus. He ignored me still gazing towards Valentin.

“So you agree, she should be taught them,” Max said.

“Not in our sessions, she shouldn’t,” Valentin said back, quickly.

“If the threat—” Maximus glanced sideways at Loren. He was talking about the vampires. “—is as deadly as it is, why wouldn’t she be taught to kill?”

Loren’s face fell. “What threat?”

“The school is facing a slight breach of borders,” Valentin said quickly. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

“But Max is worried,” Loren gestured to Maximus, standing next to me like the Iron Giant. She turned to catch me eye. “Are you being threatened?”

I gave her a shrug. “Nothing more than usual.”

“It is more than usual,” Max said, sternly. “Which is exactly why we should be training for battles of life and not stupid sparring matches.”

Valentin narrowed his eyes at Maximus. “Are you saying my method are wrong?”

Maximus took a step towards Valentin. “I’m saying they’re not right for this situation.”

“Careful, Wolfham,” Valentin snapped. “Need I remind you I’m your Headmaster?”

“For a semester more,” Maximus hissed. “Then you and I are equals. Better get used to treating me like it.”

At that point, both men were snarling at each other, almost close enough where Maximus could take Valentin’s skull and break it over his knee. I immediately panicked and shoved myself between them with my hands up. From the corner of my eye, I caught Loren’s eyes blow wide.

“Okay, okay,” I said. “How about I decide how I train? Given that it is my life and all.”

Valentin looked down at me. I watched his eyes trail over my face and down to my hands. He lingered there before noticing how close my ass was to Maximus’s crotch. His nostrils flared slightly before he stepped back. His hand went to his mouth as he turned around. Finally, he looked back at the three of us and sighed.

“How I train Miss Smith is up to me on my time,” he said, sounding exhausted. “How you train her in your own time is up to you.”

With that he turned on his heel and walked away from us. I stepped towards him to protest but was yanked back by Maximus. He pinned me to the front of him as Valentin left the gym, door slamming behind him. My heart ached.

I whirled around and glared at Maximus. “What the fuck was that?”

Maximus looked down at me and shrugged. I pierced him with my eyes. Loren laughed nervous behind Maximus. She waved slightly at me.

“I’ll meet you back at the room,” she mumbled. “You guys clearly have something to talk about.”

On that note, she skittered out of the empty gym and shifted into her wolf form as she broke into a sprint across the dark campus. Then it was only Maximus and I in the gym. I thought about the last time we we’re alone in the gym and heat flushed my face. Maximus seemed unphased and looked back at me with those deep gold eyes.

“What the fuck was that?” I repeated, softer this time.

“Lunerly called me into his office a week ago,” Maximus stated. “After that business with Amara’s rumors. Asked if I’d been training you. I said yes. He told me it was ‘unwise’ and ‘unethical’ to train you in such a way. I told him he was going to get you killed. Then I left.”

“Jesus,” I hissed under my breath, pinching the bridge of my nose. I dropped my hand back to slap against my thigh. “You’re going to get yourself expelled.”

“Better me expelled then you dead,” Maximus said back, quickly. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he raised an eyebrow in response. “Now is it my turn to ask what the fuck was that?”

I stiffened. “What was what?”

Maximus gave me a pointed look. It was one that sent a shiver down my spine. He took a step closer to me, causing my chin to tip up to look him in the eye.

“Are you fucking him?” he whispered.

“No,” I said, evenly.

Maximus leered closer. “Do you want to?”

I slammed my mouth shut and that was all it took for him to slink away from me. I almost reached out for him but stopped when he turned around. His broad was facing me for a second as he heaved a breath then he whirled back around to face me.

“Why are you even with me?”

“What?” I said, my voice small.

“Like what are we doing?” Maximus continued. “I think you’re my fated mate, no – I know you are. But you were looking at him like he was about to climb your bones. Do you feel nothing for me?”

“I told you,” I started. “I do. But I – I feel a similar way for Valentin. I feel whole with him.”

Maximus jerked back. I felt like I’d been stabbed in the chest. He looked like he’d been. He shook his head before starting out of the gym.

“Max, please,” I called after him.

He paused, glancing over his shoulder at me. “You have until the end of the semester to decide,” he said. It reminded me of how he spoke to me the first time we’d me. He lifted his gaze to look me in the eye.

“I won’t be second. Not even to the Headmaster.”

With that, he stormed off.