Their Hidden Princess Novel

---- Chapter 28 The first weekend of my time at Alpha Academy was uneventful, shockingly. It was a lot of studying with Loren in the library and sparring with her in the gym. By Sunday evening, I'd managed to take Loren down twice, each with increasing force. Loren was quick to remind me that she sucked at sparring, and Kairos was an expert. | didn't care though. | couldn't have done that a week ago. Maybe my wolf was truly waking up. Monday was the same as usual at Basics. Coach making me run sprints and laps to try and speed up my pace.

He told me I'd be rerunning the Run at the end of the week. If | passed, | was off of supplementary and | could spar train with everyone else. | made it my mission to pass the Run. So, Monday night when | got a note from Valentin, | knew what | had to work on Tuesday morning. Sure, things were going to be slightly awkward after my Friday outburst, but | did think Valentin genuinely wanted to help. | was about to walk in the gym from the locker room when | heard hushed voices. | slid behind the door and focused hard on trying to figure out what the voices were saying.

---- "Chose me, Valentin!" "| would if | could, love, but the Queen has bared me from taking a mate until she determines who the Princesses fated mate is." "I'm tired of waiting." It was clearly Bella shouting at Valentin. | pressed closer to the door, trying to hear their hushed voices. "Bella, please," Valentin pleaded. "Keep your voice down." "Don't tell me to keep my voice down when you're acting like this!" Bella hissed. There was a pause then she spoke again. " You're dishonoring my parents." "Bella," Valentin's tone was a warning.

"I have been very forthcoming about my deal with the Queen. You're lucky | even considered your parent's offer after the shit they put the crown through. The dishonored their own name." There was another moment of silence. Then, the sharp clicking of heels against the gym floor. Bella stomped her way toward my door. | shrunk smaller behind the door. Bella approached the door and | heard it be wrenched open. Then, the clicking of her heels stopped. | slowly tured to look at the open door. Bella glared down at me. Her gold eyes were blown wide with anger.

As | slowly ---- stood up, Bella turned over her shoulder to where | know Valentin was standing in the gym "Tell your pet," She spat. "To keep her fucking mouth shut-" she turned back to me. "-and we won't have a problem." With that, the door banged closed behind her as she stormed off into the locker room. Her long black ponytail whipped around at her waist. Slowly, | pushed into the gym. Valentin was pacing on the sparring mats. He was in similar training get-up to the ones he wore the week prior. However, his hair was down and curling around his ears.

He was yanking on it as | finally approached the sparing mats. "Sorry," he said gently. "She seems to know my schedule and exactly when to corner me." | hummed. "I'll say." | thought about pushing, asking him what the hell he and Bella were arguing about, After seeing him, hair all mused with stress and the dark bags under his eyes, | decided against it. | took a deep breath before a launched into my request. "Coach said I'm rerunning the Run at the end of the week," | said, softly. "My endurance has definitely increased.

| just would like to run through it start to finish once before | have to redo it. Just to give me confidence." ---- Valentin turned towards me. He nodded stiffly before pulling his hair off his shoulders and securing it in a band. "Let's start with that," he said. "I'll be your pacer for the fifteen laps in the allotted time. If you beat or match me, consider it as a win." | nodded in reply. Then, Valentin took us off on the warmup lap. | kept up with his pace for the warmup then we stood and did the preliminary stretches before | started. The whole time, | couldn't stop staring at Valentin.

The way he'd pulled his hair up that morning accentuated his jaw bone and his high cheek bones. It made him look even better than he usually did. A warmth bloomed deep within my gut that I'd never felt before. | tried coughing it out but it was still there and spreading