Their Hidden Princess Novel

---- Chapter 33 The nurse let me leave the infirmary a few hours after my call with Victoria. She made me promise not to spare for the rest of the week. Given that it was Wednesday, that meant | was only missing one session of Basics. She gave me a note, some advil and sent me on my way. | got my first glimpse at myself since the fight as | passed a mirror when | was leaving. My entire right side of my face was covered in mottled, purple-blue bruises. My right eye was swollen and puffy. My hair was a tangled mop on my head, far from the sleek twist I'd put in it before the fight.

My clothes were covered in blood, Kairos's and mine. There were a few points in my lip that were split. Same with my head. My wrist had been reset but was in an air-cast. | looked a mess. | left the infirmary after the sun had set. It was easy to dart across campus in the shadows, without being noticed. | slunk all the way up to my dorm room without running into anyone. When | turned around, | noticed Loren was standing next to her bed. Her eyes were red rimmed as if she had been crying. She slowly reached for a hug then shrunk back in on herself as she surveyed me.

---- "A mess, aren't |?" | half-laughed, trying to break the tension. "Oh Gods," Loren cried. "I knew it was bad but this is worse than | imagined." "Don't ever spar with Kairos," | joked. | waved my air-cast. "Might break a wrist." Loren said nothing but tenderly wrapped me in a hug. It was the gentlest anyone had ever hugged me. Tears welled in my eyes. | was so frustrated and this was what | needed, someone to just care. | rested my head on top of Loren's and let the tears stream down my cheeks in sobs. The whole time | cried, Loren gently rubbed circles in the middle of my back.

When my tears had dried, she sent me to the bathroom to shower. | came back in one of her fluffy pink towels 'to find she'd dug through my closet and laid out some of my old, human clothes. "| figured they'd be comfiest," she said softly. | nodded at her and slunk them off. | didn't dare look in the mirror as the rest of my body, scared it'd be worse than the bruising on my face. When | turned around to face Loren, she confirmed it was with her face. | got into my bed with minimal wincing and Loren climbed in next to me.

She rested her head on my shoulder, hip to hip with me.We sat in silence for a while ---- before Loren snorted in laughter. "What?" | asked through a laugh. "Just thinking about the look on Bella's face when Professor Lunerly picked you up and carried you to the infirmary," she chuckled again. "Utterly priceless." "| wish I'd seen it," | laughed. "Yeah," Loren said sadly. "Me too." | turned slightly to look down at her. "Thank you for being a good friend," | said gently. Loren smiled. "Thanks for being a person worth being a good friend to," she replied.

| returned the smile back then let myself get comfy on my pillow. It only took a few minutes but then both Loren and | were dead asleep in my bed, covered by my old quilt. The next morning, my bruising had gone down significantly. | could feel my fingers on the hand that Kairos broke. My split lip had only one medium sized welt in it instead of two large ones. | showered before morning Basics and Loren helped me cover some of the bruising with make up. The two of us grabbed some fruit from the near empty cafeteria in the basement of our dorm before we headed to Basics.

We ---- got about half way before | started to notice the people whispering "That's her," one girl said. "The idiot who challenged Kairos." The man who she was speaking to snorted. "She looks about twelve pounds, soaking wet. She should've known he'd kick her ass.' Loren pulled me back to look at her. She shook her head. "Don't listen to them," she said under her breath. "You did great." | slowly looked around and noticed that everyone else around us was whispering as well. | was surprised my hearing picked up on it but horrified by what they were saying.

"I can't believe she lost." "can, she has no wolf. She should've known." "Well | heard she didn't know she was a wolf until some strange lady told her she wasn't." "I heard she isn't even a wolf, Just a human spy."