Their Hidden Princess Novel

---- Chapter 34 "-weak-" "-pathetic-" "-fool-" "she lost-" "lost-" "-lost!-" "=LOST!-" | slammed my hands over my ears and whimpered. All of their voices were so loud in my head, crumbling me down to a shell of a human. | felt someone tug at my good hand. | aimlessly followed them, head ducked down, eyes slammed shut. The pulling stopped and | slammed into someone's back. | crushed my eyes shut and whimpered again, this time out of the pain throbbing in my brain. Hands gently grabbed my forearms and pulled my hands from my ears.

| slowly opened my eyes and was greeted with deep honey-colored eyes. Maximus was gingerly holding my arms and pulling them away from my face. My ears were still ringing from everyone else's ---- voices roaring behind me. | winced slightly and Maximus dropped my arms. His hands went up to cup my face. He gentle pulled me to look at him Our eyes met and | realized this is the closest I'd ever been to him. | could make out freckle just under his right eye. It was faint enough that you had to be this close to see it. "You have to force them to the back of your mind," he said.

He sounded like he was underwater. | tried to nod but cringed again as the voices came back. "-miserable bitch-" "-honestly, who is she-" "-she looks ridiculous-" | slammed my eyes shut again. Maximus's hands cupped my face harder. He shook me slightly and my eyes flew open. "Focus, Zora!" he shouted, still under water. "Use your mind to push them back. Make them a background thrum instead of the front of your mind." | pinched my eyes shut and tried. | envisioned my mental-self shoving the voices back with my hands. | kept pushing and eventually, the quieted down.

| gave them another few pushes and then, they were barely a thrum. ---- | gently pried my eyes open. Maximus was still holding my face, near inches from me. He slowly let go. | blinked a few times, expecting the voices to come back. But they were gone, pressed back into my brain away from me. | tested letting them come forward a bit but then cringed at how loud it was. | pushed them back again. Then, it was silent save for the whistle of the wind down the alley | was standing in. "What the fuck was that?" | whispered.

"Seems as though your wolf has decided to start to wake up," Maximus replied. His hands were back at his sides. | missed their warmth on my face. "Your hearing kicked in. You just heard every conversation in the mile radius of the school." Holy shit. Maximus gave a half laugh. | hadn't realized | said that out loud. " Yeah, not fun," he said. "Mine came in when | was eight. Wound up being the exact time my stepmum was in bed with my dad." He shuddered "Is that how you knew to control it?" | asked, voice still low in fear of making the ringing in my ears return. Maximus nodded.

"Most parents teach their kids when they're young," he said. "We all know how to control it." "Oh," | said. Maximus twisted his face in a way that told me he ---- forgot where | came from. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "| just saw you panicking and knew immediately," he said. "I'm sure Moonbeam could've helped you but - | don't know. | just pulled you hear so you'd be away from all of it when you came out of it." | blinked a few times at him. Didn't he just watch me get my shit rocked yesterday? Who was this man and where was Maximus Wolfham. "Thanks," | said, dully.

"Yeah," Max replied, nodding his head. His hand went back to rub at his neck. "Look, | need to ask you something." My face fell. | was not prepared to handle whatever he was about to throw my way. | pointed over my shoulder. "Basics is starting soon, ya know?" | said. "Can't miss it! Clearly | need more training." | cringed. Maximus's lips set themselves in a thin line. He licked the front of his teeth then pointed his chin at my wrapped wrist. "You can't even spar," he said. "You can be a few minutes late." | frowned. He had me there. | stared at him, waiting for him to speak.

He looked up at the sky and blew out a breath. Then he looked back at me. My hazel eyes met his shiny gold ones and for a moment time stopped. ---- "The Mateball," he said. "I'd like you to go with me."