Their Hidden Princess Novel

---- Chapter 41 | frowned. | felt like I'd had that sensation before. Loren squeezed my elbow, sensing how uncomfortable | was. "It'll be okay," she said softly. "Apparently, your body will know what to do." "It's true," Petyr chimed in. | snapped my head towards him. It was the first time he'd addressed me in a way that wasn't malicious. He tugged Alessia closer to him and looked deep in her eyes. "| saw her across the dance floor," he continued.

"And | thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world, lit up by the moonlight in that silver dress." Petyr nuzzled his face into the space between Alessia's chin and chest. She laughed lightly and rested her head on top of his. She planted a light kiss to his cheek bone then drew back. She noticed | was looking at them and smiled lightly at me "Even if your mate isn't in the room, don't lose hope," she said." My first year, Peytr wasn't at school yet. | felt the dull thrum and | knew | had time to wait." | turned towards Loren.

"Did you feel the thrum?" She smiled sadly at me and | felt her own sadness work it's way through my ---- bones. "I'm sorry," | said quietly. "It's okay!" she said, perky as ever. "I can still choose a mate. But that's a whole different type of Mateball." | nodded. "What happens then?" Petyr gestured towards the dancefloor with a smug smirk. "If you look there, you'll see how the Chosen mates court one another," he said. | looked over my shoulder and the first person | saw was Bella. Her long black signature ponytail was down that night.

Her hair was woven into a loose braid on the bottom that fanned into curls around her face. She was twirling across the dance floor like a snowflake falling in winter: all graceful and elegant. At the end of her spin, she extended her arm. A masculine hand darted out from the crowd and accepted hers. She pulled the man attached to it out to the floor. His hand immediately went to her waist, lingering above her ass. When | saw the man, | gasped. It was Valentin. My hand went to my mouth as | watched his other hand slide into hers. They spun around the dancefloor like a work of art.

| couldn't help the deep pang of jealousy that spurred in my chest. For all the touches that Valentin avoided, or the fiery connection the two of us felt, | never thought he'd go so far as to pick a chosen mate over me. ---- Don't show how upset you are, my inner voice said. Don't let them win | chomped on my lower lip, inevitably messing up the red lip that Maja had put on me earlier in the day. | continued to watch Valentin and Bella twirl across the floor with a plethora of other couples. The others looked like they we're in love, eyes locked and lips curled in smiles.

Valentin looked neutral as ever. So much so, it was sending Bella into a scowl. "Excuse me," a voice ripped me out of my staring. "May | cut in?" | turned towards the voice but | already knew who it was. Maximus stood behind me. He was wearing a dark blue suit that made his eyes pop against his skin. His hair was shirred short to. his skull yet was darker than his suit. Petyr, Loren and Alessia had all turned towards him. "May I?" Maximus said. | glanced down and noticed his hand was extended. "What?" | said softly. "May | have this dance?" Maximus repeated.