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#Chapter 152: The Chase
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2024-02-02 23:17:40
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His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 153: History Lessons
I spent the night staring at the concrete walls around me. Every muscle in my body ached, and my eyes burned, but even so, I couldnโt sleep. Now and then, I fell into a fitful slumber, tossing and turning until I was shocked back awake. At one point, I gave up completely and traced patterns on the wall with my finger to pass the time.When Jeremy appeared with my breakfast, I could hardly stomach the thought of eating. He just watched me, not speaking, as I spooned porridge into my mouth. A few times, I had to resist the urge to gag. He didnโt say a word when he left, either, but I jumped when the door slammed shut behind him.Despondency folded around me, and I curled up in bed. I couldnโt even bring myself to plan some sort of escapeโto even hope for one. Whatever they wanted with me, they were going to get. Iโd never felt so helpless before. A few tears rolled down my cheeks, but I didnโt even have the energy to cry.I should have listened to Jack. I never should have run off with
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-02-02His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 154: Surveillance
MattI settled deeper into the dirt and propped myself up by the elbows. Through my binoculars, I could see the looming gray wall and the cast iron gate that served as the only entrance. No movement occurred on either side, but I knew they were in there. They were being careful about it, but the building wasn’t as abandoned as they were trying to make it seem.“How do we get in there?” Jack mumbled. He had a matching pair of binoculars to his eyes, the hood of his camo jacket pulled up over his head.“Not easily.”
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-02-03His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 155: Bad Blood
AlyxHe ran beside his brother, his eyes trained on the trees in front of him. He knew this territory like the back of his hand, but something about it felt different. Something didn’t belong. Beside him, Rocky ran with his nose pressed close to the ground. It was rare for him to be separated from his twin, and Alyx could tell he was uneasy.They stopped for a moment to sniff around, and Alyx nudged his flank with his nose. It had been so long since he’d run with one of his brothers, and he was thrumming with excitement. Rocky picked up on his energy and gave him a playful snap.
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-02-03His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 156: Nightmares
The woods were dark and eerily silent.I stepped into a small clearing, grass crunching beneath my paws.“Celeste?” a familiar voice said. Standing across the wide expanse in the trees was Matt. He was still human, and he took a tentative step out of the dense cover. “Celeste?” he called in a low voice. A shiver ran through me, and I moved closer.He took a few more steps, his blue eyes bright. He reached out his hand, a pleading look on his face. “Celeste!”A momen
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-02-04His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 157: Howl
Weeks went by, and I counted the days by clawing gouge marks into the concrete wall beside my bed. I’d finally mastered getting my claws to appear and retract, though I still hadn’t managed a full shift. Despite hearing my wolf, demanding that I give in, I just couldn’t do it. Alyx, in his infinite wisdom, though I had some sort of mental block.“You’re the one choosing not to shift,” he said, circling me. “You’re afraid to give in.”We were in the training ring. Jeremy stood off the side, his arms folded across his chest. He wasn’t as outwardly impatient as Alyx, but his hits landed just as hard. Sure, I
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-02-04His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 158: The Motel
MattI pulled up to the motel and turned off the engine. The red neon sign flickered in the darkness, and light spilled from the small office where an old woman sat knitting. Lights were on in three of the rooms, but the curtains were closed. The motel was a few towns over from the Crescent compound. We moved every week, picking a new place to stay. We didn’t want them to find us. They knew we were watching them if their increased patrols were any sign.Someone knocked on the window, and my muscles tensed. Seth leaned down to look at me, his brow furrowed.I waved for him to s
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-02-05His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 159: Gilded Cage
I was midway through my second month of captivity when Zoe came into my cell, a half-smile on her face.“Come on,” she said, gesturing for me to follow her. “You’re getting a better room.”I didn’t move at first. As much as I hated this room, it was familiar. Regardless of how nice Zoe seemed, I didn’t trust her. I didn’t trust any of them.Then again, a new room could mean they were getting lax. Maybe they thought I was getting used to this place. Getting complacent. I was still training without complaint. Still sitting through awkwar
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-02-05His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 160: A Few Good Hits
Three months had passed, and I still hadn’t manifested any powers. I knew Ronan was growing impatient, that Alyx and Jeremy were supposed to do anything they could to get me to show some form of power, but nothing had happened. It didn’t matter how many times they beat me up, or got me to shift into my wolf, I was still just ordinary.Maybe they got it wrong, I thought. Maybe I’m nothing special.That didn’t bode well for me. I didn’t know what they’d do to me if I never showed signs of the powers my mother had, but I didn’t think it would be good. It was clear, considering how much time had passed, that no one was coming
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2024-02-06
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His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 200: The Mask
EpilogueThe sounds of plates clinking together, and the low hum of chit-chat, merged into the background as I listened to Fiona describe her latest assignment. She was stuck in a geography class that she needed for distribution, and it was driving her nuts. Her professor was a mean, curmudgeonly old man, and a notoriously difficult marker.โHe gave me a Cโ. A Cโ! That was not a C worthy paper.โJack nodded. โI read it. It was pretty good.โShe rounded on him. โPretty good?โHe put his hands up, a small smile on his lips. โReally pretty good?โShe huffed but turned back to me. โYour brother is a pain in the ass.โI smiled. โYouโre telling me.โ Theyโd only been together for a few years, but they already bickered like an old married couple. Matt and I were actually married, but we didnโt even bicker like that. It was as endearing as it was exhausting.Matt sank into his seat beside me and slid me a cup of coffee. I threw him a grateful look. Our peacekeeping duties had kept us late the
His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 199: Ever After
MattThe nerves made me jittery, and I bounced my knee so hard it rattled the bench. Seth gave me a knowing look before bending over to finish tying his skates. I focused on taping my stick, letting muscle memory take over. All the guys knew what I planned to do tonight, and they kept throwing me knowing looks as I tried to stay calm.It was the last home game before playoffs started. A part of me kept thinking that I should wait, but an even greater part of me didnโt want to wait one more second. If life had taught me anything, it was that we didnโt know how much time we might have. I didnโt want to waste another second of it. I especially didnโt want to waste time just because I was afraid.โDude, stop vibrating the bench,โ our goalie James called. โIโm trying to focus.โโSorry,โ I answered. If there was one rule in hockey, it was to not mess with the goalie, especially right before a game. If he needed to focus, then I just needed to find a way to chill the fuck out.Enzo gave me a
His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 198: The Score
The arena was buzzing with energy as Matt got the puck and darted forward to take advantage of the breakaway. He sent the puck into the corner of the net, and I jumped to my feet. Beside me Fiona screamed so loud, heads turned in our direction. Jack cringed slightly, throwing her a bemused look.It was the first home game of the year, and Matt was giving everything he had to make sure the team got a win. Around us, the school cheered as he skated by, knocking fists with his teammates. It was his second goal of the night, his first a tricky tip in after Sethโs initial shot rebounded. It was 3-1 with only four minutes left in the third period.โHeโs playing great,โ Nina said from my other side as the cheering died down, and we took our seats again.โHe is.โ Over on the bench, Enzo stood in a dark suit, his head bent as he talked to one of his players.He and Nina were staying one more year. Even though Nina graduated in the spring, her father was giving her the year to clean up the town
His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 197: Family Reunion
โAre you ready for this?โ Jack asked, his eyes trailing over my face, looking for any signs of fear or hesitation. I schooled my features into a blank mask. Sure, I was nervous, but he didnโt need to see that. He already hated that heโd gotten me involved. Too bad I was the only one that could do this, and Iโd do anything to get the Schreibers out of our town.I took a deep breath and gazed up at the towering mansion. It was on the outskirts of town, far enough away that Iโd never seen it, but still close enough for the Schreibers to cause havoc. The house seemed quiet, but I knew our grandfather lurked inside. Him and whoever survived the fight.โIโm ready,โ I said, keeping my voice steady. Matt and the rest of the Peacekeepers had already surrounded the house. They were keeping their distance but staying close enough just in case we needed them. It made me feel better knowing he was out there. I knew, without a doubt, that Matt would do anything to keep me safe. Just like Iโd do any
His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 196: Looking Forward
JackโHey!โ Jack called, running to catch up with Fiona. She stopped walking and turned to give him a curious look. โIโll walk you home,โ he said when he reached her side.She gave him a bemused look. Technically, her place was only five minutes from campus, but that didnโt mean she should walk alone at night. Plus, he hadnโt seen her since she moved back in with her roommate, and he wanted a moment alone with her.โAlright,โ she said with a shrug. โIf you insist.โHe smiled. โBetter safe than sorry.โโBye,โ Celeste called, waving at them. She gave him a knowing smile, and he glowered at her. She clearly knew something was going on, but it wasnโt her business. They needed to figure this out for themselves.She and Matt were headed in the opposite direction, back toward the house. Matt was still haunting the halls. Everywhere Jack went, there he was. In the bathroom, when he needed to piss. In the kitchen, when he was hungry. Even in the living room at night, making out with his sister
His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 195: The Oath
โI promise to protect this town,โ Jack said, his hand over his heart. โI promise to fight for peace, and to not rest until it is achieved. I promise to treat all life as equal. I devote myself to this cause from now until my last breath.โNina dipped her head in acknowledgement, and Jack let his hand drop to his side. I stepped forward next and repeated the oath. It was the same words every person in this room had recited when they agreed to become a Peacekeeper. It wasnโt something to take lightly, and I didnโt plan to.โI devote myself to this cause from now until my last breath,โ I said, stepping back beside my brother. Fiona stood at his other side. She took the oath first, saying the words with the utmost confidence.I locked eyes with Matt, and he gave me a proud smile, his eyes gleaming. Our friends sat around the room, and, as if given some invisible cue, they all began to hoot and clap. They stood up and slapped the three of us on the back. I got pulled into hugs, one after t
His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 194: Lovers
Matt closed my bedroom door behind us and leaned his crutches against the wall. He hobbled over to the bed and sank down onto the mattress with a soft groan. โJust as I remember it,โ he said, jumping a little. โSo soft.โDownstairs, Fiona, and Jack were rifling around in the kitchen. They offered to make us something, but neither of us were very hungry.Matt lay back and stretched his arms over his head, his shirt riding up just enough to reveal the smooth skin along his waistline. His hip bones dipped down into his cargo pants and I bit my lip, desperate to get my hands on him, but still worried about his wounds. Sure, he was up and moving around, but that didnโt mean he should be doing physical activity. I didnโt know a lot about werewolf healing, but I wasnโt willing to risk him.โI missed this room,โ he continued, turning to look at me through hooded eyes.The purple bedspread brought back a flood of memories. Iโd spent so much of my life in this room. I had so many memories, and
His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 193: Home
MattI held onto Celesteโs hand, leaning heavily on the two crutches I had propped under my opposite arm. A feeling of intense dรฉjร vu swept through me as I watched Seth step forward and light the pyre. Around us, others did the same until dark smoke rose into the blue spring sky. I hoped this was the last funeral I ever had to go to, at least for a long while.Celeste had a blank expression on her face that worried me more than anything. Beside her, Jack and Fiona stood holding hands. Fiona was crying, and Jack had a stricken look on his face. As one, he and Celeste let go of our hands and stepped forward. They lit the last pyre.โGoodbye dad,โ Celeste said, just loud enough for me to hear. My heart squeezed.Jack didnโt speak, he just lowered his gaze and stepped back beside Fiona. She immediately took his hand, but he didnโt look up from his shoes. I understood the warring emotions he was feeling. He hated his father for abandoning him, and he felt guilty that he got killed right i
His Secret Princessย ย ย #Chapter 192: Shell Shock
Those of us still on our feet spent the rest of the day tending to the wounded. God, there were so many of them. Every wound I saw, every cry of pain I heard, felt like a knife to the gut. Everywhere I went, I saw pain, death, and gore.It was all too much.โHey,โ Jack said, giving me a concerned look. โTake a break if you need to.โHe was still covered in blood, and I could barely stand to look at him. Heโd taken a few minutes to wipe most of it off his face, but he hadnโt stopped to change his clothes. None of us had. There hadnโt been time.โI canโt.โI couldnโt get my fatherโs face out of my mind. Jack took me to his body shortly after the fight ended, tears in his eyes. I allowed myself to cry only for a minute before I helped him move the body to the small grassy area behind the church. That was where we were laying out the dead before weโd give them all proper funerals.There were already too many bodies out there. Seth had collapsed beside Jennaโs bloody form and hadnโt moved
