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#Chapter 18: Plan B
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His Secret Princess #Chapter 19: Fit for a Princess
CelesteThe rain had started as a gentle drizzle but now beat steadily against the window panes. The world outside was blurred, creating a scene of shimmering lights and hazy figures. The atmosphere felt thick with anticipation.The dress store loomed ahead, its bright sign a beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness. It stood there like an old friend, though the circumstances under which I was returning were anything but friendly.“Celeste, are you sure you want to wait outside?” Fiona asked, concern evident in her voice.“Yes. I just... I don’t want to go in there. Not after the last time. What if someone recognizes me?”Fiona sighed. “Alright, but stay close to the entrance. I’ll be in and out in a jiffy.”I nodded, pulling my hood further over my face, taking solace in the comforting darkness it provided. Fiona gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before stepping into the store.With a deep breath, I leaned against the cold brick wall beside the entrance, focusing on the rhythmic pa
His Secret Princess #Chapter 20: Lies and More Lies
CelesteWhen I arrived at home, Jack was none the wiser. I prepared dinner for us—Jack’s favorite, steak and mashed potatoes. I kept quiet as I cleaned the kitchen until it sparkled, and brought Jack an ice cold glass of beer while he sat in the living room.“You’re trying to butter me up, aren’t you?” he asked. “You’re not going to that dance, Celeste. It’s for your own good; trust me. Trust your brother.”“I trust you,” I lied, forcing a fake smile. “And I’m not trying to butter you up. I’m just… Apologizing.”Jack narrowed his eyes at me, but took the glass of beer nonetheless and muttered some words of thanks. I retreated to my room, pacing back and forth and chewing on my nails as I waited for the perfect chance. I had to wait until he was relaxed and drunk for this to work.…A couple of hours later, the house was filled with the deep thrumming of a bass line. The music was Jack’s way of signaling that he was well into his evening festivities. I popped up out of my bed and began
His Secret Princess #Chapter 21: Belle of the Ball
CelesteThe sun had already dipped beneath the horizon by the time I arrived at Fiona's house. The golden hues of dusk greeted me, and with every step towards her front door, I could feel my heart pounding against my chest.Today was finally the day of the ball. Jack had bought my excuse, and our plan was in motion.It was sure to be a tumultuous night, what with having to call my brother every hour and send him the pictures that Fiona and I took ahead of time, but it was a sacrifice that I was willing to make for the sake of getting the chance to attend the ball… and see Matt.Matt still had no idea that I was coming. I was too afraid to text him in case he talked to my brother and they somehow put two and two together. Hopefully, he didn’t have another date lined up; but if the texts he sent me were any indication, it seemed to me that he didn’t.I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he finally saw me there. In my mind, it was like a fairytale. I imagined his eyes widenin
His Secret Princess #Chapter 22: Duality
CelesteThe opulent ballroom swirled around me, a kaleidoscope of color, music, and laughter.But at that moment, time felt suspended. Matt’s piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, hand outstretched. “May I have this dance?”For a split second, my mind raced to find an answer, but my heart knew it had only one. “Of course,” I replied, allowing my fingers to slide into his strong grasp.Matt's fingers curled around mine, his gaze piercing into my masked face, the world melting away into nothing but the two of us. The swell of the music rose, and as we moved to the rhythm, there was a palpable tension in the air.His grip was firm, yet gentle, leading me effortlessly across the floor, our steps matching perfectly.“I thought you said you weren’t coming,” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. “What changed?”I shrugged. “My mind changed,” I lied. “That’s all.”“Well, I’m not complaining. I’m just happy to see you again.” He smirked, that familiar smirk I’d seen countless times. “You know,
His Secret Princess #Chapter 23: Revelations
Celeste“I know who this ‘Mystery Girl’ is.”The moment Sabrina’s voice uttered those words, I retreated further into the stall, praying she wouldn’t discover me. My breath hitched in my throat as I pressed myself up against the wall.The whispers and giggles filled the space, my heart rate accelerating with every insinuation.“Come on, Sabrina, just spill already! Who is this mystery girl? And what’s with the mask?” I recognized Eliza's voice; she and Sabrina had been two peas in a toxic pod since… well, since forever.Sabrina let out a teasing laugh. “A girl has to have her secrets, doesn’t she?” she cooed. “Just wait. Time will tell.”“Aww, Brina!” another voice whined. “You can’t leave us hanging like this!”Sabrina just chuckled again and tapped the side of her head. “You’ll find out soon enough. I’m cooking something up in here. It’s gonna be good; trust me.”Hidden within the confines of the stall, my breathing grew shallow as the cold bite of Sabrina’s words continued to sprea
His Secret Princess #Chapter 24: The Walls I Built
CelesteMy heart raced, and a chill ran down my spine as Matt's words lingered in the air.“I know who you are.”The universe seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the weight of the revelation to crash down. My mind raced. How? When? Was it Sabrina who told him?The myriad of possibilities replayed in my mind: a slip of my tongue, an unwitting recognition by a mutual acquaintance, or maybe the mask hadn’t been as concealing as I’d hoped.Memories of the past, moments of vulnerability, and my reasons for donning the mask in the first place cascaded through my thoughts.The pain of old scars, the years spent constructing the walls around my heart, and the hope that tonight, just tonight, I could be someone else—all of it threatened to come undone.Was I so transparent, so easily deciphered? If Matt had seen through me, how many others had as well?With every heartbeat that thundered in my ears, fear intertwined with embarrassment. I was on the precipice of being exposed, and the freefa
His Secret Princess #Chapter 25: Web of Lies
CelesteThe suffocating weight of the ballroom’s atmosphere and the tumultuous whirlwind of emotions pressed me to seek solace. It was time to call my brother before he got suspicious again.Without a moment’s hesitation, I slipped out of Matt’s grip and darted towards the restrooms. My heels clicked against the marbled floors, echoing the rapid rhythm of my heart.Barely catching my breath, I locked myself into a stall, carefully placing my mask on the hook and pulling my hair back tightly. With trembling hands, I dialed Jack’s number, holding my breath for what felt like an eternity.“Finally,” came his gruff voice. The tiny screen lit up with a FaceTime request. “Face me,” he ordered.Trying to control my racing heart, I angled the camera towards the white-tiled wall, ensuring he couldn’t discern my location.“Celeste, where are you? Why can't I see you?”“Just... bear with me,” I whispered, sliding the straps of my dress down and turning the camera towards my face, still carefully
His Secret Princess #Chapter 26: Behind the Mask
CelesteWhile I was busy at the ball, the winter weather picked up. The atmosphere inside the warm greenhouse garden was a facade, just like my mask.Now, as I walked back to Fiona’s house, the icy wind whipped around me and the fresh snow crunched under my feet, causing the hem of my dress to become damp. Every sound was muffled by the snow, casting the world in a heavy silence.But I didn’t feel any of that, because with every step towards Fiona’s house, the crushing weight of the evening bore down on me more than the snow and the wind.Tears blurred my vision, causing the snowflakes in the air to morph into shimmering white stars. The realization that the fairytale, the brief respite from my daily life, had come to its end was more crushing than I had anticipated. I felt as though I had been suspended in a beautiful dream, only to be jolted awake by the cold slap of reality.Of course Matt would choose Sabrina over me. She was a bitch, but she was a hot and beautiful bitch. For all
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His Secret Princess #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.“He gave me a C–. A C–! That was not a C worthy paper.”Jack nodded. “I read it. It was pretty good.”She rounded on him. “Pretty good?”He put his hands up, a small smile on his lips. “Really pretty good?”She huffed but turned back to me. “Your brother is a pain in the ass.”I smiled. “You’re telling me.” They’d only been together for a few years, but they already bickered like an old married couple. Matt and I were actually married, but we didn’t 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 Princess #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 didn’t want to wait one more second. If life had taught me anything, it was that we didn’t know how much time we might have. I didn’t want to waste another second of it. I especially didn’t want to waste time just because I was afraid.“Dude, stop vibrating the bench,” our goalie James called. “I’m trying to focus.”“Sorry,” 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 Princess #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 Seth’s initial shot rebounded. It was 3-1 with only four minutes left in the third period.“He’s playing great,” Nina said from my other side as the cheering died down, and we took our seats again.“He is.” 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 Princess #Chapter 197: Family Reunion
“Are you ready for this?” 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 didn’t need to see that. He already hated that he’d gotten me involved. Too bad I was the only one that could do this, and I’d 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 I’d 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.“I’m ready,” 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 I’d do any
His Secret Princess #Chapter 196: Looking Forward
Jack“Hey!” Jack called, running to catch up with Fiona. She stopped walking and turned to give him a curious look. “I’ll walk you home,” he said when he reached her side.She gave him a bemused look. Technically, her place was only five minutes from campus, but that didn’t mean she should walk alone at night. Plus, he hadn’t seen her since she moved back in with her roommate, and he wanted a moment alone with her.“Alright,” she said with a shrug. “If you insist.”He smiled. “Better safe than sorry.”“Bye,” 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 wasn’t 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 Princess #Chapter 195: The Oath
“I promise to protect this town,” Jack said, his hand over his heart. “I 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.”Nina 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 wasn’t something to take lightly, and I didn’t plan to.“I devote myself to this cause from now until my last breath,” 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 Princess #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. “Just as I remember it,” he said, jumping a little. “So soft.”Downstairs, 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 didn’t mean he should be doing physical activity. I didn’t know a lot about werewolf healing, but I wasn’t willing to risk him.“I missed this room,” he continued, turning to look at me through hooded eyes.The purple bedspread brought back a flood of memories. I’d spent so much of my life in this room. I had so many memories, and
His Secret Princess #Chapter 193: Home
MattI held onto Celeste’s hand, leaning heavily on the two crutches I had propped under my opposite arm. A feeling of intense déjà 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.“Goodbye dad,” Celeste said, just loud enough for me to hear. My heart squeezed.Jack didn’t speak, he just lowered his gaze and stepped back beside Fiona. She immediately took his hand, but he didn’t 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 Princess #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.“Hey,” Jack said, giving me a concerned look. “Take a break if you need to.”He was still covered in blood, and I could barely stand to look at him. He’d taken a few minutes to wipe most of it off his face, but he hadn’t stopped to change his clothes. None of us had. There hadn’t been time.“I can’t.”I couldn’t get my father’s 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 we’d give them all proper funerals.There were already too many bodies out there. Seth had collapsed beside Jenna’s bloody form and hadn’t moved
