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#Chapter 37: Close Call
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
His Secret Princess #Chapter 38: Errand Girl
Celeste The throbbing in my head was my first clue that last night had been a bit too wild, even if it was just a private dance party of one. My room was in a state of disarray, with empty bottles and discarded clothes scattered around like confetti. As I groggily sat up, fragments of the night’s escapades flashed through my mind. I remembered considering something about Matt… unblocking him? A sense of urgency washed over me, and I practically lunged for my phone on the nightstand. Scrolling through my contacts, I finally landed on Matt’s name. Blocked. The only notification on my phone was from Fiona: “Good job, dancer girl! I hope you’re excited for your first day of practice, and you’d better be getting coffee with me afterwards to tell me all about it!” A rush of relief coursed through me. Thankfully, my drunken self hadn’t done anything too regrettable. I pushed the covers aside, the cool morning air refreshing against my skin. Jack’s room was eerily silent, which me
His Secret Princess #Chapter 39: Ill-Fated Meeting
Matt The lingering scent of cologne hung in the air as I adjusted my collar, peering into the bathroom mirror. It was another evening, and I had agreed to meet up with Sabrina. Why I did was still a mystery to me; perhaps it was the allure of unraveling another, more important mystery; the identity of the masked girl. Sabrina had insisted we meet at ‘The Blue Lagoon’, a dimly lit bar at the heart of town. It was a dive bar, but it was only one of three in the entire town. She had mentioned something about it being a suitable place for our discussion. Knowing her, ‘discussion’ could mean anything from genuine conversation to something far less dignified. The moment I walked in, Sabrina, with her blonde hair cascading down her back, waved at me from the bar. A sly smile was stretched across her face. “Over here, Matty boy,” she purred. I made my way over, offering a half-smile in response to the bothersome nickname. I kept telling myself that this was necessary, that I j
His Secret Princess #Chapter 40: Errands and Dances
Celeste Amid the hustle and bustle of school life, a looming dance competition, and the myriad of demands that came with it, there was Sabrina and her incessant errands. If anyone asked me to describe my life at that time, it would be one chaotic swirl with a dance spotlight in the center and Sabrina’s demanding voice echoing in the background. My thoughts, outside of school and Sabrina’s increasingly taxing errands, were consumed by the upcoming competition. For what felt like the first time in a long time, I didn’t think about Matt or even Jack. Practice hours had doubled, and every spare moment found me either in front of a mirror, perfecting a move, or in the library, grabbing a moment of respite. However, Sabrina’s demands were getting more incessant. It started out with simple requests: pick up dry cleaning, call the maintenance person for Sabrina’s apartment, grab her coffee on the way to class. However, it quickly became more and more demanding, and it was bordering
His Secret Princess #Chapter 41: Cornered
CelesteI ran down the corridor, my heart pounding as though it wanted to break free from my chest. The echo of Matt’s voice filled the air, his cries growing louder as he realized that I was the one he was looking for.“Hey! Wait, please, let me talk to you!”I cursed under my breath. I couldn’t stop; I wouldn’t stop. The past was chasing me, threatening to engulf me in a storm of questions and emotions I wasn't ready to face. What could he possibly want from me?The clatter of my shoes against the floor guided me to an empty lecture hall. I fumbled with the door, my shaking hands finding the handle just as I heard his footsteps drawing near.Once inside, I hurried to the other side of the room, hoping to find another exit.But there was none. The back end of the lecture hall was just one flat wall.“Shit,” I whispered to myself, whirling around as my breath became ragged beneath my mask. “Not even a fire exit? This can’t be legal.”The door swung open behind me, and I was trapped. M
His Secret Princess #Chapter 42: The Thrill
Celeste“A… A date?” I stammered, the words feeling foreign in my mouth.“Yes,” Matt said, his smile growing, his eyes alight with excitement. “A date. You, me, a nice restaurant. Or maybe a movie? We can just talk and have a nice time. Nothing needs to happen outside of that.”I frowned, pulling away slightly, my heart aching with conflicting emotions. Matt’s grip on my wrist released, and I slipped out from between him and the wall to broaden the distance between us.“I don’t know…” I murmured.“Come on, Mystery Girl,” he said gently, still holding my mother’s necklace in his hand. “You know we had something special at the ball. Don’t you want to explore that a little?”I swallowed, adjusting my mask on my face. “I do, but… I don’t know. You realize this can’t go anywhere, right?”Matt said nothing. His face remained stony, determined. It seemed as though he wasn’t backing down.This was dangerous territory. The logical part of me knew that getting involved with Matt would only lead
His Secret Princess #Chapter 43: All’s Well That Ends Well
Celeste“A date?” Fiona’s eyes widened as I dropped the bombshell on her in the library the next day. “With Matt?”“Shh,” I said, pressing my finger to my lips as I noticed the glares from nearby students who were trying to study.Fiona’s face turned a little red. “Sorry,” she murmured. “Really, though, Celeste? A date?”“Yes, Fi,” I whispered, feeling my cheeks get warm. “A date.”She stared at me, her mouth slightly agape, and then shook her head. “Celeste, this can’t end well. You know how these things go.”I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. “I know, but it’s just one date. Besides, I… I don’t know. Maybe something more will come out of it, if you know what I mean. I’m nineteen, almost twenty. It’s about time.”Fiona’s face flashed with obvious anger. “So you’re going to use him to lose your virginity.”“No!” I hissed, my face getting even more red.“Hey! Shut up!” a nearby student snarled. “This is the library!”“Sorry,” Fiona and I murmured at the same time.I turned back to Fi
His Secret Princess #Chapter 44: The Girl Behind the Mask
Celeste We were on the road for a while, the town’s lights slowly fading behind us, and the rhythmic hum of the car was almost hypnotizing.I found myself glancing at Matt every so often, catching his profile in the dim glow of the dashboard. I could sense an easiness about him, a calm that made me feel comfortable.
His Secret Princess #Chapter 45: True Colors
Celeste My eyes widened at Matt’s question, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The candlelit dinner had been going wonderfully until he had asked why I always wore my mask. I knew the question was inevitable, but that didn't make it any easier to answer.“I… Um…” I stammered, struggling to come up with a response.
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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
