#Chapter 84: My Big Brother, the Hero

I felt like I had been hit in the chest. All of my air went whooshing out of me and I struggled to get it back in. There's no way that he had just said that. There's no way that this man could actually be my father.

"I know it must come as a shock to you, but I swear on your mother's grave that I am telling you the truth," he said and I could tell that he really believed it. He really believed that he was my father.

"My father's dead. He died when I was little," I told him automatically, having had to say it my entire life. The familiarity of the phrase helped me calm down. I reminded myself that I was talking to a crazy person. My father was dead. Plain and simpl

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• His Secret Princess   #Chapter 85: Werewolves Are Real

  MattMatt leaned against the building wall, his head thrown back to the bricks. He closed his eyes as he tried not to be overwhelmed by the information that they had just received. They had just confirmed that the werewolf from before was back. All the attacks going on around campus were due to the same wolf.Was having one normal year of college too much to ask for? He didn't want to deal with any of this shit. He just wanted to play hockey, hang out with his friends, go to class…and, of course, talk to Rose. And the one person he wanted to confide in, he couldn't because she had no idea that werewolves existed. Much less that he

• His Secret Princess   #Chapter 86: Disobedient Brat

  JackThe one thing that Jack hated more than werewolves was laundry. He hated doing it. He hated sifting through it. He hated putting it away. He wished he had some form of magic that would just do it for him.But he didn't. So here he was, over two hours later, trying to find a specific pair of shorts that he wanted to wear tonight. Jack had torn his room apart, yet he still couldn't find them. Did the washing machine eat them?Or maybe they were in Celeste's room. Due to her baggy clothes, their stuff often got mixed up. Normally he'd ask Celeste to find them, but she wasn't at home at the moment. He'd have to find it himself.He trudged through the mess he had created and went straight into Celeste's room. Compared to his, her room looked like an absolute dream. Everything had a place and he knew for a fact that her closet was just as organized.He shifted through the neatly hung clothes until he found the shorts section. He finally found the pair he was looking for two to three ha

• His Secret Princess   #Chapter 87: No More Secrets

  CelesteI was so nervous. The Masquerade Ball was in about an hour and while I, Celeste, had been banned from going, I, Rose, had not. Jack had already left so I was free to start getting ready.The dress I had picked out was my most daring by far. While I didn't much like the limelight, nobody there would know that I was Celeste. All they would know is that I was Matt's girlfriend. And Matt's girlfriend had to live up to those standards.The dress was blood red, dripping in glittering fake rubies. Gold embroidery swirled around the rubies, looking like magic spells. It had what sta

• His Secret Princess   #Chapter 88: Performance of a Lifetime

  Matt Jack ripping off Rose's…no…Celeste's mask had ripped off Matt's as well. As he stared at the girl who had given him so many conflicted feelings, he wondered how he had missed all the signs before. Celeste's scent, one that he was as familiar with as his own, surrounded him. Had he been so blinded by love that he'd failed to recognize it when she was near him? How could he have possibly thought that she was a different person? A muscle ticked in hi

• His Secret Princess   #Chapter 89: Zombies Exist Too

  CelesteI had lost my freedom completely. I had lost Matt completely. I had lost all of my chances to be happy. It felt like my life was over and maybe it was.Jack didn't let me leave the house without an escort. He had spies all over the campus. I couldn't deviate from my normal schedule, even if it was just for a bathroom break, without getting an irate call asking me what I was doing.But that wasn't the worst consequence of being outed as Rose. I hadn't seen Matt since the ball and he was ignoring all of my calls and texts. It was like I had ceased to exist to him.

• His Secret Princess   #Chapter 90: Rebound

  AlyxIt was finally his turn. He thought he would never get his chance, but Matt had made all of his dreams come true when he broke things off with Celeste in front of the entire school. The moment had been perfect.And now poor Celeste was an absolute wreck. It was such a shame that the only friends that she had were Fiona and himself. Such a shame, indeed.Honestly, though, it worked out in his favor. First with the scene from the ball and then that little display in the hallway, Alyx had little to fear from other competition. The other boys at the school were cowards.

• His Secret Princess   #Chapter 91: Inner Turmoil

  Matt Matt stood beneath the swaying branches of one of the trees on campus, hidden in the shadows like a creeper. Which, technically, he kind of was. His eyes were fixed on Celeste, something he had found himself doing more and more lately.She moved gracefully, her laughter echoing through the clearing, but Matt's heart was heavy with a gnawing unease. She was with Alyx again. Matt couldn't help but resent the easy camaraderie they shared.They were becoming inseparable, and it ate at Matt's soul like a slow-burning fire. He was supposed to be by her side, not Alyx. Matt wasn’t sure why Jack even allowed them to be so close. He was too scared to ask. If he seemed too interested in Celeste, Jack would become suspicious.But each passing day was a searing reminder of how fucked up everything had become since the ball. And each passing day, Matt watched them share secrets, their laughter grating on his ears. He felt as if Celeste was drifting away on a current, leaving Matt stranded on

• His Secret Princess   #Chapter 92: The Decision

  CelesteThe leaves painted the town in hues of amber and gold, casting a warm glow over the familiar streets of campus I had walked down a thousand times before. The crisp air held a promise of change and I had a feeling that I knew what that change was.As I strolled through the park, hands tucked into her hoodie pockets, I couldn't help but steal glances at the person beside me. Alyx, with his easy smile and sparkling eyes, had been a constant presence in my life for the past three months.We did everything together—coffee dates, movie nights, and long walks through campus when we both had free periods. Of course, Fiona had been at the movie nights, too. Jack would have never let me go if it had just been Alyx.I marveled at how Alyx had turned out to be such a sweet, dependable friend. He hadn’t made another move since the kiss in the stairwell. I felt like I could count on him for anything, from a shoulder to lean on to a listening ear in the late hours of the night. Usually after

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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