Chapter 49

Thorne

Thorne watched Kairos storm off into the locker room. His heart was pounding with the implications of his friend’s words. He didn’t feel like Zora would get him killed.

He thought Zora would save him.

Thorne shifted his gaze slowly to Maximus. He looked completely unbothered by the conversation, eyes closed under the water and rolling his neck to wet his head. Before Maximus could catch Thorne staring, Thorne slammed the water off. He practically ran to the towels then darted off to his locker. He managed to get changed before Maximus was out of the shower.

Thorne shoved his way out of the locker room, head still spinning. He hadn’t lied to Maximus. Not really, that was. He did think Zora had a secret and he truly wanted to know what it was. But more so, for himself and not Kairos’s murder party.

He also hadn’t lied to Zora. He did think Maximus was being too easy on her. He also couldn’t fucking stand watching Maximus touching her. Something raw deep and angry exploded inside of him every time Max’s hand lingered for too long or held Zora’s arms too tight. Thorne knew he had no right to be, but he was jealous.

He growled to himself as he stormed out of the gym and across campus to his Kairos’s house. He lived in the basement of Kairos’s grandfather’s house. The only shower was on the third floor, next to Kairos’s room. Thorne threw a prayer to the Gods for telling him to shower after Basics. He really didn’t want to deal with the wrath of Kairos after their altercation with Maximus.

Thorne pushed open the door to his room and flicked on the light switch. He’d replaced all the ugly fluorescent bulbs in the basement with dim yellow ones. It cast a hazy feel across the basement. He chucked his bag in the corner of the room then fell onto his bed with a huff.

He’d never felt this lost in his life, not even when his parents had passed. Every muscle in his body was screaming that he was an idiot for rejecting Zora. But his brain was repeating the Queen’s promise to him. The promise of the position of Alpha Consort in the royal court. It was his duty to adhere to her wishes.

But it was his wishes to be with his fated mate.

He slammed the pillow behind him over his face and groaned into it before chucking it across his room. It landed on the floor with a soft thud. There was silence then the shrill ringing of his phone.

Thorne sat straight up in bed and then darted across his room to his desk. He grabbed the receiver off the red rotary phone and held it to his ear.

“Yes?”

“Oh hi, darling!”

Thorne sighed with relief. “I thought something was wrong,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “You never call me this early.”

“Yes, well,” the feminine voice on the other line said. “I had some time between meetings with the court and wanted to check in. I’m sure you’d prefer an eleven in the morning call to an eleven at night call.”

Thorne sighed and slumped into his chair. “I would,” he said. “If it didn’t make me panic. Your Highness, I—”

“Thorne,” the woman chided. “I’ve told you that Victoria is fine, haven’t I?”

“Err – yes but—” Thorne fumbled.

“Then Victoria I wish to be called,” the Queen of the Wolves stated. “How have you been? I haven’t spoken with you since Mateball but I’d assume you would’ve called if you’d had good news!”

Thorne sighed deeply again, rubbing his eyes harder. He tried to figure out how to put his feelings into words.

“I have some news, I suppose,” Thorne started.

“Then why haven’t you called earlier?” Victoria exclaimed. “Go on!”

Thorne rubbed at the back of his neck. “I was gifted a fated mate,” he started. Victoria sucked in a deep breath through the line and Thorne rushed to speak before her. “But I rejected her. I told you I vowed to be a suitable consort for the princess and I intend to keep my vow.”

Victoria was silent for a moment before she released a gust of air. “Oh, darling,” she chided. “Your happiness is far more important to me that.”

“But my vows to you are important than my happiness,” Thorne shook his head. “You’ve done everything for me Victoria. The least I can do is allow your daughter to choose me as her mate.”

Victoria hummed. There was another stagnant silence. Then Victoria continued.

“Are you feeling the effects of rejection?” she said softly.

“Sometimes,” Thorne swallowed. Most times, actually. Whenever he was around Zora he felt this deep pang in his gut like he’d been stabbed. “But it’s manageable for the most part.”

“I see,” Victoria hummed. “Well, you know fated bonds are irreplicable but perhaps a chosen mate bond would be created between you two?”

“If the princess—” Thorne started but Victoria cut him off.

“Of course if the Princess chooses you it will be futile,” she said. “But if not, could be a strong chosen bond. Who is this person? Do you like them? Tell me about them.”

Thorne carded a hand through his still wet hair. He hadn’t bound it back yet and it hung around his face like a curtain. He thought about how to describe Zora to Victoria.

“She’s fiery,” he started with, slowly. “And bold and brash and hotheaded, but it’s all things that make her wonderful. She has the looks of an old Goddess. Fiery red hair and freckles all over her face. She was wolfless for a while but with the breaking of the fated mate bond—”

Thorne scratched his head, slightly upset with himself for being the cause of Zora’s first transformation.

“—She shifted for the first time,” he continued. “Her eyes are like nothing I’ve ever seen. Yellow and yet brown and blue and green. Some sort of magiks have to be within her. She’s stunning but still learning how to be a wolf. I offered to help her, you know. Especially since you assigned me her knight.”

Victoria coughed on the other line. Thorne frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“Zora,” Victoria choked out. “Your fated mate is Zora?”

“Apologies for not telling you sooner,” Thorne said, sheepishly. “I thought you’d heard through the grapevine which is why you’d assigned me to her.”

“I had not,” Victoria said sharply. She dropped her voice as if she was talking to herself. “Oh, Gods above, this is interesting.”

“What’s wrong?” Thorne said, quickly. “I know you want my happiness but have I done something wrong? I promise I was acting on the good of the throne—”

“No, no, nothing wrong,” Victoria cleared her throat. “Just surprised is all. I was asked to keep Zora safe by someone. I assigned you to her because of that, not because I knew you were fated. But, now that I do know, I think my ruling still stands. You will be Zora’s knight.”

Thorne frowned again, utterly confused. “Aren’t High Alphas the only one’s who are to take knights?”

“They… are,” Victoria stuttered. “But Zora wishes me to keep her identity safe for a bit longer. You will learn in due time. Just know that she is as important to me as you are. You are to hold her life at the regard of your own.”

Thorne couldn’t find the words to say. He knew Zora was someone important. He couldn’t quite pin his finger on who or what but he was going to find out. He hummed in response to Victoria’s comment.

“Alright darling, I must go,” she sighed. “The Southern North America pack is causing issues again and I must meet with their Alpha. Stay safe and keep Zora safe as well.”

“Of course,” Thorne replied, softly. “Goodbye, mother.”

“Goodbye, darling,” Victoria said.

Then the line went dead. Thorne was left with a hundred more questions. None with answers.