The Hidden Luna Queen 2

Maeve POV

Back at that disaster of a party, I recalled him saying that he would be taking me to live with him, but he never specified a particular place. Surely he hadn't meant the royal palace. Not the place where the Alpha King and his family resided. Oh, how I hoped he wasn't the type of royal to live there!

As the car steadily approached a large, majestic gate decorated with the royal family crest, mild panic began to swell within me. Besides Xaden, I had never met another member of the nobility. I had no idea what they were like, nor what they would think of someone like me stepping into their territory.

Glancing down at my wine-soaked mess of a dress and my little baby bump, I couldn't help but feel self-conscious. I didn't loathe my unborn baby... but I still needed time to come to terms with all the changes that were happening to me. "What's wrong?"

I looked over at Xaden and noticed he was eying me with a hint of concern.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to show up at the royal palace looking like this...?" I asked shyly, gesturing to my clothes.

...

Xaden flashed a smirk at me. "Who said anything about going to the palace?"

I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "Then where...?"

He directed my gaze to something on the horizon. Instead of entering the gates, the car changed course and, suddenly, I was able to see where we were headed. Indeed, we were not going to the royal palace.

We headed straight for a mansion.

I stared, awestruck, at the mansion from my seat near the window. Despite the stately architecture, it was small compared to that of the royal palace and was located deep within the grounds, far from prying eyes and hidden behind a grove of hickory trees, which made it feel reassuringly private.

This is Prince Xaden's home?

I turned to him. "Why aren't we staying at the palace?"

"You don't want that,” he said, planting his hand on my own. "Trust me."

A faint memory flashed in my mind upon hearing those last words-a dimly lit room and the scent of clean sheets... a handsome figure haloed by lamplight hovered above me, his coarse fingers grazing my ticklish skin as he whispered those seductively sinful words.. "Trust me..."

I blushed.

But, at the same time, something dark twisted inside me. Did he... mean to hide me? If that was the case, I wanted no part of it-I'd hidden enough to last a lifetime. "Please, tell me," I implored. "I want to know."

There was a brief moment of silence as Prince Xaden hesitated.

"Life in the palace is not as glamorous as one might think," he sighed." My brothers-the other Alpha Princes-and their ambitious families hunger for the throne as if their very lives depend on it, and every day is a race to gain the favor of the king and our subjects. When the kingdom projected me as the best candidate for Heir Apparent, everything only worsened, and... I... I didn't want to live with that anymore, so I moved here while still being able to fulfill my royal duties."

His fingers brushed along my palm. "It's exhausting..." he murmured," having a family that you can't trust."

I gazed at him.

This seemed to be a secret side of Prince Xaden that he didn't allow himself to share with outsiders. Of course, how could he? As an admired prince and a potential heir apparent to the crown, he had a permanent target on his back-it must have been a painful lesson to learn how little he could trust those around him.

For him to feel comfortable enough to share this with me... it warmed me inside. And, not only that, but he understood the pain that came with a toxic household, just as I did. It was a relief to know that I wasn't alone. And now, neither was he.

I squeezed his hand-a silent promise. "You can always trust me."

Wordlessly, he squeezed back. His eyes shone with something I couldn't quite pinpoint but I yearned to see more of.

An awkward cough from the Prime Beta quickly put an end to that tender moment. However much I enjoyed seeing this soft side of the prince, public displays of affection were a foreign concept for me. I shyly tore my gaze away and intended to move my hand but Prince Xaden kept it locked in place.

"Pay him no mind," he teased. "Beta Burke is usually a background sort of man."

His Beta scoffed with amusement. "Kindly put, Your Highness."

I fidgeted, embarrassed, and kept quiet but left my hand entwined with the prince's. Once the car rolled to a stop in front of the mansion, Burke exited the car first, being the one closest to the door. Xaden was next to leave and, turning back to me, he offered his hand to help me out of the car.

I looked at his hand with uncertainty. Should he really be helping me out like this?

"You don't have to be afraid," he said, further extending his hand.

Slowly, I reached out and took his hand-big and warm and welcoming.

"Welcome back, Prince Xaden, sir," a short, plump woman greeted with a low, reverent curtsy as the three of us approached the grand main doors of the mansion. "Did your outing to Moonstone go well?"

He strode inside with myself and Beta Burke in tow. "As well as it could have, Maggie. Though I did manage to return with something that made it all worth it."

My heart pounded. Did he mean...?

Xaden planted his hand on my back and nudged me forward. "This is Maeve," he said, and heat rose on my cheeks as I realized the implication of his words. "She's going to be staying with us indefinitely." With a lifted eyebrow, Maggie dipped her head. "How do you do, miss?"

I bowed in response. "Hello, ma'am," I whispered.

"As much as I'd like to stay, I have some business I need to attend to," Xaden admitted, before turning to the housekeeper. "In the meantime,

please get this young woman a fresh change of clothes and show her around the grounds."

My face fell. "You're leaving?"

The corners of his lips tilted upwards. "I'll only be in my study. I won't be too far away. Besides, Maggie, here, will take very good care of you," he reassured before glancing back towards the housekeeper, "won't you, Maggie?" "Of course, sire," she affirmed in earnest.

Anxiety bubbled in my stomach. This wasn't my territory and she knew that to her, I was just some dirty woman that Xaden picked up off the streets. I hoped she wasn't going to be as judgmental as she appeared to be. Xaden rubbed my back, a gesture I found soothing. "You'll be fine," he promised. "I'll catch up when I can."

And with that, the prince and his beta left.

"Alright, little miss-come here. Front and center," Maggie said with a clap, and the authority in her voice made me hustle into formation. "Now, if you could please tell me your name and your purpose for being here." "My purpose?"

"What are you to His Royal Highness?"

That question rendered me at a loss for words. Xaden and I hadn't yet discussed the depth of our relationship-was I supposed to be his mistress... or just a pregnant one-night stand... or something else entirely? We could hardly be considered friends, yet we were not quite lovers either... but there was some sort of undeniable connection between the two of us that we could not really explain.

For goodness' sake, we were even expecting a baby together, which would never have happened without that cosmic connection. A baby he seemed to sincerely want, unlike my family who kept me solely for the sake of their reputation.

That had to mean something right?

"Ahem."

Maggie stared at me expectantly as I jolted back to reality. "Miss?" she

pressed.

"Oh... my name is Maeve."

"And your purpose?"