The Hidden Luna Queen 2

conversation, but ready to hear what they had to say.

A tall, sharply dressed man weaved through the bustling crowds in the capital, carrying a messenger bag filled with important paperwork. As the people excitedly spoke and jabbered amongst themselves, he kept an inquisitive ear open, not quite engaging them in If it involved one of the royals, he was ready for anything.

"But who would have thought? Daring to be seen in public with a mysterious woman? Could she be his Luna?"

"That's ridiculous. They would have announced something by now if that were the case. Obviously, it's way more likely that she's an escort or some other... worker."

"But, apparently, it's not the first time they've gone out together. I heard they visited one of those upscale boutiques down on Mona Road just a few days ago!"

The man's eyebrows raised, intrigued. Prince Xaden, gallivanting around the capital with an unknown woman, was undoubtedly information worthy of being passed on to his esteemed higher-up. But this was not enough.

He needed to know more.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear," he interjected with an apologetic, yet polite and charming smile, redirecting the attention of the gossipers onto him. "Has something happened to Alpha Prince Xaden?"

One of the gossipers let out a short laugh. "You could certainly say that!" They thoroughly supplied the man with every rumor they had heard thus far about Xaden and the mysterious woman in the capital, and he eagerly drank up every word that left their giddy mouths. Once he was satisfied, he entered a car and made a beeline straight for the Royal Palace, and he didn't stop until he reached the decorated desk of his superior.

"Your Highness," the man bowed, lowering his head to his superior, who sat at his desk, swamped with loads of paperwork.

"Prime Beta Garrick, there you are," a bored, masculine voice spoke up as he scribbled something on a sheet of paper. "Care to share where you've been all morning?" "I apologize, I had to run an errand in the capital."

"You look rather spirited for someone who only 'ran an errand."

"That's because I engaged in a rather interesting conversation with some passersby."

"Hm. And what could be so interesting from the mouths of commoners?"

Garrick took a breath before revealing the news. "There have, apparently, been quite a bit of speculation surrounding the Third Prince and a mystery girl around the capital."

The scratch of pen against paper suddenly halted.

"Interesting. Enlighten me, Garrick," Alpha Prince Henry, firstborn of the royal bloodline, murmured with a raised eyebrow as he straightened in his chair. “Just what sort of scandal has my precious, reckless little brother gotten himself into?" Xaden Pov

It had been two days since we visited the Omniscient-and odd-Orenda Gorre, and I still was not sure what to make of everything we had been told.

My mind seemed to race a mile a minute as I tried to process all of this new information. According to the psychic, Maeve and I were so-called " fated mates," which had always been a fairytale sort of notion for

hopeless romantics... and this was why I was somehow able to control my violent heat.

A chill forced its way up my spine as I relived those horrible moments.

Was... was that also why I had felt so drawn to her from the moment I met her?

My feelings for her were something I was not yet able to explain. All I knew was that they were stronger than anything I had ever felt for anyone, and it was as simple as that. Any questions I had never lingered. How was it possible for something as fable as this to suddenly consume everything I thought I knew about us?

With a heavy sigh, I leaned back, rubbing a tired hand through my hair. In the end, none of that mattered. Maeve and our baby were in my life now, and I honestly would not have it any other way.

What troubled me the most, however, was what Orenda said about Maeve.

What on earth did she mean when she said that Maeve possessed more inside her than she ever thought possible? And how did that affect the baby-

"Xaden!" a harsh voice suddenly brought me back to reality.

I blinked a few times to clear the smoke from my mind and found myself once again in the main conference room at the Royal Palace. My father sat, displeased, at the head of the table, and two of my brothers sat in the accompanying chairs. Each of our Betas stood lined up to the side, waiting for any sort of command.

That's right, I remembered. They summoned me here. What a headache.

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" Father scolded. "Or did you forget we were in the middle of our weekly conference?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Apologies... I must have lost track of where I was."

Seated beside me, my youngest brother Lucas-the Fourth Alpha Prince- gazed at me with concern. "Are you alright, Xaden?" he asked gently. "I've never seen you space out like that before."

He was one of the few people in the whole palace who seemed to actually have a heart. "The last few days have been... hectic," I admitted, patting an affectionate hand on his back. "But, yes, everything is alright."

"Ah, yes," Henry, my eldest brother, remarked. He was... not one of those few people. "I can only imagine what you're up to in that lonely little mansion of yours."

I bristled. "I'm not in the mood for your-"

"Enough with these childish antics!" Father snapped. "We are here to discuss important business."

And for a moment, things settled back down.

"As you are all aware, tensions between werewolves and bear shifters are at an all-time high, and it only seems to worsen with every passing day. Henry," he said, turning to my brother solemnly, "you have men stationed near the border. What do they have to report?" Henry, however, seemed to have a different idea.

He leaned forward in his chair, a coy smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Actually, Father," he said, staring straight at me as he spoke, "before we begin, I thought I'd mention that I caught wind of a most intriguing and concerning rumor that has begun to circulate throughout the kingdom."

Warily, I straightened myself. That knowing look in his eye rubbed me the wrong way.

What on earth was he getting at...?

"Gossip, Henry?" Lucas questioned in disbelief. "I didn't think that was how you liked to spend your spare time."

Father rubbed an exasperated hand over his bearded face, ignoring the growing tension in the room. "Henry, this is not the time, nor place for kingdom gossip," he grunted. "Push those thoughts aside and let's continue."

"I can assure you this is no mere gossip, Father. Numerous citizens can attest to the things they have seen regarding our beloved Third Prince Xaden. If you do not believe me, I'd be more than happy to summon witnesses." It did not slip past me the way my eldest brother blatantly emphasized my status as third in line of succession.

Lately, that happened when he was keen to compete for authority.

"Xaden?" Father repeated with a furrow of his brows, darting his gaze over to me. His attention was piqued now that it came to my reputation amid my campaign for the throne. “What have you done?"