The Hidden Luna Queen 2

Xaden POV

"I-I'm sorry," Maeve stammered out quickly, rubbing her swollen lips together. I could still taste her, that natural, sweet tinge to her lips mixed with the red wine I'd drank during our dinner. “Did I do something wrong...?” The embarrassed blush that spread across he face made my heart clench. Truthfully, I wanted nothing more than to kiss her senseless... to peel away her clothes piece by piece until there was nothing left to hide her from me... to lose myself in her soft, warm body and make her moan for me all night long. Words couldn't even begin to describe how much I wanted to be with her again.

But I couldn't.

Not after what I did to her in that forsaken room in Moonstone, after I almost took her against her will amid such a violent heat. Any trust I might have had in my self-control vanished that day. I would have rather never slept with her again than risk putting her in any danger at my hand.

With a shuddering gulp, I slowly shook my head.

Her gaze darted uncertainly. "Did... did you not want to...?" she asked. She had no idea just how much her mere presence made my soul tremble with need.

"It's nothing you've done," I insisted. "I... I just..."

After a brief pause, realization flashed in her eyes. "Oh... Xaden..." she murmured, "are you still...?”

I set my jaw. "I won't put you through that again. I've made up my mind." She shook her head defiantly. "I'm not afraid of you."

Something in my chest tightened. Maeve was so trusting... I could not fathom how the Moon Goddess could have possibly paired someone as sweet and innocent as her with someone as abrasive and terrifying as I. Sighing, I plopped down onto the bed and buried my head in my hands. " You should be," I whispered into the air, unsure if she heard me.

No matter what I'd do, I would never deserve her in a million lifetimes.

All of a sudden, a warm pair of legs straddled my lap. Startled, I lifted my head to see my future Luna hovering above me. The soft look in her eyes as she gazed at me with reverence was hypnotizing-I couldn't look away from her.

Without a word, her thin fingers brushed along the contours of my face, mapping every feature as if she were dedicating them to memory. Softly, she pressed kisses to each plane of my face, from my forehead... to my cheeks... to my nose... She was tearing down my wall brick by brick. There was nothing I could do to stop her.

"Please," she implored between kisses, the pain in her voice scraping at my soul. "Don't push me away..."

What little was left of my restraint was all but gone with the way she so gently touched me. "I-I'm doing it for you..." I feebly tried to protest, but my lips began to respond to hers despite my better judgment.

"You don't need to treat me so delicately," she breathed, hot and needy against my skin. "I'm stronger than you might think."

Slowly, my hands roamed underneath her shirt. "I won't be able to stop..." Maeve dragged her teeth across my lower lip. "I don't want you to..."

Without wasting another second, our clothes scattered around the room -out of sight, out of mind. We came together in the middle of the bed as a mess of kisses and gentle touches. It was like we were discovering each other's bodies for the first time. My greedy eyes and hands took in the beautiful vision that sat atop me, watching with bated breath as she lowered onto me with a gasp, taking all of me like she had been made for me... and, for all I knew, she was.

She felt f**king perfect.

"X-Xaden..." she whimpered, arching against me as my mouth softly fell open in ecstatic awe, "you f-feel so good..."

The desire in her voice and the sight of her writhing naked body, swelling with our baby, on top of me was too much to bear. Swiftly, yet carefully, I rolled us over so that I was now hovering above her and took control. It was not long before we transformed into a tangled, panting mess, slowly and desperately building towards our pleasure like nothing else mattered.

This was the power of our bond brought to life in its basest and most natural form, minus the risk and unpredictability of our wolfish heat. To deny it would be to deny her.

How could I possibly do that?

With a loud gasp, she cried out, finishing around me in a beautiful, exhausted mess. I was quick to follow, throwing myself into the abyss with her.

"I... I told you there was nothing to be afraid of..." Maeve said with a breathless smile. "Maybe Orenda was right about us, after all..."

I huffed out a chuckle against her shoulder before raising my head. "You're bringing her up now?"

Maeve bit her lip shyly. Her black hair sprawled around her head like a halo against the satin sheets-a perfect picture of innocence despite the sinful sheen of sweat that shimmered on her skin. "Just thinking out loud."

My chest swelled with affection for her. I was right-nothing I could think of would ever justify her sudden falling into my life. "For what it's worth," I murmured, kissing her neck and thriving under the soft noises she made," I'm more inclined to believe that psychic with every passing second."