The Hidden Luna Queen 2

"You know..." I prompted, adjusting myself in my seat so that I faced Xaden more directly, suddenly feeling ticklish with waves of cautious optimism. "I'm not far along enough yet, but I read that the baby should be able to hear in a few weeks."

He cocked his head, his eyes alight with bright curiosity. "Really?"

I nodded. "At first they'll only be able to hear sounds," I said, excitedly scanning through the book in rapid motion, hoping to show him the passages as proof, "but eventually, they'll learn to recognize and respond to different voices, even in the womb. I found it utterly fascinating-how the baby will be able to tell us apart by our voices even before he's born..."

I trailed off once I realized that Xaden fell quiet, gazing at me with the softest smile. I reddened with embarrassment, suddenly feeling shy. I didn't want to ramble when he had more important things to do.

"Don't stop on my account," he implored, caressing my thigh. "Tell me more."

His enthusiasm to learn more reinvigorated my own.

So, I proceeded to tell him about everything else I'd read that pertained to the subject at hand. Not only did it help hone the baby's hearing, but it also served to deepen the bond between parent and child, something that was supposed to help immensely once the baby was born. It was a comfort to the baby, to be able to hear voices and sounds that were familiar to them.

"Do you... want to try talking to the baby?" I asked once I finished.

Xaden blinked, apparently having not expected such a question. "Me? Now?"

"Of course, you," I emphasized, unable to stop the corners of my lips from twitching upwards. "And there's nothing wrong with trying early. If anything, we'd be getting him used to our voices weeks in advance." "What should I say?"

I let my hand roam over my belly. "Anything that you want."

He looked uncertain but, nevertheless, his handsome features weighed with determination. It seemed he decided on what he wanted to say. Slowly-and very awkwardly-Xaden lowered his head closer to my gently protruding belly, stopping about a foot away. I leaned back a bit to allow him more space, ready to watch the scene unfold.

"He-ah... hello in there, little one," Xaden said, his hot breath grazing over the skin of my belly. I would have quivered from the sensation if it weren't for the fact that I wanted to witness every second of this. "I... don't know if you can hear me or not... well, most likely not yet, but-but I'm your father."

Hearing him say that out loud-to our unborn baby, nonetheless-made my heart skip a beat. It was far from the first time he acknowledged the baby, but it was the first time I'd heard him call himself 'father.' The word carried negative memories for me, but maybe with Xaden, it could be the start of something new and wonderful.

He, however, frowned instantly. "No-I don't like the sound of that."

I jolted with a start, filling with dread to ask what he meant until he followed up with this: "I'm your... Behind the quiet sigh of relief I emitted, I couldn't help but smile upon hearing that.

'Dad... what an adorable term of endearment. A perfect amendment to our new, growing family.

dad-"

"-and I have something important to say to you," he said, taking an unusually serious tone for what was meant to be a lighthearted moment. I waited, curious to hear what he had to say until I caught the faint shadow of a smirk form on his face. To access the complete chapters for free, visit Jo b ni b.com."Stop twisting your mama's appetite. She deserves to eat only the most delicious of foods-so please stop making her eat those blasted seasoned apples." A burst of startled laughter broke past my lips.

When did he become so good at that? It seemed to be second nature to him-to be able to make me smile and laugh like he could now. I had never laughed so much as I have lately when I was around him.

All of a sudden, I felt my stomach flutter. Quick, ticklish motions that felt familiar.

But... it's never happened like this before.

"What is it?" Xaden questioned. I lifted my startled gaze to meet his wide-eyed one.

"I-I just felt the baby move."

His mouth gently parted. For a moment, it looked as if he had something he wanted to say but he struggled to come out with the words. "Is it-are you..." he mumbled incoherently. "Sh-Should I fetch the doctor?" Quickly, I shook my head. "No, no, it's nothing like that. I think he might've been responding to your voice."

"Really?"

Another flutter. Soft and delicate, but unmistakable.

I was overwhelmed with the sensation of butterflies. This never happened without it being connected to those dreams somehow. And it was almost always in the middle of the night, at a time when the entire world was asleep... all except for me. No one to listen to me. No one to feel what I felt.

But today was a different story. Xaden was wide awake this time, and he was right here.

He had to feel this.

Without wasting another moment, I grabbed onto Xaden's hand, taking him by surprise. "Put your hand here- I urged, planting it onto the expanse of my belly. "Tell me if you can feel the baby move."

XADEN POV

And so, I waited.

I waited, ready to burst at the seams with excitement and anticipation, for a sign... any sort of sign that my baby was, in fact, moving inside

Maeve's belly. Her reaction had been so sudden, so harsh and yet so giddy, that I could not help but want to experience even a sliver of what she was feeling.

It had been many years since I was able to feel anything remotely similar ... falling as far back as when my mother was pregnant with my younger siblings, Lucas and Charlotte, but I was too young to be able to really remember any of it. This would be my first real-memorable-experience with pregnancy and babies.

Not only that... but it was my baby in there. My child... who was growing remarkably and would one day enter our lives. The thought that I could perhaps feel this little life that I'd had a hand in creating was enough to send my mind spinning. But... it seemed I would have to wait a bit longer for such a pleasure.

"I can't feel anything," I admitted, feeling a little disappointed.

Maeve, however, was completely undeterred. She kept my hand planted firmly against her gently protruding baby bump... all the while gazing up at me with wide-eyed wonderment.

She looked like a child who had just experienced snow for the first time. The sight, along with her unbridled joy, was utterly infectious.

"I wish you could feel this," she murmured, her soft voice teetering on the edge of a whisper more than anything else. It was as if she was worried speaking even an octave louder would somehow burst the delicate bubble that had formed around us, that protected the three of us from anything and everything else. "It's like... like nothing I've ever felt before."

I swallowed hard, my hand beginning to shake underneath hers. My feeble mind could not yet fully comprehend just how she meant that, but somehow I found myself agreeing with her every word.

How must it feel, I mused silently, to be able to feel our son like she does?

Our son.

Just saying that word was a jolt to my system. Part of me still could not believe it to be real sometimes.

I cared very much for my younger siblings. I had even taken some pride in raising them with my self-proclaimed great and wise influence... although I suspected that our mother and the nannies we'd had throughout our youth had some strong opinions otherwise. I was because of this that my mother used to make the odd comment every now and then about any future children I might have, cooing about how she'd spoil the pups every chance she got, among other things.

The sentiment, which I thought endearing, was also something that would render me silent.

The truth was... I had not really given any real thought into having my own children. Not yet, at least.

As a twenty-three-year-old alpha with his whole life ahead of him and the world at his feet, the last thing I had on my mind was to slow down and start a family. Of course, being a prince meant that I didn't really have a choice when it came to it, but I had wanted to prolong it for as much as possible.

It was something I could worry about once I'd become king... and maybe some years after that.

But now, as Maeve sat in front of me, giggling and smiling as she felt our son flutter inside her, I felt nothing but butterflies, myself. Like this was something my restless soul had been waiting for all my life.

Sometimes, I would think to myself just how lucky I was to find and meet her... but maybe luck had nothing to do with it.

Maybe... just maybe, we actually were here because of fate.

A large, stupid grin slowly spread across my face as I gazed at my world and my future before me. Fate or not, I was mere months away from having everything I never knew I needed, and I would do everything in my power to protect them.

No harm would ever befall them as long as I was here.

Not from the press.

Not from my family.

Not from anyone.

MAEVE POV

Going to bed was a particular pleasure that night.

After a long, eventful day filled with shopping, an impromptu makeover for the crown princess of our kingdom, and trying-and poorly failing-at getting Xaden to feel our baby move, I was practically drained of all my energy and more than ready to get some sleep. With Xaden's strong, comforting arm wrapped around my middle, and as we lay shrouded in the darkness of our bedroom, I let my eyes flutter shut with a content hum, surrendering myself to the blissful embrace of sleep.

But then I felt a warm breeze brush against my cheek, tickling my skin. Contrary to the cool, crisp air that normally came with the night.

My nose twitched. My brows pinched together in confusion.

Morning couldn't have come already. Not before I had the chance to rest. Was it one of those nights that seemed to pass in the mere blink of an eye?