The Hidden Luna Queen 2

If it was in his power, Nicholas wanted to never be the cause of a family torn apart. "There he is!" an aged, masculine voice, seasoned with years of

experience, exclaimed from afar as he descended the grand staircase. The man of the hour!"

He was a tall, broad-shouldered alpha who carried himself with pride and decorum unmatched by nearly anyone. It was apparent just by looking at him, with his sleek silvered hair and strong icy blue eyes that he was a force of nature, even in his older age. It would've been easy to guess just how formidable he might've been in his youth.

With sure, steady steps, the older alpha settled behind the chair Nicholas sat in. "Now, tell me, dear boy," he said with an expectant arch of his brow, "how did it feel to be celebrated by the most powerful alpha in the entire kingdom?" However, there was no response.

He cleared his throat. "Nicholas."

"Oh-Father," the young alpha stammered with a start, as if he had only just realized the older man's presence at that moment. "Forgive me, I'm a little out of sorts at the moment. The banquet went well."

The older man let out a baffled guffaw. "My son-out of sorts?" he repeated with a loud boom of his voice. "How unheard of. What on earth could possibly have gotten you, of all people, so rattled?"

Nicholas suppressed a sigh. "I... met someone today."

There was a brief silence before his father spoke up. "Someone?"

"A girl-at the banquet," the young alpha continued. "She was..." he trailed off, wanting to sing every possible praise of her and not knowing where to start, but then he remembered himself and precisely why he could not do just that.

"It doesn't matter," Nicholas muttered, trying with all his might to ignore the dull ache that panged in his chest... and hopelessly failing. "I never caught her name, and she's already promised to someone else."

Maybe he should consider himself lucky that he never learned her name. Because then he would have yet another thing to mull over, apart from her lovely, delicate features.

He did not need another distraction.

All of a sudden, his father clapped a firm hand over Nicholas's shoulder, squeezing in an attempt of reassurance. “Perhaps this was for the best,” he said, apparently either ignorant to the slight pain his son felt or trying his utmost to distract him from such thoughts "After all, you mustn't forget, there is still a girl out there waiting in the wings to meet you one of these days."

The sudden reminder nearly jolted Nicholas with a start.

"If all goes well on that front," his father continued, pulling away, "you will forget all about that girl and soon have a wife of your own."

Nicholas frowned pensively. Of course... how could he have forgotten?

For years, his father had teased Nicholas with the arrival of this mysterious girl. This girl who, by all accounts, could very well have been the perfect wife for him, for all he knew. And if there was anyone who knew what would be best for his future, it was his brilliant alpha father. But every time he would ask when he would be allowed to meet this potential future mate of his, he would always get the same answer:

"Only when she is ready to meet you."

It was the most cryptic answer his father could have possibly supplied him, and it always left Nicholas with more questions than answers.

Why did their meeting hinge on her being ready? What was it about her that needed to be ready? Why couldn't they at least speak over the phone before their actual meeting, so they could see if all this waiting was a waste of time or not?

What if all of the hype surrounding their supposed arrangement only resulted in disappointment? Maybe she had a dreadful personality or hated all the things he loved.

Or worse... what if she did not think Nicholas was enough?

Just thinking about all of this made his temples throb.

Unbidden, his mind flashed back to the memory of the black-haired girl he'd met that day. She was reserved, yes, he could see that much, but when she did speak, her eyes glimmered with a bright curiosity that was lovely to behold. She seemed to want to learn more about him without trying to impress him. For goodness' sake, she did not know who he was for the first half of their conversation and still spoke to him with kindness.

She was genuine. A breath of fresh air in the stuffy room that was high society, and it was the first time he had felt something when speaking with a woman.

But she's going to be married-Nicholas had to keep reminding himself.

She's a woman that I can never have.

As he rubbed at his temple with a frustrated huff, he rose from his chair." Thank you, Father," he allowed stiffly. "Perhaps this will, indeed, be the year that we can finally meet." MAEVE POV

I needed a break. Just a little bit of time to myself to calm down and fully process everything that had happened today.

Tonight's banquet had taken an unexpected toll on me. First with that whole debacle involving Nicholas, then Xaden's subsequent jealous rage- which he adamantly denied having-and... and that woman, who

apparently had a fling with Xaden some time ago. I could still see the pure desperation written across his face, how much he must've wanted to hide it from me.

It was too much for me to handle all at once.

So, here I was-taking a bubble bath. My first one, if I was being completely transparent, not just in the space of my new home, but in my entire life. They were a simple luxury that I had never been afforded before. (1

Back in Moonstone, one of my many duties had been to help arrange baths for Victoria or Sarah at least once daily, unless demanded otherwise by them. Honestly, it all depended on their mood that day-if the day proved to be kind to them then they would only ask for one, possibly two, but if that day was especially strenuous, then it was not unheard of for them to demand upwards of five baths a day. Meanwhile I, as their servant, was only permitted to take brisk showers once my day was done. Now, as I sat submerged in bathwater, I understood the appeal.

The warm, soapy water gently sloshed around me, the sound and sensation soothing to my unsettled mind. I watched, distracted, as millions of tiny bubbles collected in colorful rings around my thin knees and my small chest, peeking out from above the water. Though I was careful to tie my hair up into a bun, keeping my dyed hair as dry as possible.

Thankfully, Xaden seemed to have the foresight to acknowledge that I needed some time to myself, so he was courteous enough to leave me alone.

That was, until he couldn't take it anymore.

Slowly, a tentative knock resounded at the bathroom door. "Maeve?"

My breath caught in my throat, hearing Xaden's voice at that moment. I had wanted to stay angry with him. I wanted the sound of his voice to inspire rage throughout my body for keeping the truth from me. Instead, all I felt when I heard his voice was yearning. It had only been a couple of hours, and I already missed him with every fiber of my being.

"I brought you a fresh towel," Xaden's gentle voice said beyond the door." I know you probably have plenty in there, but I..." he trailed off, sounding uncertain of himself, "I just wanted you to have something comfortable and warm."

It was such a pitiful excuse to entice me to open the door, to let him back into my good graces... that I could not help but smile despite myself.

I knew better than most how Xaden was more than capable of making others bend to his every whim and demand if his handling of my family, Bella, and that rude shopkeep from weeks ago were any indication. If he so desired, he could have broken down that doo like it was little more than a twig, eliminating any illusion of privacy I thought I had.

As an alpha prince, he could have ordered for my forgiveness and I would have no choice but to obey. As my future husband and the father of my baby, he was entitled to enter any room I kept myself and his son in.

As a man considerate of my feelings, however... he did none of those things.

I took a slow, deep breath, trying to steel myself for what I was about to say. "The door's not locked," I murmured, trailing my hand anxiously along the rim of the tub. "You can come inside."

And without a moment's hesitation, he entered the bathroom.

True to his word, he had a gray, fluffy towel that looked like heaven gripped tightly within his grasp, but it was all but forgotten the moment he was able to lock eyes on me. The way he gazed at me-all hopeless and lonesome-tugged at my heartstrings. Like it had been lifetimes since he'd last seen me.

However, the first words out of Xaden's mouth were: "I'm sorry," he whispered as he tossed the towel atop the vanity counter, approaching the tub as if by pure instinct, yet not touching me. He lowered to his knees to meet my level, not once breaking eye contact. "For everything. I want to make you mine, but not at the cost of your comfort, so... if you want to wait, then that's precisely what we'll do... okay?"

I didn't say anything, but I gave him a slight nod.

He reached out tentatively to touch me, hovering uncertainly above my hand and waiting for any sort of sign that I would reject him once more.

But I did not pull away this time, and once he seemed to realize that he was in the clear, he visibly sagged with relief, letting his hand fall on top of my own and squeezing with all of the feelings he could muster. The gesture, albeit simple, was a beautiful comfort and did wonders to ease my tempered, desolate spirit.

"Please-" he entreated, gently pulling my hand up to his mouth so he could pepper soft kisses against my tense knuckles, "don't ignore me any longer, Maeve... let me explain myself." The pain that sprawled across his face scraped at my heart.