Love and Chaos Series
The Alpha King’s Ugly Bride Chapter 42

"When were you going to tell me, alpha Zayn invited you to his wife's birthday party, and you accepted?" Xavier asked, stepping into the garden and making his sudden presence known.

She noticed his voice seemed too calm for someone who would get dragged off to some place this evening without proper notification.

She lowered the cup of tea in her hand onto the small glass plate Toni held out. The maid nodded and immediately departed from the garden, making the alpha king and Mia the only ones left. "I was going to tell you tonight." "Tonight?" he repeated in disbelief, a scoff following right after. "You were invited a week ago, but you were going to tell me tonight. You hoped to take me by surprise because you knew I would refuse the invitation."

She narrowly stared at him. "He's an alpha and a member of the council of elders. What was I supposed to do?"

"Refuse his invitation as luna and as Queen," he replied as if it was so simple. "You show so much rebellion and restrain towards me, yet cannot exact it when necessary."

All the words he said, she only heard Luna and queen and that plagued her heart.

"I am not Luna," she corrected with a bitter tone.

To be a Luna meant to be one with your alpha, bonded both mind and soul. They weren't bonded yet, not really, and the lunar eclipse served as a reminder. She also didn't look forward to bonding in that manner. Being called queen was one thing, but being called Luna by him felt like an insult more than a compliment.

He must have taken his cue, and he said nothing else. Neither did he give his answer whether he'd go for the party later tonight.

Robb Ainsworth had confronted Xavier a week ago about his sudden disappearance from the feast before the lunar eclipse, and he demanded an explanation. Xavier couldn't tell him the truth. That would ruin their entire plans. So he told him Mia felt a little sick and went back to the palace and have her shift there. Robb's eyes settled on her in concern. He asked if she was okay and she played along, nodding and thanking him for his concern. Then he asked if she got sick because she was expecting. It took a while for Mia to figure out what he meant, but Xavier who understood, did a sloppy job of holding in his laughter.

She was still trapped in her thoughts when Xavier wrapped his arms around her waist. He told his father they were already trying and hopeful. When Mia finally understood, it was too late.

Things became awkward since then and they tried to work through it. But knowing a baby was already expected of her didn't help. To become a mother was to become a luna, and she wasn't ready for any of that yet. She never will.

Mia didn't want to go out of her way and wear anything glamorous. It was a simple birthday party and there was no need to overkill it. She picked out a simple grey robe with long and loose sleeves. Toni had brought it a week ago, and she never found a reason to wear it, but now she did.

Toni helped make her hair into a meat ponytail and adjust the gown so it fitted on her body. Her curves were out in the open and she felt sceptical about them at first, but brushed them off. She stepped out of her room, satisfied with how she looked. She was almost at the alpha king's door when it opened and he stepped out in a long silver robe. His black hair was in the same neat bun it was in when he confronted her at the gardens. His face and his beard also looked untouched, but he affected her as if he'd done something special.

At his sight, Mia drew a deep breath and then diverted her gaze to match his.

Her eyes were barely doing a good job of staying fixed as they travelled from his eyes to his nose and lips. As if on impulse, his tongue darted out and licked over his red, full bottom lips. She cleared her throat, almost choking at the impact his action had caused. She looked down after noticing a smirk on his lips. He had done that on purpose to rile her up, and it worked. He was too good to behold, and that was her sin.

Some days like today, the attraction she felt for him was stronger and she'd catch herself staring at his lips and longing for a kiss from them. Other days, she wanted him to slide his hands further down her waist and grab her butt whenever his arms were around her. Regardless of the attraction, neither of them had done anything about it and, from the look of it, she wasn't sure they would.

"I see you're ready," he spoke with a smirk, stepping towards her, his height intimidating the life out of her.

She swallowed on her empty throat, "Yes, I am."