The Hidden Luna Queen 2
Chapter 59

Something throbbed inside me. Needy and helpless and yearning for him.

He kissed me again and again, each one melting into the next, so it felt like one long dance of lips and tongue. "You're brave to tease a starved alpha,” he growled. Faintly, I felt him expertly tug off my underwear from underneath my nightgown. "I hope you're ready to see just how hungry I am after falling asleep on me like that." My legs rubbed together, trying to soothe the ache I had for him. "Please ..." I begged against his mouth.

Xaden's kisses trailed down my neck as I reeled from his tender

attentions, going further and further down my collarbone, my chest until he had no choice but to throw the covers off my writhing body so he could continue. His beard stubble grazed my inner thighs. I watched, dazed as his strong arms wrapped underneath my legs.

He put his beautiful mouth on me, kissing me... down there.

I inhaled sharply. "What-What are you d-doing, X-Xaden?" I panted between moans.

Xaden dragged his tongue, making me squirm. “Relax," he murmured against my tender skin, and I unconsciously dug my fingers into his luscious hair. “Just lay back.... and let me do this for you."

I was hardly in a position to complain. I weakly nodded, falling back against the pillow as he continued his delicious ministrations, pulling every whimper and moan and cry out of me that he could until I came. Hours later, long after we had our fill of each other, we cleaned up very thoroughly and got ourselves dressed for the banquet.

Despite being a private banquet, it was still being held at the palace with the entire royal family in attendance, so formal attire was of the utmost importance. Xaden, of course, dazzled in everything, even something as simple as an all-black suit with a deep blue handkerchief accent sticking out of his front jacket pocket.

As for me, I opted to wear the blue-gray dress I had picked out at Mona Road, feeling as elegant and beautiful as I remembered. Maggie had helped me style my hair into a nice updo, while I used some of the beauty tips Charlotte had kindly given me to touch up my face. Xaden's face lit up with pleasure once he saw me in the dress for the first time, which I couldn't deny lifted my spirits.

But he was not the only one I had to impress tonight.

As we sat together in the car, steadily approaching the palace with every passing second, it dawned on me just what I had signed up for.

First impressions aside, this was going to be my first time meeting Xaden's entire family all at once. Not just for them to see the girl he was going to marry, but to see if I was really cut out for this lifestyle, even with the Luna Queen's help. This was to see if I was worth all of their time and effort.

This was either going to go very well... or not at all.

No pressure.

Third Person POV

The day had finally come.

Today was the day of Maeve's first royal dinner. The banquet that rang in her unofficial entrance into the royal household. It was nothing the rest of the Werewolf Kingdom was aware of, nor something that even Maeve's own family had been told about. Only a select few people-alphas and servants included-knew about the plans for the evening.

That being said, the palace bubbled with many conflicting emotions as they prepared for the evening to commence. Many within the family itself were decidedly eager for the night to come to a quick end, although for varying reasons. Others, however, looked forward to what the night had in store.

For one, there was the revered and kind-hearted Luna Queen, who yearned to see her new daughter-in-law in action. She knew more than anyone, with the exception of Xaden, just how much Maeve had improved over the last few days and how much she feared making a fool of herself.

But Leonora had more insight than that.

With every lesson, she saw Maeve's confidence grow and grow, fueled by an inner fire that she seemed to be completely unaware of. But she knew it was only a matter of time before everyone else could see just how powerful it was. And then there was Isabelle.

As she applied some last minute touches to her makeup, she was practically ready to burst with anticipation. There were not going to be many instances where the entire royal family would be in attendance, so she needed to take what chances she could. If she was going to properly humiliate Maeve, everyone needed to be there.

And, oh, how easy that was going to be.

So what if Maeve was taking up etiquette lessons with the Luna Queen? She was still the useless, spineless servant-girl from Moonstone that Isabelle remembered.

And she had no place in Isabelle's story. That, she would make certain of.

Maeve POV

It is just a dinner.

As I sat in the center of the palace banquet hall, feigning confidence as I sipped my water as was taught, surrounded by Xaden and his younger siblings while they engaged in light conversation, I tried to breathe. Alpha King Arlan and Luna Queen Leonora were a distance away at the head of the table, speaking with their eldest son, and I continued to inhale ... long, slow, and shaky as I feebly tried to calm my nerves. It's only a dinner, so relax and think of something else.

Shockingly enough, I would replace my advice to be easier said than done. Everything I saw and breathed just reeked of wealth and status and pure alpha bloodlines and I felt more than ever that I did not belong. Even more so than I ever did in Moonstone.

Who on earth was I trying to fool with my nonsense? Considering that every member of the immediate royal family would be in attendance and that I was to employ every etiquette rule I had learned over the last few days, it became extremely apparent that this wa way more than just a dinner. It was yet another test I needed to pass, regardless of what Xaden or his mother tried to say otherwise.

I was just a waste of space here... a fraud-

"Just breathe, Maeve," Xaden murmured by my ear, the calm in his deep voice magically enticing me to obey his words despite my pitiful attempts mere minutes before. "You trained for this for days with my mother, and I've seen the change in you, even if you don't feel it just yet. You can absolutely do this."

I twisted to gaze at him, seeing nothing but sincerity.

"Tonight is all about you," he said. "And I know you'll blow us all away."

Setting my jaw, I forced myself to nod in agreement. The queen had repeated many a time about maintaining a strong, invulnerable composure when in the company of nobility. Ally or not, anyone could- and would-replace my weaknesses and exploit them for their benefit, if given the opportunity.

Not that I necessarily believed these three people would do that... but this was not about what I believed. This was about practicing what I learned.

If I didn't get the hang of this, I might replace myself tangled with the wrong person.

"So, Maeve," Lucas chirped, nursing his wine as he shifted his posture. Tonight, in his navy blue suit, he looked more like a prince than ever, much unlike the youthful, bright-eyed young man I encountered in the palace hallways. "This week marked your first time setting foot inside the palace, correct?"

I nodded.

"How has it been for you? I know it can be pretty daunting to newcomers," he added with a tinge of sympathy.

I couldn't help but think how kind it was of him to ask. "It was daunting at first... but actually," I mused with a small smile, "I've had a nice time here so far." I went on to describe how much I admired all of the beautiful artwork and architecture, and how it felt like exploring a new world every time I arrived.

And, of course, I had to attribute my positive experiences to some of the people I had met thus far, from Charlotte to Lucas to...

And that was when the realization hit me.

Someone was still missing from the banquet.

"Eric's not here yet," I pointed out. The subsequent exchange of glances and unspoken communication between the siblings did not slip past me- they seemed to know something that I did not. "Is he not coming after all

...?"

Xaden started to answer. "Eric does not-"

"Chances are he won't come."

Having suddenly appeared near our end of the table, Henry sighed with a lowly shake of his head, feigning sympathy. "That poor failure I'm forced to call brother can hardly carry his own head around on that scrawny body of his. If he's feeling under the weather, he won't be able to lift even his little finger, let alone lug himself out of bed." Charlotte looked uncomfortable. "That's not fair of you to say. It's hardly his fault he has to miss events so often."

"I disagree,” Henry said with a casual shrug. “One's weak constitution is not an issue of the body, it's one of the mind. He just doesn't care enough to even try to better himself. He's an embarrassment to Father's legacy."

The bluntness with which he spoke startled me, but before I could even think to react, I felt a cold presence materialize behind me, while his siblings dealt with his rude comments before he retreated back to his seat. "Hello, Maeve."

Immediately, my skin crawled with unease. I did not want to do this-I was not ready to meet with Isabelle yet... not after how deeply she had humiliated me with her little test, but even I knew I was only attempting to delay the inevitable. She was mated to Xaden's eldest brother, after all, so we were destined to run into each other more often than not.