The Hidden Luna Queen 2
Chapter 76

"I-If you think about it," I said thoughtfully, "it's the best possible cover story I could have."

The unconvinced expressions on their faces increased my anxiety but spurred me to keep going.

"The whole point of the lie is to keep our relationship under wraps until after the baby has been born, wasn't it?" I prompted, closely watching the two as they reluctantly listened to me. "There are already rumors going around that Xaden has a secret lover, so being seen with me in public will only defeat the purpose of waiting."

"But..." I trailed off, focusing on Xaden, "if people think I'm someone else's fiancee, someone close to you, then that could help explain why I'm with you so often."

Xaden looked tense, reluctant. "I don't like it, but it's the best way to keep eyes off you." He turned to his beta. "It would help if you played along."

Hastily, I thought to add: "If it makes you feel any better, you can publicly dump me in whatever way you see fit." Anything that would entice him to help.

Despite the heavy, hesitant sigh he released, the corner of Burke's mouth moved to lift in a slightly amused smirk. "I must admit, that sounds awfully tempting," he teased lightly, making me blush that he was actually considering it. "If it helps you and Xaden, I'll do whatever I can."

I brimmed with relieved elation. Everyone was on board.

Things would be alright for now.

Once that was settled, the three of us re-entered the banquet hall, discovering that the guests were beginning to seat themselves. I recalled instantly that Burke had mentioned earlier that the Alpha King would be speaking.

Seeing Alpha King Arlan in person as he stood, ready to address the room, mere days after shouting at him like that, unnerved me. But I forced myself to stand strong. If he were going to punish me for it, he likely would have done so by now.

So, just breathe, Maeve-I thought to myself. He has better things to do than pick on you.

"Today," Alpha King Arlan addressed us all, tall and majestic and stoic in his finest attire, "we have gathered to honor those who defended our livelihood. Thanks to the brave men and women here, our kingdom still stands strong." The room bubbled with soft murmurs of excitement upon being personally recognized by the king himself.

"Not only that," he continued with a proud smile, "but we also have in attendance the fearless commanding officer who led those troops." He waved his hand in the direction of Nicholas, who stood near the front of the crowd. "None of this would be happening if it weren't for Nicholas's powerful leadership that night."

As Nicholas stepped forward, gentle applause rang out, welcoming him to center stage. How strange it felt, to see the kind man who kept me company being acknowledged for his efforts in battle..

"Your words do me too much credit, Your Majesty," Nicholas murmured, bowing reverently before turning to face the quieting crowd. "To serve and protect the kingdom is the greatest honor I could ever receive. Please visit Job nib.com and search the book title to read the entire book for free. Though," he added with a charming smile, "I must admit it is just as nice to see so many cheerful faces in the room."

Not too far away from me, I heard a chorus of delighted whispers. Glancing to the side, I could see a gaggle of single women, all young and likely relatives of the soldiers, as they gazed at the alpha with hearts in their eyes.

I would be lying if I said I didn't understand why. His natural charisma was out of this world.

"Two nights ago, our enemies next door tried to break through our defenses while our kingdom slept soundly in their beds," he continued, looking solemn, drawing everyone in just like he did with me not too long ago. "Two nights ago, they believed they would succeed and break the morale of our people."

The room was still with bated breath, as if he were telling a riveting story. It brimmed with curiosity for him to tell the ending.

A daring grin spread across Nicholas's face as he scanned the room. And two nights ago, we proved them wrong," he said, to boisterous cheers bursting from the crowd. "Tonight, we are as proud and as strong as ever! If a small patrol could hold off one of their ambushes, just imagine what we could do with the full force of our army!"

He threw his arm up into the air, clenching his fist. "They will learn to not underestimate the power of wolves in a pack!"

As the room burst into a roar of applause from alphas and gammas and omegas alike, I couldn't help but watch in awe. Listening to him speak, I was able to catch a glimpse into what those soldiers must have felt the night of that battle on the border. He was inspiring. A vision. Even Xaden couldn't hide the prideful look on his face.

I could still hear what Xaden had said the day before, about his worries that this might be only the beginning, but with alphas like him and Nicholas protecting our country, maybe we would not have anything to worry about. Hope bubbled inside me. Maybe... we would be alright.

THIRD PERSON POV

Isabelle squeezed the stone railing of the balcony, steeling herself as best she could.

Today was more than likely going to be another loss, but... there would be other days. She knew well enough that, although a mating ceremony had been discussed, a date still had yet to be set. Maeve was not yet officially part of the family.

She had time to spare.

Still, how frustrating it was to see all of her efforts go to waste. It had taken a while to replace girls who not only played around with Xaden in the past but who also had been invited to the banquet. The girl's appearance had to make sense-it wasn't like Isabelle could sneak in any of his former dalliances who had no business being here. That would only raise suspicions and put him right on her scent.

If her plan truly failed to come to fruition today, she could always hold onto this girl for another time. Maybe if all else failed, she could just send the girl to his mansion on a day that she knew Maeve was stuck inside. Isabelle sighed. Yes, everything would turn out her way in the end... someway, somehow. It had to.

Once she gathered herself enough to not make a fool of herself in front of the guests, she pulled open the balcony doors and slipped back into the room, where she noticed that everyone had seated themselves. "Everyone-let us raise our glasses," Alpha King Arlan proclaimed while Isabelle quietly settled into her seat. “May we all remember our strength in times of struggle, for nothing can stop a wolf determined to survive!" Glancing around the room as she blended in with the cheers, her heart lurched in her throat upon landing on a very familiar abomination sitting beside Xaden, blissfully unaware of the Luna Princess's gaze. Maeve was back... which meant that her plan could still succeed!

Once the toast came to an end and everyone was free to mingle once more, Isabelle seized the opportunity and navigated her way back to that stupid pawn of hers, who sat at her table without a care in the world while her husband was busy engrossed with his friends.

"If I remember correctly," she murmured by the girl's ear, ignoring the sudden jolt of surprise she made, "you still have a job to do."

The girl-Delaney... or was it Dalia, perhaps?-pouted, glancing helplessly at Isabelle. "I tried to talk to her earlier," she said, trying to excuse her earlier failure, “but the alpha that was sitting next to her asked me to leave."

The alpha? Isabelle pondered for a moment. That could only have been...

No. It did not matter in the long run who said what. Even if she only got out one sentence, that would be enough to shake Maeve's confidence in Xaden. That was all she needed.

Isabelle let out an exasperated huff. "Look," she hissed, nearing the end of her rope with this useless girl, "it doesn't matter if he's with her. Just say what you have to say-whisper it if you must-and then you can leave. She can't do this without you." The girl hesitated. "Are you sure it's alright?"

"Of course, it is. She's going to be shy and awkward about it, but that's because she's... saving herself for Xaden," Isabelle lied. “She should be fine once she realizes you're trying to help her out."

It took a few moments, but the girl eventually nodded, resigning herself to her task once more, and again made her way over to Maeve's table.

Now, with all distractions aside, all Isabelle needed to do was sit and watch it all unfold. This would surely be fun.

MAEVE POV

The moment Alpha King Arlan's toast came to an end, the room settled back into the calm, sociable atmosphere from before. Everyone went back to mingling and sipping at their rich wines, and it seemed the rest of the evening would commence without a hitch.

That was, until Xaden and Burke were called away to share a word with some soldiers in attendance.

"We'll only be a moment," Xaden reassured as he got to his feet, adjusting his cuff links.

"Be sure to save my seat for me," Burke said, loud and clear, albeit a little stiff. The rolling of Xaden's eyes made me bite back a laugh. "Since I am your future husband and all." It seemed he was trying his best to play the part of my doting fiancé... and was terribly awkward about it.

I blushed, embarrassed, but nodded.

Gently, the two men excused themselves, leaving to speak with the group of soldiers. And for a second, I thought I could just sit back and take a breather, all to process the unusual situation I found myself in when, all of a sudden, I felt a presence materialize nearby.

"You know," a feminine voice said, light and strangely familiar, from beside me. Upon turning around, my gaze locked once more with that of that short-haired girl from earlier-Delaney, if I remembered correctly. "The color of your dress is perfect, but there's something about it that could use some improvement."

I was so taken aback by her sudden reappearance that I couldn't replace the words to respond.

"It needs to be more form-fitting," she said, reaching out to touch my waist, which quickly filled me with panic. "Especially around this area."