The Hidden Luna Queen (Maeve and Xaden) novel Chapter 111

“It’s okay! I’m just—”

“Ma’am.”

The man’s sudden interruption seemed to suffice enough to quiet her down for the time being. “I apologize for cutting you off,” he said, though the tone of his voice indicated that he very much felt otherwise. Inwardly, relief bloomed within me once she had stopped her probing questions. “You’re married to Sargeant Paul from the Night Watch, aren’t you?”

Her eyes lit up. “Yes, I am!” she exclaimed, nodding emphatically.

“It seems like he might be looking for you,” he said, gesturing toward a small gathering of guests near the center of the room, where several young men could be seen. “Why don’t you go on and keep him company? If neither one of us is busy later, perhaps fate will bring us all together once more before the banquet comes to an end.”

“Oh—okay.” The girl promptly rose from her chair, bid the two of us a short and sweet farewell, and took off without another word.

As soon as she left, I sunk into my chair, my face feeling hot from embarrassment. “I-I’m sorry about all of that…” I muttered. “I don’t know what she wanted.”

“Please,” he said, shaking his head. “You don’t have to apologize for any of that. Delaney’s a… peculiar creature.”

That caught my attention. Apart from saying her name, there was a particular tone to his voice that told me he was familiar with her and that behavior of hers. “Are you friends with her and her husband?”

He gave a vague sort of nod. “More or less, I suppose,” he relented. “Her husband and I serve in the same division, so I’ve seen her at the occasional event.”

Instantly, my curiosity piqued. So—my first impression of him had been correct!

“You’re a soldier,” I breathed, turning in my chair to face him head-on. “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your service on the border. Everyone here is safe because of your heroic actions.”

He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, looking rather bashful. It added to his boyish charm, I thought. “Thank you. It means more than you know.”