The Hidden Luna Queen (Maeve and Xaden) novel Chapter 4

Maeve POV

The first thing I felt when I woke up was the most splitting headache of my life.

Second, was an uncomfortable and unfamiliar soreness… down there. Resisting a groan, I knew I’d have some trouble walking.

And lastly, I was in a bed that was not my own in a room I didn't recognize.

What happened last night…?

A light snore suddenly broke the silence in the hotel room and, for a moment, I froze with alarm. Cautiously, I peered over at the sleeping body next to mine and met the handsome face.

And then the details of last night came flashing back to me.

I slept with a stranger. My mind whirled.

I stifled an abrupt yawn. Admittedly, I hadn’t gotten much sleep—most of the night was spent as we both worked out our primal urges very… very thoroughly. I could still feel the graze of his lips against my skin, pressing kisses over every inch of my body that he could reach… the weight of his muscular, hot body on top of my small frame as he pounded into me…

My face grew hot.

Despite mistaking me for an omega, he displayed the utmost kindness and respect and was willing to help me in my moment of need without a second thought.

I felt a sharp pang in my chest.

I wouldn’t have needed his help at all if Sarah hadn’t forced that drugged drink down my throat. Why did she do it…?

What a predicament I was in. I sighed, glancing towards the window at the far side of the room, fully expecting to still see the pitch-black of night but instead saw a muted blue begin to stretch across the sky.

Panic rose within me—it was almost sunrise!

My father is going to be so mad at me.

I sprung out of bed with no time to waste and hastily threw my clothes on. Digging through my skirt pockets, I was desperate to find any amount of money to afford a trip back to Moonstone. I needed to get home before my family woke up and discovered I’d been out all night. With an ecstatic grin, I finally pulled out a few dollar bills and some change—just enough for me to take the bus.

Money in hand, I raced to the door as quickly and quietly as possible. The second my fingers touched the knob, however, I paused.

I… never got to thank him for saving me…

With a heavy heart, I couldn’t help but look back at his peacefully sleeping face before disappearing with the waning moon.

It was almost six in the morning by the time I returned to Moonstone. With the sun having barely risen and the morning dew still covering the earth, it was much too early for my family to wake up. Usually, this was when the omega servants began to prepare the packhouse for the events of the day.

Nothing that Alphas or Lunas needed to bother themselves with.

Quietly, I slid in through the front door and pushed it closed with a triumphant sigh. Finally, I was—

“Look who finally decided to come home.”

A cold chill crept up my spine. That was a voice that should not have been awake yet. A thick hand wrapped around my arm and twisted me to face its owner. In front of me stood my livid father, with my sly sister right behind him, and Victoria seated on one of the armchairs wearing a tight scowl.

I was caught and there was nowhere to hide.

“Where the hell were you all night?” Father demanded.

I sealed my lips. Nothing good would come from telling him the truth.

“I told you, Daddy!” Sarah latched onto his arm. “She ran off to play around with strange men! Oh, I said you’d be so displeased if she didn’t come home but she wouldn’t listen!”

What a lying, little brat!

Trembling, my fists balled at my sides. “That’s not what—”

Father grabbed me harshly by my jaw, forcing me to look at him. With a quivering gasp, I froze—I couldn’t move… I didn’t dare to even breathe in his presence. And for a few moments, he just stood there, staring at me intently… sniffing me, before he suddenly released me with a sharp recoil.

“It’s true,” he mumbled, initially looking mortified but quickly growing more furious with every passing second, and I couldn’t help but cower silently where I stood. “I smell another wolf all over you.”

In the background, I heard startled sounds of delight.

“But—”

“You—” Father pointed his finger, cold and accusatory at me. He was red with rage, something I’d never seen on him before. “You have disgraced the entire pack with your shameless actions!”

I paled, lowering my gaze. Maybe none of this would’ve happened if I’d taken the time to shower, bathe—whatever I had to do to wash off that scent before coming home. “I… I didn’t mean for—”