The Hidden Luna Queen (Maeve and Xaden) novel Chapter 94

I saw my father staring back at me through those green apathetic eyes.

And something in me snapped.

I couldn’t just pay witness to all of that and pretend it never happened. Not when I had dreamed for years that someone would defend me the way I did tonight. It wasn’t right that I had to stand up to the king in the first place…

But I didn’t regret standing up for Eric.

Xaden continued. “Those things you said… I could understand talking back to Isabelle, but… for you to talk like that to my father, of all people, too…” He turned to gape at me. “I've never seen such a side to you before.”

I blanched, suddenly feeling horrified. In daring to insult the alpha king, there was a great likelihood that I insulted Xaden in the process, too. Familial issues aside, they were still father and son… and I very possibly showed him a new side of me that he did not approve of.

“Xaden, I-I—”

And then, in a split second, he was kissing me with passionate fervor in the backseat of the car, taking me by complete surprise. “I was right—” he purred against my mouth, full of adoration, “I just knew you’d blow us all away tonight.”

“Y-You’re not mad?”

“Mad?” he repeated incredulously with a wicked grin, licking his lips. “What you did was the most fearless thing I’ve ever seen anyone do. Only my mother would dare to confront him with such burning tenacity and not give a damn about the repercussions. It was about time someone else did.”

This fearless image he seemed to have of me couldn’t have been farther from the truth. I was not proud of myself, by any means. It was merely the reaction of a girl who was at the end of her rope.

I was not brave like Xaden. I was a coward lost in a moment of stupidity and weakness.

“B-But what if he forces us to call off our mating ceremony because of it?”

“Let him try,” he declared. “I have every intention of making you mine.” His unwavering determination, admittedly, did little to appease me. I wanted so badly to believe him, but in the end, he was powerless against his father’s almighty will.

My fate rested in the Alpha King’s unforgiving hands tonight.

And my odds were not looking good.

THIRD PERSON POV

An out-of-breath Isabelle tried her best to keep up with the long strides of Alpha King Arlan, whose outrage bounced off the walls of the palace walls. “Your Majesty!” she gasped, maintaining a respectable distance. “I’m utterly appalled at my fellow Luna Princess’s behavior tonight!”