The Hidden Luna Queen 2

The eldest Alpha Prince looked shocked. "Did you do that, Isabelle?"

"No!" Isabelle insisted fiercely. "What reason would I possibly have to sabotage the dress of Xaden's little lover?” "You tell me," Charlotte said with a frown. "I can hardly believe your criticisms of her come from a good place." "That shoe print did not come from me! I hold nothing against this girl!"

"No, Isabelle," a young man spoke up with a frown. Judging by his youthful appearance and physical similarities to Xaden, I deduced him to be Lucas, the Fourth Prince. "All you've done since we've gathered here is ridicule and mock this poor girl, when she only came here to answer our summons. I refuse to believe your intentions to be anything buthostile."

Seeing how the princess and her elder brother were so willing to stand up for me, despite not even really knowing who I was, was like nothing I had ever experienced. Xaden did so because of his feelings for me, and Maggie possibly did so out of loyalty to Xaden, but these two had no attachments to me at all.

I was incredibly touched.

"Isabelle," Henry gaped. "I had no idea you were capable of being so childish."

"You're taking their side?" she snapped, wide-eyed with betrayal. "Ever since yesterday, all you've done is prattle on and on about those blasted capital rumors you'd heard from your Prime Beta!"

"I brought those up because I enjoy getting under my little brother's skin!" he retorted, pointing a finger at Xaden. "We are in the middle of the race of our lives and I need whatever leverage I can-" "You're my husband! You're supposed to defend me!"

"How the hell do you expect me to justify actions capable of a five-year- old?!"

"You bast-!"

"That is ENOUGH, you two!" Alpha King Arlan bellowed with a powerful slam of his large hands on the table, startling the arguing couple into silence and making me jump in fright. "Leave the room at once! This is no place for your marital spats!" With Isabelle on the verge of tears and Prince Henry red from outrage, they stormed out of the room without another word.

The Alpha King exhaled in frustrated exhaustion, rubbing a tired hand over his statuesque face. “Xaden," he said suddenly, catching both his and my attention. To avoid an incomplete reading experience, visit Jobn'i'b.com. "This was hardly the ideal meeting... but what's done is done and I will take everything that transpired into consideration. I take it that you will not change your mind about this?"

Xaden held onto my hand. "No, I will not."

"Then... this girl will become your Luna?"

"The sooner, the better," he said, without a trace of any doubt in his voice. It warmed me up inside. "I want to be mated to her as soon as we are able, and not a moment later.”

"That will take time that you do not have," the king warned. "There is still the matter of planning the mating ceremony for the kingdom to witness. I believe it best to postpone holding the ceremony for the time being."

I glanced anxiously between them. A public mating ceremony?

Xaden stiffened beside me. "Father-"

"People are already talking enough about your surprise little appearance in the capital," the king said sharply. "How do you think they'll react when they find out you're also expecting a baby together?"

My heart stopped. He already knew about the pregnancy?!

Feeling uncomfortable, my gaze cast downwards and I wanted nothing more than to hide. This was supposed to be his first impression of me, and straight off the bat, he believed me to be ill-mannered and was already aware of my pre-marital pregnancy. I felt hopeless. There was no possible way for me to salvage my image.

"What does it matter what the people think?" Xaden questioned impatiently. "She's going to be my Luna, not theirs."

The Alpha King frowned. "Do you think this girl is just as willing to forsake the privacy of her pregnancy to appease your impatient soul?"

Surprisingly, I was relieved he spoke up for me at that moment. I did not want to share this with the world. I wanted to live out this pregnancy in peace, and when Xaden looked at me, he seemed to suddenly realize that it wasn't just his desires that needed to be

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“I understand...” he responded gently. "We'll wait with the ceremony, then."

Since learning he wanted me to become his Luna, I knew Xaden and I would marry at some point, but I wasn't expecting any of this. A mating ceremony between the esteemed Third Alpha Prince and his intended for the entire Werewolf Kingdom to pay witness to. And now, it seemed that a tentative date had been set.

The reality of the situation was beginning to sink in.

Oh God, could I really do this?