Chapter 124

Xaden’s POV

“Maeve is all set to be discharged,” the doctor said, handing me back the paperwork. I nodded my thanks to him and turned to Burke who had just arrived a few minutes ago. Maeve had been in the hospital for a couple of days and now I’m ready to take her home. I couldn’t wait to have her to myself again and outside of these hospital walls. I’m sure she was just as excited to be able to sleep in our own bed once again.

Both Maeve and our baby were healthy and recovering quickly. I was surprised at how fast the baby recovered versus how quickly Maeve recovered, but I wasn’t going to complain. They were both safe and that was all that mattered to me.

“We still haven’t been able to get the kidnapper to admit to anything; no matter how much torture he’s endured. His lips remain sealed,” Burke told me as we made our way to Maeve’s room to collect her.

“We’ll keep trying,” I told him, shaking my head as I thought more about the incident. It just didn’t make any sense; who would be after them?

“Security footage showed someone else lurking around the perimeter of the mansion late last night,” Burke told me, pausing outside of the hospital room. “Word had gotten out that she was supposed to be returning home last night. It would have been her first night there since the accident.”

It was true that she was supposed to be discharged yesterday, but I insisted she stayed one more night for further testing to ensure that the baby was truly okay. If someone was actually lurking around the perimeter, that would mean they were trying to kidnap her yet again.

“Find out who’s sending these people to kidnap Maeve and why they are doing it,” I said through my teeth, my aggravation growing.

Burke nodded.

“Yes, we are trying, Your Majesty,” he said, heaping a sigh. “They are doing what they can to hide their trail.”

“We can’t give up; we have to keep her safe,” I told him.

He nodded again.

“There is extra security at the mansion right now and I called in a few more to escort you both home,” Burke assured me. “She won’t be left alone, even for a second.”

I nodded, thankful to have Burke in my corner. Not only was he my Prime Beta, but he was also my friend, and I was grateful to him. After thanking him, he took off to continue his job while I entered the hospital room.

Maeve was out of bed and finishing packing her belongings when I entered. She turned and gave me a bright smile. She no longer had cuts and bruises on her face, and she looked more vibrant than ever. My heart squeezed at the sight of her, and I couldn’t help but wrap her in my arms and cover her lips with mine.

She chuckled against me, pushing my chest.

“Can’t you wait until we return home?” She asked teasingly. I reluctantly released her and frowned.

“I’ve been waiting for days. I can’t wait to have you to myself again,” I murmured.

Her cheeks grew pink, and she had to fight the urge to smile; it was obvious by the way the corner of her lips twitched. I helped her finish packing and then I shouldered her bag, taking her arm in mine.

Maeve said goodbye to the doctors and nurses who assisted her over the last couple of days and then we reached the waiting room on the bottom floor. I was pleased to see the security team that Burke told me about already waiting to escort us. Maeve looked surprised by how many of them there were.

She glanced up at me with a frown and I gave her a shrug.

“Can’t be too careful,” I told her.

She nodded, smiling up at me and she let me guide her out of the hospital with the guards following after us. I helped her into the car and sat beside her as the driver took us back to the mansion. She rested her head on my shoulder, and I knew she was exhausted. It was late and she hadn’t really slept that well since the incident. I couldn’t blame her for wanting to return home and sleep for as long as she could.

“Miss Maeve!” Maggie exclaimed as soon as we stepped into the mansion. “Oh, Goddess. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

Maggie threw her arms around Maeve and hugged her tightly, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes.

“It’s not your fault, Maggie,” Maeve assured her, patting her back.

“I shouldn’t have left you alone and I certainly shouldn’t have let you go with him. When I didn’t recognize him, I should have asked more questions. This is all my fault. You got hurt because of my carelessness.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Maeve told her gently. “It would have happened regardless. Someone was after me and they weren’t going to stop until they got me into that car. None of this is your fault.”

Maggie let out a distressed sob and covered her mouth as she stepped back.

“I’m just so sorry,” she said softly, lowering her gaze. “I have failed at protecting her…”

“And we are going to do what we can, going forward, to ensure her safety,” I told Maggie as I draped an arm around Maeve’s shoulders. “Starting now, I don’t want her alone for even a second. If I’m not around, then it’s your job to keep an eye on her. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Maggie said, bowing her head to me. “I assure you, nothing like this will ever happen again.”

I nodded. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.

……

Maeve’s POV

I had been home for 2 weeks, and I was starting to lose my mind. They still couldn’t figure out who sent that man after me and who else was working for the same person. I couldn’t even go to the bathroom without somebody following me. I loved spending all this time with Xaden; he’s been doing a lot of work from home lately and spending most of his time with me. But then there were times when he couldn’t leave the mansion; like when he needed to attend an important meeting or something.

When Xaden left, I was left in the care of Maggie, Burke, or one of the warriors who patrolled the mansion. Queen Leonora had been coming to the mansion for my training lessons, not wanting me to travel to the palace out of fear that something terrible would happen. I felt like a prisoner in this mansion and I was slowly losing my mind.

“I just want to spend a little time alone,” I told Maggie one evening. I was on the verge of tears. I knew they only wanted to protect me, but there was such a thing as overly protected. “I haven’t been alone in weeks.”

“There was another kidnapping attempt last week, Maeve,” Maggie reminded me, taking my hands into hers.

I hadn’t known it at the time of the attempted kidnapping, but I asked questions a few days later when I started to notice even more security officers in the mansion. I wondered what was going on and why everyone seemed to be on edge. Apparently, there was a new cook in the mansion, but he wasn’t actually a cook. One of the meals that he prepared for me was laced with Starlight, a drug that’ll knock someone out, but it’s proven to be safe for the fetus. It’s a safer drug than Wolfsbane but has the same effects.

Thankfully, one of the warriors had the sense to test the food before serving it to me. The “chef” was arrested and is being held in the palace dungeon with the man who tried to kidnap me the first time.

There had also been security footage of another man scoping out the mansion grounds. He was wearing a disguise though and hadn’t yet been found. The footage caught him returning twice and disappearing both times. Whoever was sending these people to the mansion to kidnap me was smart because they were using rogue wolves. Which meant these wolves didn’t have the scent of any type of pack. They were untraceable and they weren’t speaking a word about their boss.

My stomach twisted when Maggie reminded me that things could have been bad last week, but thankfully, thanks to the insane amount of people watching over me, I was saved.

“I just want things to return to normal,” I sighed.

“And they will,” Maggie assured me with a kind smile. “Just as long as they find the person in charge.”

I nodded, knowing she was right.

Moments later, Xaden returned home, and I was pleased to see him. He had been gone all day and I missed him terribly. He had been spending a lot of time trying to get to the bottom of these kidnapping attempts and barely home the past couple of weeks.

He wrapped me in his arms and kissed me deeply. I sighed contently, loving the feeling of his lips on mine and I melted into the kiss.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered, nipping at my bottom lip.

I chuckled, completely forgetting that Maggie was there until she cleared her throat.

“I’ll go check on dinner,” she said, excusing herself.

Soon, we were alone, and I wanted more than anything to just rip his clothes off.

As if he could read my mind, he corked an eyebrow as he lifted me into his arms, his lips never breaking mine, and then he brought me into our bedroom where we remained connected for the rest of the evening.