Chapter 135

Maeve’s POV

I ran my fingers up Xaden’s incredible body; his 6-pack smooth to the touch. My heart was hammering against my chest at rapid speed and my breathing hitched when he lifted me off the ground and sat me on the counter. His lips covered mine in a sweet kiss; it was as if he was asking permission to kiss me, afraid that I might reject him.

I was still hurting that he didn’t come home last night and instead spent the night with another woman… even if nothing happened between the two of them and she was engaged to be married to his brother.

But as he deepened the kiss and his body pressed into mine, my own body took control and suddenly, all I could think about was getting him out of his clothes. I helped him strip off the rest of his shirt and I ran my tongue down his form while he undid his pants.

My goal was to get her scent off my mate and replace it with my own.

It didn’t take long until we were both completely naked and wrapped up in each other’s arms. He kissed the nape of my neck, sucking on the sweet spot that he will one day mark. A shiver ran up my spine from the sensation and I couldn’t help but pull him closer to me. I couldn’t wait for the day that I could officially call him mine.

He lifted me off the counter and I wrapped my legs around his broad waist. He held me tightly, making sure I didn’t fall and making me feel more secure than ever as he continued to kiss and nibble on my bottom lip. I chuckled at the sensation and then sighed contently when I felt his warm tongue tangling with mine.

He carried me into the shower, and I realized that it wasn’t turned on. It didn’t seem to click in his mind though because before I knew what was happening, the shower was turning on and cold water was spraying down on us.

We both let out a yelp and nearly fell over from the feeling of the cold water. We broke our kiss and stared at one another with startled expressions before we both burst out laughing until our sides hurt.

It felt good to laugh after a night of misery.

“I’m sorry,” he said, pressing his wet forehead against mine as cold water continued to pour down on us, covering both our naked bodies and soaking through our hair. “I should have turned it on beforehand.”

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around his neck; the water started to warm, and it was beginning to feel a lot nicer.

“Don’t be sorry,” I told him, pressing my lips to his. “It feels good.”

He grinned and ran his lips down the nape of my neck.

“I’ll make you feel even better,” he whispered, his voice sultry.

I chuckled as he lifted me back into his arms and pressed me against the shower wall. I let out a breathy gasp when I felt him against me, pressing into my entrance. I moaned out his name as I ran my fingernails down his back, marking him to the best of my ability.

He let out a growl and I could see the yellow in his eyes from his wolf at the surface.

We spent the next hour connected and by the time we finished, and her scent was completely gone, my miserable night had vanished from my mind.

……

Xaden’s POV

Guilt.

I felt nothing but guilt.

I hated that I kept Maeve awake and waiting for me all night. After speaking with Maggie after breakfast, she showed me the picture she took of the table this morning before she cleaned it. She was right; Maeve had cooked a meal, and it sat untouched on the table all night.

After we had our shower fun, we walked downstairs with grins on our faces and enjoyed our breakfast at the breakfast nook. Maeve ended up returning to our room so she could freshen up before we headed to the palace, giving me some time alone with Maggie who wasn’t done scolding me.

She had never scolded me like this before and it made me feel uneasy. I hated that I hurt Maeve, but I also hated that I disappointed Maggie.

“It was my duty,” I told her. “I have a duty to my kingdom.”

“You have a duty to your mate,” Maggie said, narrowing her eyes. “And since when is Princess Mia your Kingdom?”

“She’s not, but if she’s not happy it could mean war against my Kingdom,” I told her, shaking my head. “My father made it very clear that I am to keep Mia happy at all costs.”

“And what about your brother? Isn’t it his job to keep his fiancé happy?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Yes, but apparently they got into an argument and now they won’t speak to one another,” I told her again. “I’m sure he’ll get his head out of his ass soon. I’m going to talk to him later about it. I’m hoping my father has a plan to fix things between them. I just need to be a little patient.”

“Don’t hurt that girl, Xaden,” Maggie said, sighing as she leaned against the counter. I knew she was talking about Maeve and not Mia. “Not again. She was destroyed last night, and I don’t want to see that happening again.”

I nodded and ran my fingers through my hair, feeling a bit disheveled.

“I don’t plan on it,” I said gently. “Trust me, Maggie. I’m beating myself up over it. But it’ll never happen again.”

Maggie nodded and turned away. I could tell she had other things she wanted to say but was biting her tongue.

Soon, Maeve returned to the kitchen in a stunning even dress and her hair was still damp from our shower. Her nose and cheeks were pink but when she spotted me a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“Hey,” she said softly. “Are you ready to go?”

She grabbed a large overcoat and started to put it on; her hands trembling as she worked the buttons.

I could sense her nervousness, and I wanted to make her less nervous. I wanted her to know that she had nothing to worry about and never would. Maeve was it for me and she’ll one day understand just that.

I nodded and stood from the barstool, offering her my arm. She took it without hesitation.

We said our goodbyes to Maggie, and we headed to the palace. Soon, we were stepping foot through the palace doors and being greeted by my father.

“Xaden, why are you coming in so late?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at me. “You were supposed to be here an hour ago.”

“I had a mishap that morning,” I admitted. “But I’m here now. I told the princess that I would show her around the capital. I was hoping to introduce her to Maeve. We were going to take Mia around the capital and maybe do a little shopping.”

My father finally noticed Maeve standing beside me and he sighed.

“Well, when you are finished there is work to be done. Meet me in my office when you return,” he told me, turning and walking away.

“Prince Xaden, it’s good to see you,” Emily said as she walked down the grand stairs. “Mia will be down in a moment. She’s very excited about your outing.”

I wrapped an arm around Maeve, drawing Emily’s attention to my side. She immediately frowned and her eyes grew wide.

“Oh, hello,” Emily said, giving a forced and awkward smile.

“Hi,” Maeve said, bowing her head slightly in response.

“This is Maeve,” I introduced. “My mate.”

Emily sucked in a sharp breath.

“I… I wasn’t aware you had a mate,” she said, her brows pinching together. “It’s nowhere in the media.”

“We are keeping it quiet for a while,” I admitted. “But we will be announcing it soon enough.”

Maeve’s overcoat hid her belly, so we didn’t have to tell anyone of her pregnancy just yet. Emily looked nervously around for a moment and then her entire body tensed when she heard footsteps coming from behind her.

I looked up and saw Princess Mia walking down the steps. Her long hair was flowing evenly around her shoulder and down her back. She wore a pink sundress that left little imagination on her body; it was revealing and showed off the markings of the vixens. Her warriors walked behind her, and they held their heads high and walked as if they owned the place.

I noticed Maeve immediately tense from beside me and her eyes growing impossibly large as she stared up at the princess. I wondered what she was thinking at that moment; I hoped she wasn’t threatened, but I knew right away that she wasn’t comfortable.

“Xaden, hello,” Mia said as she reached the bottom step. “I’m excited to be getting out of here with you. How about we—” her voice trailed off once she spotted Maeve. At first, she looked startled, but then she started to look almost cold… I shook my head; it had to be my imagination. From what I knew about Mia, she was very kind. Last night proved just that.

“H… Hello Princess,” Maeve stammered as she curtsied.

Mia folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing.

“And who might this be?”