Chapter 142

Xaden’s POV

I know there had to be something wrong with the test results, but I couldn’t seem to face Maeve. When I reached our bedroom, I stared at the bed that I shared with my mate, and I couldn’t help but wonder if everything was a lie.

Was she truly my mate? Or was it a lie? Had my father been right?

I didn’t like this doubt creeping into the dark corners of my mind.

But until I knew the truth, I needed to get some distance from her. I feared I might say something that I would regret if I were to spend any amount of time with her.

I grabbed a few of my things and went into the guest room. I could hardly sleep though. However, I could hear Maeve at the entrance of the door, and I pretended to sleep while she checked the room. I heard her light sigh before she closed the door, leaving me alone once again.

I felt a stab of disappointment in my chest. There was a part of me that hoped that she would slip into bed beside me and hold me all throughout the night. I wanted her to be a bit more assertive and not let me go that easily. But another part of me was relieved when she walked away because I needed the space to clear my mind. Looking at her right now hurt because I was reminded of those test results.

If I wasn’t the father of this child… then who was?

The morning didn’t come fast enough. I made it a point to leave before Maeve woke up because I didn’t want to have any run-ins with her. I quickly dressed and hurried down the stairs.

Maggie tried to get me to slow down and eat breakfast, but I made an excuse to get out of there as quickly as possible. An excuse, I knew she wasn’t going to buy.

When I reached the palace, I was greeted by my mother. She raised her brows upon seeing me so early and she glanced at the clock across the wall.

“You’re here early,” she pointed out. “Did Maeve come with you?”

I shook my head, not wanting to get into this with my mother.

“No, she’s still asleep. I wanted to get some work done before I saw Mia today,” I told her.

“Hmm…” my mother said, folding her arms across her chest. “I’m surprised you didn’t arrive with Maeve. I’m sure she’s going through the wringer right now with these results and all. It can’t be easy. Don’t ‘you think you should be spending this time with her?”

‘I have a duty to the kingdom,” I reminded her. “Father’s orders. Remember?”

She nodded thoughtfully.

“Yes, but you also have a duty to your mate,” she told me firmly.

“Yeah, well… I don’t know if she’s actually my mate or not,” I said without thinking.

My mother’s jaw nearly hit the ground at my erupt words. I didn’t mean to say that, but as I spoke the words, I realized my fears were shining through. I was terrified that everything Maeve had told me was a lie and I couldn’t shake the feeling about something terrible happening.

“Xaden, you can’t be serious,” she said, shaking her head. “Are you seriously thinking that Maeve lied to you this entire time?”

“I don’t know,” I said, sighing and running my fingers through my hair. “I Just don’t know anything anymore.”

“I blame your father for making you so hard-headed,” my mother muttered. “Maeve would never do something like that to you. She cares so deeply for you and that much is obvious. Even your sister can see that these results are wrong, and Maeve was wronged.”

“Charlotte believes they were faulty results?” I asked, raising my brows.

My mother nodded.

“Yes,” she answered. “She went to see Maeve yesterday and they spent the afternoon together. I would have joined them if Charlotte hadn’t insisted that she go by herself. She wanted to get a feel for Maeve and find out if she was lying or not and when she came back, she said she indicated no lies. How can we believe her and her own mate doesn’t?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe her, Mom…” I said, lowering my gaze.

“You don’t trust her,” my mother said, cocking her head to the side. “I didn’t raise you like that, Xaden.”

“No, but father did,” I muttered.

“True,” she agreed, putting a hand on my shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. “But he also taught you to never give up and to go after what you want. If you want Maeve, then you need to go after her because if you aren’t careful… you could end up losing her.”

My wolf growled at the thought of losing our mate. Whether she lied to us or not… she was still ours. My wolf fully believed that.

“You’re right,” I finally said. “I’ll talk to her later. But for now, I need to tend to Princess Mia.”

My mother gave me a look that didn’t show that she was pleased, and I knew it was the opposite. But she didn’t argue either because she also knew it was my father’s order, and it was my duty. She stepped back and watched me walk away.

After I finished my morning duties, I met up with Princess Mia in the gardens as planned.

“Oh, Xaden,” Mia said with a smile as she walked towards me. “I’m so glad to see you here. I’m excited to spend the day with you.”

I nodded as she took my arm.

“Shall we take a stroll around the palace? This place is huge, and I don’t think I’ve seen everything it has to offer,” she told me.

“Of course, Princess,” I told her. “We can start with a stroll.”

……

Maeves’ POV

I wasn’t planning on coming to the palace today. But the queen insisted that I meet with her for some training today. She said it would be good for me to get out of the mansion and get some air and plus, she wanted to speak with me. I honestly didn’t think she would want anything not to do with me but like Charlotte, she didn’t seem phased by these test results.

Could it be possible that she didn’t believe them either? If two of the royals didn’t believe that these results could be true, then what did that mean? Could these results really be fake? Or maybe it was just that they were wrong.

When I arrived at the palace, I was greeted by the queen almost immediately. Some of the maids and palace staff were eyeing me with scowls, but the queen shooed them away and guided me away from the small commotion.

When we were in a secluded area, she turned to look at me with a concerned expression in her eyes.

“Oh, my poor Maeve,” she sighed. “I’m so sorry for this mess. Charlotte told me that she went to see you and I hope you know that I agreed with her completely.”

“You do?” I asked her, surprised.

“Of course, I do,” she told me, [putting her hand on my shoulder. “You’d never do anything to hurt this family. That’s my grandchild you are carrying, and I don’t care what anyone else has to say.”

“I’m worried that Xaden doesn’t believe me…” I murmured. “He’s been avoiding me, and he was gone before we could talk this morning.”

“My son is a hot head, just like his father. He cares for you deeply and I think he’s just a little confused,” she told me, shaking her head. “Don’t worry though, soon, the real results will come out.”

“The real results?” I asked, confused.

She nodded.

“There’s a chance that these results were faked. I don’t exactly have the details or a reason as to why the doctor would do such a thing, but I will get to the bottom of it. In the meantime, I think it’s wise for you to schedule a retest.”

“A retest?” I asked.

She nodded again.

“With your OBGYN… a trust one,” she told me. “Just to make sure.”

I nodded.

“Okay,” I breathed. “I’ll do that.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon training and by the time we finished, I was emotionally spent. I was about to leave for the evening, not bothering to find Xaden because I knew he’d just give me the old shoulder, but before I could leave, I was stopped by Isabelle.

“Leaving so soon?” She asked, folding her arms across her chest. “Don’t you want to see the happy new couple?”

“New couple?” I asked.

I really didn’t have the patience to deal with Isabelle right now; I just wanted to leave and get some sleep.

She grinned and pulled me along with her to the parlor. When she pushed the door open, I froze when I saw Mia curled up at Xaden’s side. They were only talking, but her arms were around him and she was chuckling at whatever he was saying.

My stomach sank like lead… they looked far too intimate with one another, and I felt sick to my stomach.

“He deserves so much better than a liar like you,” Isabelle murmured. “You know he’s only doing this because of the baby, right?”

I didn’t want to stay there any longer. I shoved my way past her and left as quickly as I could. The second I was in the car; I grabbed my phone and dialed the number to the doctor's office; the same doctor I’ve used many times in the past. I trusted her more than anyone and I knew she would help me.

“Hello, this is Maeve. I need to schedule an appointment. I need to get a paternity test for a fetus.”