Chapter 143

Maeve’s POV

I couldn’t get Isabelle’s words out of my head.

Xaden was doing this because of the baby…

Could he really be coupling with Mia because of the negative test results? I made sure to secure the soonest appointment as I could, which will be in a couple of days. I was riddled with anxiety over it though and I prayed to the Moon Goddess that these results would be a lot better than the last ones.

Once again, Xaden was late coming home, only this time, I wasn’t surprised when he returned with Mia’s scent on his clothing, I saw exactly why he had her scent on him. My stomach tightened and I felt a stab of betrayal in my stomach.

He took off his coat and looked utterly exhausted, just like he had yesterday. He didn’t look at me as he made his way past me and towards the kitchen.

“Is there any dinner left?” He asked. I was honestly surprised he spoke to me; lately I’ve only been getting his cold shoulder, so this was a nice change.

I bit my lip and nodded.

“Yeah,” I told him. “Check the fridge.”

He nodded and still didn’t look at me. He continued to the kitchen. I stood to my feet and followed him. He grabbed the container of leftovers and put them in the microwave. He leaned against the counter, waiting for his food to finish. I stood at the doorway, staring at my feet, not sur what to say or do. Something was off between us, and I knew it was because of these results. I couldn't help but wonder if he was enjoying spending his time with Mia more than he enjoyed spending his time with me.

“Why are you just standing there?” He finally asked after what felt like an eternity of us standing around one another.

I lifted my gaze to look at me and saw that he was now studying me.

“I called my OBGYN,” I blurted. He raised his brows as he continued to study me. “I made another appointment. It’s in 2 days.”

He looked up at me and I could see the surprise on his face as he nodded.

“Okay,” he told me. “I’ll be there.”

My heart swelled; maybe there was hope for us after all.

The microwave beeped, indicating that his food was ready. He grabbed his food and plated it before turning to me.

“Did you eat already?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, Maggie made sure I ate,” I told him.

“Okay,” he said before he walked past me and into the living room. I followed after him. I sat beside him on the couch, and we stayed silent as he ate his food. Neither of us dared to break the silence first. Once he finished, he put his plate in the kitchen and then returned to the living room.

“I’m going to get some sleep,” he told me.

“Are you sleeping in our room, or the guest room?” I found myself asking before he could leave.

He froze for a moment, and I saw his shoulders dropping slightly.

“The guest room,” he told me. “I know I wreak of Mia and I’m too tired to shower tonight. The scent will drive you crazy if I sleep in our room.”

It was like a gut punch, but I couldn’t bring it in me to ask him to sleep with me tonight anyway, despite how badly I wanted to. I nodded, though he couldn’t see me because his back was turned towards me.

He left the living room, and I let out a shuddering breath. True to his words, Xaden spent the night in the guest room once again. This would be the second night in a row that he didn’t sleep in our bed with me.

Was this what our lives were going to look like?

The next day, Xaden was already gone, which wasn’t surprising. I decided to go with Maggie and a few guards into the city to get some decaf coffee and get away from the mansion for a little bit. I just needed a breather and attempted to not think about Xaden.

“Miss Maeve, is that you?” I heard a familiar voice.

I froze and looked up to see Alpha Kenneth walking towards me.

“Hello, Alpha,” I replied simply. “It’s good to see you.”

“I had been hoping I’d be able to run into you at some point. I heard about the test results. It can’t be easy. I’m so sorry you are going through that,” he said as he paused at our table.

The guards we brought with us sat at a different table, but they were watching our every move. Maggie sat in front of me and was staring at Kenneth with a wary expression on her face.

“Thank you, Alpha,” I said to him, trying my best to give him a polite smile.

“Do you think we can talk for a minute?” He asked, glancing at Maggie. “Alone.”

Maggie glanced at me, and I gave her a slight nod. She sighed and stood to her feet. She walked over to join the guards. Kenneth sat in her seat across from me and gave me a soft smile.

“I know you aren’t a liar Maeven and if Xaden can’t see that, then obviously he isn’t the right one for you,” Kenneth surprised me by saying. “You never had a mean bone in your body. I don’t believe for a second that those results are real. It’s a shame that he’s been spending all this time with Princess Mia.”

My stomach sank from his words; so even Kenneth noticed this as well? Was something truly gong on between Xaden and Mia?

“It’s just a bump in the road,” I murmured. “I’m sure we will get back to our normalcy soon enough. Once Princess Mia marries Prince Lucas and all.”

Kenneth raised his brows.

“Oh, you haven't heard?” He asked. “She canceled her engagement with Prince Lucas. She plans to marry Xaden.”

“What?” I gasped. “But he’s my mate….”

He nodded.

“And Xaden made sure his father knew that… but these results are messing with his head. You can’t blame a man for being confused and hurt. He might be confused enough to stray elsewhere.”

My heart shattered in my chest as I stared down at my hands. I refused to cry right here… at least not in front of Alpha Kenneth.

“I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear,” Kenneth said with a concerned frown on his lips. “You are a brave and bright girl with a big future. Don’t let this one man get you down. You have a child to think about and you need to be prepared to protect your child at all costs.”

“Xaden would never do anything to hurt me or the baby,” I said with certainty.

“Of course he wouldn’t,” Kenneth said, nodding. “At least not on purpose. But Maeve, you need to understand, a man who just found out that his child might not be his child… he’s not going to be in his right head space.”

I bit my lip, but I nodded.

“I want you to know that I’m here for you,” he continued. “As I said before, you are more than welcome to call me whenever you need. Day or night… I will always answer your calls. Think of me as a father figure to you.”

I nodded again. It was kind of Alpha Kenneth to be there for me and I appreciated him for that. Though I still had a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach, I could use all the allies I could get at this moment.

“Thank you, Alpha,” I said softly.

“Of course,” he replied before he stood to his feet. “I’m glad we were able to have this talk. Don’t hesitate to call me if you ever need to talk.”

“I appreciate that.”

Not before long, he was gone, and I was left more confused than ever.

A few days later, Xaden and I went to the doctor's office. This time, it was a doctor that I knew and trusted.

“I’m not sure why you need a retest,” the doctor said with a frown as she looked over the past results. “These look real to me. But I’ll do whatever you want,” she continued.

“Thank you,” I breathed.

Xaden sat by my side during the testing and at the end, just like the other doctor, she told us that the results would arrive in a few days.

And now we wait…. Again.

…..

Xaden’s POV

Maeve was a nervous wreck, and I couldn’t blame her. Taking another test to prove the other one to be wrong was a big thing. I was admittedly nervous too, but I was also hopeful. I was hopeful that perhaps this baby was mine and Maeve wasn’t lying. I was pleased when Maeve told me she scheduled another appointment with a different doctor. It proved that she was determined to prove herself innocent. Both my sister and my mother believed her… so it was time that I started to believe her as well.

I hadn’t been very accepting of her these last few days, and I knew it was hurting her. But I couldn’t bring myself to face her. I didn’t want to say something I would regret, and my wolf had been on edge as well. The last thing I wanted was for him to accidently hurt her.

But now that we retook the paternity test, both my wolf and I were calm. Maeve needed calm and she needed my support. We need each other’s support.

I wrapped my arms around her on our way home and pulled her into my side, kissing the side of her head, which seemed to have taken her by surprise. I missed the feeling of her in my arms and her scent engulfing me. Now that Mia’s scent had been officially washed from my body, I wasn’t worried about upsetting her.

She looked up at me, her eyes doe-like.

“I’ve missed you,” I confessed out loud. “I’m sorry I’ve been so out of it lately. My head has been in a fog.”

She smiled and leaned into me.

“It’s not your fault…” she told me. “I understand.”

“Look, I was thinking—” Just as I was about to finish that sentence, my phone started to ring.

I sighed and pulled it out of my pocket, glancing at the screen with a frown.

It was Mia.

Maeve saw the name as well and I saw her face shifting into a frown.

“Hello?” I said into the phone.

“Xaden!” Mia cried. “I need you! Please hurry!!”