Chapter 151

Maeve’s POV

What was I doing?

I shouldn’t have left like I did. I was carrying Xaden’s baby, and I couldn’t even stick around to talk to him. I went right into running away. I kept telling myself that I just needed to take some space and clear my head. But truth be told, I wasn’t sure when I was planning on returning. I felt sick to my stomach as I thought about Xaden with Mia. The words he spoke to her... the way he looked at her. He spent all his time with her… it was like I was nothing to him.

I felt thrown away.

I wasn’t going to let my baby feel the way that I was feeling. I would do anything for him, even if it meant walking away from his father. I peeked up at the guards who guided me to the guest room on the second floor. It was strange being escorted by guards; there were 4 of them in total. Two were walking in front of me, and two were walking behind me. It was as if they were afraid, I’d run away.

None of them were looking at me, nor did they look particularly pleasant.

My stomach knotted as we continued to walk. Once we reached the door, the guards stopped and looked at me.

“Enter through here,” one of them told me, sounding almost disinterested. “Someone will get you for dinner.”

I nodded and I stepped towards the door. I expected them to walk away at that point, but they didn’t. They stood outside the door as if they were going to stay there for a while. I pinched my brows together and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind me. Once I was alone, I released the breath I hadn’t known I was holding.

The room was basic; there wasn’t much to it. There was a neatly made bed with really nice bedding that matched the drapes on the large bay windows. There was a dresser, a closet, a couple of bedside tables, and a door I assumed led to the bathroom.

It was strange being in this room; it wasn’t my room, and I felt a little uncomfortable being in someone else’s space. I didn’t bring my phone with me and a large part of me wondered if Xaden bothered calling me yet, or if he even cared that I was gone.

I mean, he didn’t think this baby was his, so maybe he felt relieved to be free from this burden.

I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat and sat on the bed. My heart was racing in my chest as I thought about what I had done. The Queen was going to be so disappointed in me when she found out that I left. I didn’t even want to think about Charlotte.

I needed to get my mind off things; maybe going for a walk would be helpful. I stood to my feet and walked over to the door. I turned the knob and pulled it open only to be faced with the same guards as before. Two of them were gone now, but two of them remained. As soon as the door opened, they straightened and stared down at me with a frown. My eyes grew wide as I stared between them; they built a wall with their bodies, preventing me from leaving the room.

“I…I was just going to take a walk,” I told them, my voice coming out unfamiliar.

“We don’t advise that, Miss,” one of them said, folding his arms across his chest. “I suggest you just rest before dinner. We will get you when it’s time.”

I narrowed my eyes, my heart practically in my throat.

“Is it a suggestion, or an order?” I found myself asking them, staring between the two of them. Neither of them cracked a smile or even blinked.

“We suggest you return to your room,” he repeated, his tone darkening and making me instinctively take a step back.

“Noted…” I breathed out.

Without another word, I turned and let the door shut behind me as I stepped back into the room. Were they locking me in here? Wasn’t I a guest? Why were these guards making me feel so unwelcome in this pack? For a moment, I wondered if Kenneth knew about this. I was his guest after all; they should be treating me kinder.

I paced the room, my heart continuing to pound heavily in my chest and my palms growing sweaty. This nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach refused to go away. I nibbled on my bottom lip and sat back on the bed, pressing my knees to my chest and remaining like that for what felt like a long while.

I kept telling myself I was doing this for my baby, but was this really what was best?

I must have fallen asleep in that position because the next thing I knew, there was a knock on the door. I jolted awake, drool caked on my cheek as I quickly wiped it away. I slid out of bed, untangling my body from itself. I was rolled like a pretzel, and I felt uncomfortable as I made my way to the doorway, my hands on my belly for extra support.

I grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open, only to be faced with those guards again.

“The Alpha wanted us to escort you to the dining hall for dinner,” One of them told me.

I nibbled on my lower lip and nodded. I didn’t have anything to change into, so I guess the clothing I was wearing would have to do for right now. The guards led me down the long hallway and down the staircase until we reached the main foyer.

The other two guards who accompanied us earlier to the guest room were at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at me with stone-cold expressions, giving me an even more uneasy feeling. We walked down a long hallway and around the corner into an open space. Then after we walked through another set of doors, we entered the dining hall.

It was as expected but not as fancy as the royal palace. It had a long dining table that didn’t look particularly used. There was an assortment of food in the center of the table, and it smelled delicious. Kenneth was the only one seated at the table, which I found a bit odd.

He stood when I entered, and he gave me a gentle and warm smile as he motioned for the seat in front of him. As I walked towards the seat, I noticed another spot beside me with silverware and a plate. I wondered if someone else was expected to join us.

I took a seat, feeling awkward and avoiding Kenneth’s gaze.

“I hope the room is to your liking,” Kenneth said as he too took a seat. “I will have the maids supply you with essentials and take you shopping in the morning.”

My cheeks flushed at his words.

He wanted me to go shopping? Which meant he wanted me to stay… I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

“Is everything okay?” He asked.

I glanced up at him and saw that he was studying me.

By instinct, I glanced at the guards who remained at the doorway. Two on the inside and two on the outside.

What was going on here?

Kenneth followed my gaze to the guards and his eyes darkened.

“Leave us,” he demanded, his tone ringing with authority.

The guards looked puzzled as they looked at Alpha Kenneth.

“Sir?” One of the guards asked.

Kenneth waved his hands, dismissively.

“We don’t need you in here,” he told them. “Leave.”

They looked at one another before looking back at Kenneth and nodding. Without another word, they left the room, stepping outside. Though they were no longer in the room, I could still sense their presence and even see their shadows outside the door. It made me uneasy that they wouldn’t leave… It made me feel like a prisoner.

“Don’t mind them,” Kenneth said as he started to put food on his plate, motioning for me to do the same. “They take their jobs very seriously. Always prepared for danger.”

I nodded, wanting to believe him.

I put some food on my plate, not feeling very hungry, but knowing I had to eat for the sake of my baby.

“Sorry, I had to leave you so suddenly when we arrived here. I had an important phone call,” he explained as he cut into his steak. “We didn’t get a chance to talk yet. You sounded quite urgent on the phone.”

I bit my lower lip as I stared down at my barely touched food.

“A lot has happened,” I admitted.

“You know you can talk to me about anything, Maeve. You are like a daughter to me,” Kenneth told me. I pinched my brows together because we never had that type of relationship, yet it was oddly comforting to have a father figure in my life.

“I overheard Xaden telling Princess Mia that he would only have a child if it was out of duty,” I said softly. “He doesn’t believe that this baby is his because of those results. But I had another test done and it is his baby.”

Kenneth’s eyes darkened and I swear I saw his body tensing drastically.

“You had another test done?” He asked, narrowing his eyes.

I nodded.

“Yeah,” I answered. “I went to my original OBGYN and had her do the test for us. The results came back positive. Xaden is the father. But I saw him with Mia before I could tell him the news. It seems like he would rather be with her than with me… plus the words he said to her about having a baby… it was too much. I don’t want this baby growing up feeling the way that I do. I want him to grow up feeling loved. I knew I needed to leave, so I called you.”

Kenneth was quiet as he processed my words. I kept my eyes fixed on my plate, fiddling with the food with a fork and ignoring Kenneth’s scrutiny, though it was intense.

Before Kenneth could utter a single word, the door to the dining hall opened and a new presence hurried into the vast space.

“Sorry, I’m late father—”

His voice trailed off when he saw my face and my mouth nearly fell to the ground when I saw his.