The Hidden Luna Queen 2

"Xaden," I whispered.

"Hmm?"

"What do we do if... if he does come early?"

The ensuing silence lasted for what felt like forever but must have only been a few seconds.

"Yeah..." Xaden eventually murmured with a sigh. He leaned back against the leather car seat, absentmindedly stroking my hand with the pad of his thumb. Meanwhile, his gaze was firmly locked on the sonogram. "What to do..."

"I mean there isn't even a room that's ready for him," I said, and now that the revelation was back out in the open, panic began to sink in. "I know Maggie suggested we wait since it's still early, but what if we have less time than we think-" "Sweetheart."

Despite my growing panic, the nickname warmed me up inside.

"Everything will be alright," he said, pulling my hand to his lips. "We'll make it alright, you'll see."

He seemed so calm. Maybe too calm.

"This is your first baby, right?" I asked, only partially teasing.

Xaden laughed at that, the sound hearty and light. "Unless you consider ordering Lucas and Charlotte around when I was young," he replied, apparently amused by my question, "then, yes, this would be my first time having and caring for a child." "You could've fooled me," I said, trying to distract myself by fidgeting with his fingers. "You... always seem to know what to do and how to act, and I... I can't help but be in awe."

...

Then I suppose it seems I've managed to fool you, after all." "... Huh?"

His green gaze, illuminated by the sunlight beaming through the car windows, flickered to meet mine. "Shall I be honest with you?"

I pulled his hand onto my lap and held on tightly. "Please."

Moments passed before one of the corners of his mouth quirked upward, not with mischief, but something more vulnerable. "I haven't the faintest idea what I'm doing," he admitted, loosely looping his fingers between mine. "Anything I might've learned from watching my mother and Maggie happened many, many years ago-and, truthfully, I was a tad too focused on being a troublemaker to really pay attention to anything else."

"But there's nothing," he added, sounding serious, "that'll stop me from doing this with you. I swear it."

My heart swelling, I leaned into him, just enjoying the warmth of his body against mine. There was so much I wanted to say, so much I wanted to convey.

But, in the end, the thought of a small, rambunctious Xaden running around the palace halls was what brought a smile to my face. Once upon a time, I'd asked Maggie about his childhood, only to get shot down, and I hadn't thought to bring it up again. How sweet it was, that he was the one to bring it up first, after all.

"You" I pressed, "a troublemaker?"

He huffed another laugh. "I'm not sure what I've done to make you believe otherwise."

My smile widened. "I wouldn't say that," I teased. "I just... like learning about you."

The inside of the car thrummed with something that was both electrifying and calming at the same time. Something that I only ever felt when I was with him, when I could be without worry.

"You're welcome to learn whatever you want," he said. "As long as I can one day learn more about you, too."

That... was a tall order. I knew my stories wouldn't be as lighthearted as his... but how could I deny such a request?

"If that's what you want," I replied, still holding onto him.

The rest of the car ride was filled with whatever stories Xaden had time to tell-all from his childhood, and all involving the mischief he'd gotten into, whether it involved sneaking into his father's council meetings or messing with Lucas.

And I loved every second. I pictured every memory, every detail, and I could imagine our baby doing all of it.

What a future that might be.

When we arrived home, Maggie was a short distance away from the door, faced away, as if she'd been speaking with someone else.

"Oh-welcome back, Your Highnesses," she greeted with a curtsy. "You have a-"

But it was too late.

Before Maggie could finish her sentence, an ominous darkness manifested beyond my line of sight, prickling my spine. My breath hitching, I quickly snapped my gaze towards this unwanted presence, only to land on a tall figure standing off to the side, just waiting to be noticed.

And the world shattered around me as we locked eyes.

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