The Hidden Luna Queen (Maeve and Xaden)

"It's okay! I'm just—”

"Ma'am."

The man's sudden interruption seemed to suffice enough to quiet her down for the time being. "I apologize for cutting you off," he said, though the tone of his voice indicated that he very much felt otherwise. Inwardly, relief bloomed within me once she had stopped her probing questions. "You're married to Sargeant Paul from the Night Watch, aren't you?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yes, I am!" she exclaimed, nodding emphatically.

"It seems like he might be looking for you," he said, gesturing toward a small gathering of guests near the center of the room, where several young men could be seen. "Why don't you go on and keep him company? If neither one of us is busy later, perhaps fate will bring us all together once more before the banquet comes to an end."

"Oh okay." The girl promptly rose from her chair, bid the two of us a short and sweet farewell, and took off without another word.

As soon as she left, I sunk into my chair, my face feeling hot from embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry about all of that..." I muttered. "I don't know what she wanted."

"Please," he said, shaking his head. "You don't have to apologize for any of that. Delaney's a... peculiar creature.”

That caught my attention. Apart from saying her name, there was a particular tone to his voice that told me he was familiar with her and that behavior of hers. "Are you friends with her and her husband?" He gave a vague sort of nod. "More or less, I suppose," he relented. "Her husband and I serve in the same division, so I've seen her at the occasional event."

Instantly, my curiosity piqued. So my first impression of him had been correct!

"You're a soldier," I breathed, turning in my chair to face him head-on. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your service on the border. Everyone here is safe because of your heroic actions." He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, looking rather bashful. It added to his boyish charm, I thought. “Thank you. It means more than you know."

I bit my cheek. Admittedly, I had a

question that burned at the forefront

of my mind, and there was something about this man that seemed so open and kind, that I felt like I could ask him. "I... happened to hear that the alpha who led you was very inspiring," I said, prompting him to raise an eyebrow. "Aneb

apparently, he's supposed to speak today."

"Ah," he remarked. "You're interested in learning about him?"

"I just would like to know a little bit about him," I admitted, feeling like I could be honest with him. "The basics, at the very least-his name what he's like, that sort of thing. It's my first time coming to one of these events, and I feel like everyone seems to know what's going on

except for me."

The corners of his lips suddenly uplifted into a small smile. "Actually..." he murmured with a brief pause, his eyes sparkling with something secret and knowing as they flickered up to meet my wonderous gaze. "I personally know all there is to know about the man, if you're so curious to find out."

"You do?" I questioned. "Who is he?"

"But I'm telling you now-he's dreadfully boring."

I blinked. Was that even safe for him to say out loud? "Tell me, please."

His broad frame tilted ever so slightly in my direction. "His name is Nicholas," he said, quiet as if to keep the information between us alone. "He graduated with top marks at the Royal Academy for Alphas five years ago, joined the royal army shortly after, and this is his first year serving as a commanding officer. Everyone seems to think that he's this big, brave hotshot, but truthfully, he was just as terrified as everybody else that night on the border."

I could only imagine what he must have felt... leading those men in what looked like a hopeless defense. To be the only ray of hope in what must have felt like the darkest of nights. How much strength it must have taken to put on a brave face for everyone.

"What else?" I pressed.

He cocked his head, and I could practically see him scan through his mental book of tidbits to share. "I hear that when he's not in arms, he enjoys hunting on the weekends, loathes the taste of coffee with a burning passion, and..." He trailed off once more, keeping me on my toes like a born storyteller.

"And?" I repeated, intrigued.

He let out a small chuckle. "Well... he's me."