The Hidden Luna Queen 2

All of a sudden, the line filled with a tense silence. And for a moment, she worried the call went dead, until the Luna spoke up once more. "... Are you absolutely sure?"

Bella's mouth opened, poised to answer, but it was like her throat closed up. Was she confident that she saw Maeve? It certainly looked like her and sounded like her... but the dirty, little creature that lingered in her memories had never been so cheerful as the girl she saw walk down the street.

Frankly, she could not recall even the slightest instance where Maeve smiled or fully lifted her eyes in her presence. Part of her didn't think it was even possible for someone like her.

But the resemblance was so uncanny... along with the fact that she was accompanied by that heavyset woman who also looked so very familiar... whom she had met that fateful afternoon in Prince Xaden's mansion those weeks ago. It had to be her.

"Bella, if you are not certain, then I implore you to-"

"It's her," Bella blurted out, despite still struggling to come to terms with what she'd seen with her own eyes, still trying desperately to replay those quick moments to analyze those features even more. “She was in the company of Prince Xaden's housekeeper. I'd recognize those two anywhere. But..."

"But?" Victoria repeated. Her impatience spoke louder than anything else. "For goodness' sake, spit it out."

"There was a third girl," Bella admitted sheepishly, feeling conflicted. "A girl I can't quite place. She has a face that I feel like I've seen before

There was a pregnant pause before Victoria spoke up again. "Is there a chance it was someone close to the royal family? Could it even have been the princess, herself?"

"I'm... not sure," Bella said, biting her lip. "Does it matter if it was her?"

"Of course, it does," Victoria spat. "If there's even the slightest chance that it could be her, then you should verify that as soon as possible. If it's, in fact, the princess, then that means Prince Xaden is still with Maeve." That... was a good point. It would prove that Princess Charlotte had been lying before, in order to keep her brother's affair a secret.

"Well?" The Luna prodded. "What else did you see? How far along did that wench look to you?"

Bella's throat ran dry as something sank inside her. Maeve's pregnancy was crucial knowledge that they all needed. The closer she got to giving birth to that accursed pup, the more grave their chances were to succeed. Once that brat was born, it would be virtually impossible to separate Maeve and Prince Xaden.To access the complete chapters for free, visit Jo b n1 b.com. "I-It all happened so quickly," she said weakly as her hand trembled around the cell phone. "She was gone before I was able to get a good look at her-" There was a sharp, irritated huff of breath over the phone. "For the love of -" Victoria began before she cut herself off and composed herself. "Are they still there, at least?"

"Yes!" Bella exclaimed, unable to hide her relief as she peered down the street in the direction the three women had gone. "I saw them enter a boutique just up the street. They're still inside, I swear."

"Good," the Luna replied briskly. "Then we still have a chance."

"What should-?"

"Follow them, of course," Victoria ordered without a moment's

hesitation, which Bella was careful to heed, "but make sure to keep a low profile. Soon enough, they'll lower their guard and speak freely. Find out what you can. We need to ensure that no mating ceremony has taken place yet."

Bella swallowed hard, nodding her head. The weight of everything fell on her shoulders now. For all they knew, they would never get a chance like this again. "I understand, Luna.”

"We're counting on you, Bella. Do not disappoint us."

THIRD PERSON POV

With the swift press of a button from her manicured thumb, the call came to an end, and Victoria tossed her cell phone onto her bed, inches away from her open purse as she continued to pack. Vaguely, the television could be heard playing in the background of the bedroom, something she had turned on in a feeble attempt to occupy her busy mind to no avail.

In the end, she hardly paid it any mind.

How could she concentrate on some stupid news channel when she was too busy getting ready to visit Sarah in the capital?

Over two weeks had passed since that fateful, gut-wrenching day... since her precious little girl, the sparkling jewel of her amber eye was wrongfully imprisoned, and life had yet to fall back into place for Victoria.

How was she supposed to pretend everything was normal while her heart was stuck behind bars, miles upon miles away from home?

It was simple. She couldn't. It was impossible-unthinkable.

Though, the transition to this harsh new reality seemed to be much easier for others.

All of a sudden, heavy footsteps emerged from far beyond the threshold of her bedroom, making their way down the long corridor. Familiar clacks of leather shoes against the polished hardwood floors loomed closer and closer until a low voice made itself known. Speak of the devil...

"I hear what you're saying. I... I just need some more time. Things are not ready to proceed yet."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her beloved mate, the love of her life -Alpha Burton... the most powerful man in all of Moonstone, as well as the most spineless of all time. She felt a knot of hurt and loathing coil deep within her as he came into view. Ever sinc that day, she had come to regard him in an entirely new light.

Not once did he try to defend their daughter's honor when Prince Xaden ordered her immediate imprisonment. He didn't even look at Sarah.

No. Instead, he went over to... her. The bane of her existence. And Victoria would never forgive him for it, no matter what he did to atone for his sins. However, he was seemingly unaware of her presence, and instead enthralled in what appeared to be a very private phone call. "Yes, I know you're waiting, but-"

Victoria cleared her throat, successfully catching her mate's attention.

His blue eyes, eyes that eerily mirrored those belonging to the horrid wretch that ruined her life, flickered in her direction, but he did not yet address her. "Pardon me," he muttered into the phone. "I have other matters to attend to." Vaguely, she heard an exasperated voice respond over the phone, but she could not make out the words.

"Yes, we will continue this another time," he said, nervously tapping his foot. She rolled her eyes as she zipped her purse closed. "E-Everything will proceed as planned soon. You have my word as an alpha."

With that, the call came to a close, Burton's hand squeezed over his phone before stuffing it into his pants pocket. It was not the first time he'd received a call like this, but regardless, it always managed to drain him.

The life of an alpha was never easy... and such rang true especially for Burton, who was trapped in a most precarious situation.

There was a brisk pause as he took a breath before he finally spoke up." Darling," he greeted with a tense smile, albeit lacking the adoration that used to always be so prevalent, that used to always shine through his features. "What is..."

And then he trailed off, allowing himself to take a long, careful look at her.

His Luna wore a dark knee-length dress layered underneath a black wool coat and, perched next to her purse that appeared to be fully packed, was a pair of sunglasses. Not only was she going out, but she wanted to keep a low profile and not call attention to herself wherever it was she would be going.

The realization made his face fall. It was not hard for him to guess where she planned to go.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Not when he knew his wife of over twenty years so well.

"You're... going back to the dungeon, aren't you?" he questioned tentatively.

Victoria did not even try to hide her scoff. "Of course, I am," she

answered without a moment's hesitation as she sauntered over to her vanity and opened her jewelry box. "My treasure rests within those walls."

The uncertainty that suddenly marred his face did not slip past her. Regardless, she couldn't help but ask: "Would you care to join me?"

There was a brief silence until he answered.

"...I'm not going."

It really shouldn't have come as a surprise. While Victoria dutifully and faithfully visited her daughter every day, if not every other day, her husband had only visited Sarah once in the entire time she'd been locked up. No, it was not a surprise. But the words still stung more than she cared to admit.

Victoria swallowed hard, biting back a harsh retort. No good would come from antagonizing him right now. Not when she still relied on him for so much.

"You... have not visited our daughter since the first week she was put

there," she said, her jaw tense as she turned and made a feeble attempt to

smile up at her mate. "Aren't you worried that others might think you've abandoned her?"