After the marking ceremony

Leah's POV

My eyes went over his body, and then touched his chest to check if it was smooth just like it always was.

"It's you…" Tears were starting to form at the sides of my eyes.

"It's me…" He brought his body closer to me, his hands touching my wrists.

I felt weak trying to push him away, and my breasts pressed against his chest, my hands were on his shoulders. His hand went down to hold my waist.

"Stop this!" I breathed through my teeth, forcing myself from him.

I hadn't let tears out of my eyes, but without my notice, they poured freely, going over my neck, and dropping on my hand.

"Leah…" He spread his hands wide, taking a step to me. "It's me Amon… You must have missed me… Stop with all this act."

For a moment, I gave up trying to push him away, taking deep breaths. The event of our breakup was playing over in my mind, but his hands holding me betrayed the pain I was feeling.

"I have a mate… You shouldn't have come to look for me… Please leave."

He didn't seem like he was going to. His body pressed against me, and I was forced to take in his scent through my nostrils.

"Please…" I was trying to control my body from responding to it, but his scent was holding me back, clouding the thoughts I had in mind.

His hands went to touch my neck, and the sounds of the leaves rustling went faint. It was just us, and nothing more.

"Amon…" I forced his name from my mouth. "I have a mate."

Soon we heard footsteps approaching us, and he separated himself from me, looking all around us to see who was coming. He passed a folded piece of paper into my palms, and ran off among the trees.

"Leah." Cristine came with a burning touch, scanning the spot where I was standing. "Are you okay? You've been here for a long time."

"I'm okay." I took my hands behind me to hide the paper I was holding.

But she came closer to touch me, almost turning me around to check me out.

"I thought I heard you speaking with someone… Was someone trying to hurt you?" She wasn't satisfied with the look on my face, and her eyes went around, looking at the trees like she saw someone hiding among them.

"I've told you I'm okay."

She shook her head. "But I heard someone speak."

"There's no one."

She shrugged. "Okay, if you say so. I just wanted to be sure no one was trying to hurt you."

She had her hands around me as we walked towards the palace. Then, as though she had thought about our earlier topic of discussion, she bent her head low, and paleness returned to her face. Her subtle persuasion for me to call off the marking process did not make sense to me.

"Gerald wants the marking process to be tomorrow," I said.

"If that's what you want."

The next day morning came, and Gerald and I were standing before our pack members in order to carry out the marking process. Everyone had gathered again, and Cristine had failed to attend.

"Dear mate." Gerald called out to me, giving a soft massage to my jaws.

His fangs grew as though he was about to transform into his wolf.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded.

But Andrea, who was about ten steps away from us, had her eyes on me, and her hands signaled for me to stop. It was confusing. It was weird for me to take a pause in the middle of the marking process, especially when Gerald's fangs had grown out.

"Wait… Just give me a moment." I moved my neck away from him just so he stopped.

"What's it?" His fangs became shorter.

"Just give me a moment… Just a moment, I need to use the restroom."

He let go of me, and I ran off from the stage while he stood alone. Andrea had signaled for me to meet her in her room. I had no idea of what she intended, but the look on her face told me she had something important to tell me, something that couldn't wait for the marking process to be over.

"I heard something about Gerald," she said, having me sit on her bed. "I don't really know, but I heard he isn't really a normal werewolf…"

My brows furrowed. I could see the concern in her face. Her face that spoke so much of strength appeared weak.

"How is that? How is he not a normal werewolf?"

"I don't know… You might have to call off this whole marking process."

I remembered the reaction that formed on Roshan's face when I told him Gerald was my mate. I hadn't taken his facial expression to be a clue of anything, but Andrea was making me think through.

"But he's my mate…"

"That doesn't matter, it's for your own safety."

"I know, but I'll have to go on with it." I rest my butt against the bed.

She touched my belly, pressing it, and I tried to take her hands off me. Fear that she had an idea of my being pregnant first came to mind, but then, she took her hands off me.

"You didn't tell me you broke up with Amon. You only stopped talking about him."

My heart skipped, and sweat formed on my head. I slowly moved from her, avoiding her eyes on me.

"Does Amon still have something in you?" Her eyes pried into my face, trying to read my expression.

She must have felt I had a long list of things I was hiding from her.

"There's nothing unusual about a breakup, and it happens everyday. Amon had his mate, and I had to step out of the picture."

"But I heard you called yourself his mate. Someone told me."

That was one of the things I'd also tried to hide, but she knew. Someone from the Greymoon pack must have told her, but who could she have known?

"Did Cristine tell you?" My doubts were rising.

Could Cristine have gone against what we discussed? But she barely had conversations with Andrea, and how was that?

"No, could she have told your little secret?"

"I have to go. Don't tell father about it. No one should know."

I stood up from the bed, going towards the door. Our conversation had ended. I got back to standing with Gerald, and he just did what he had to do–Piercing his fangs into my neck to give me the mate mark.

He carried me in his arms, brought me to the guest room he was meant to stay in, his eyes always fixed on me. For a slight moment, I felt the mate bond between us become weak.

"You could leave your conflicts behind." He ensured his lip touched my ear.

Leaving my conflicts behind. How was that?

His grey eyes went over my body from my hair, down to my feet. He could sense everything about me. I felt it, like his eyes were digging into me.

"Let the conflicts go down." His hand touched in-between my boobs. "Then breathe it out."

I breathed, and the bond between us sparked again. I almost transformed into my wolf form.

I wrapped my hand around him, and we fell into a deep intimate moment. We spent most part of the day in the room, and our intimacy was like the food we needed to eat. It got late at night, and he had fallen asleep.

I had in mind to meet Amon. He had written in the small letter he handed to me that I should meet him in our pack's square.

"Gerald." I called to confirm if he had gone into a deep sleep.

His snoring was loud.

Stepping out of our room, I had my sandals in my hands to avoid the sound of my footsteps. Most of the guards, including those who were supposed to be on night duty were asleep, and that made my sneaking out easy.

I heard the wind blow against the leaves, and sometimes, I heard the sound of footsteps. But I didn't see anyone stalking me.

"Leah." Amon came out from among the trees to hug me.

All I intended was to make him know nothing could ever happen between us.

"Please Amon… Stop all these…"

His hands went to hold my butt, caressing me through the silky night dress I had worn. Soon, I found myself moaning into his ears. Maybe I could have him for a while, I thought to myself.

"Nothing should stop us from being together," he said directly into my ears. His hand was already touching my panties.

My purpose of doing his request of seeing him had already fallen through, and I was already going with the flow.

I felt his hard length pressed against my panties. He was going to pull it out of his trousers.

"Gerald is not enough to stop the love we both shared." He pulled down my panties.

His middle finger slipped inside, going in and out in rhythm.

"Leah!" I heard my name.

I pushed Amon away from me, quickly putting on my panties. "Gerald is coming…"