You haven't told me anything about yourself

Leah's POV

"Leah." Cristine knocked at the door.

She opened the door, and was standing at the post staring at Gerald and I. I still felt dazed about Gerald, still staring at him, and finding it hard to decide that the spark in his eyes was only due to my imagination.

"Cristine." I snapped myself out of staring at Gerald to meet her at the door.

But she had her eyes on Gerald. I had almost thought she'd come to see him, and not me. Her eyes were outlining him, they went from his long brown hair, to his fair skin, and then to his feet. I had traced her gaze to be sure I wasn't overthinking.

It was only because she hadn't seen him so close, I thought, killing the thoughts that came to my mind.

"You want to see me?" I had to ask.

She had spent over a minute without saying a word.

"Oh… Yes. Please could you spare some time with me?"

I left the room to go with her, but she was still at the doorpost looking at Gerald. She finally said "hi" to him. Nothing could be wrong with that.

She made me step outside of the palace, and I didn't try to object since I would be leaving her to Gerald's pack.

"It's about Gerald," she said, taking me to a spot she felt no one could hear us speak. "I wanted you to confirm your doubts about him, and I discovered someone you could meet for it."

All about Gerald? She had taken her non-acceptance of him to another height, something I hadn't quite imagined she would do.

"Stop all this… Just stop."

"But… It's out of concern for you." She took on a weak expression like she was soon going to drop down in tears.

That softened me. She had proven our friendship in most things that had happened to me, and I made a rethink to listen to her. She couldn't have planned something bad against me.

"It's because you are pregnant," she said. "I'm not asking you to leave Gerald, but I'm concerned about you leaving with him."

His eyes must have sparked, I reminded myself, and it could be that he was trying to hide it from me.

He felt verse for me to understand. Moreover, I hadn't asked him about himself. I knew nothing about him.

"The day he became my mate…" I had caught a hint of something to lay hold on. "He mindlinked me, calling out my name from where he was. That's something to think about."

She had her eyes on me for a while without speaking, and I was in thoughts. Roshan's expression, Andrea's words to tell me of how he wasn't a normal werewolf was beginning to broaden my thoughts.

"I know a mage," she said. "I want us to meet him."

"You know a mage, and you think he can reveal things about Gerald. Why not ask Gerald about himself? He's open to conversations."

"And Gerald would tell you everything good about himself." She rolled her eyes.

"We have to leave today, there wouldn't be time for me to come with you."

A frown appeared on her face, and then she sighed, shaking her head. She must have felt she was trying to help me, and I was not responsive enough.

"You didn't show up at the marking ceremony." I suddenly brought up the topic of her not attending.

"How is that important?" She got closer to me, holding me by my elbows, and slightly nudging me. "Meeting this mage is a perfect way I would feel at ease concerning you, I would know if you're in good hands or not."

"But you've never been this concerned about me."

She loosened her hold on me to walk away. "Do whatever you feel like doing."

That was when I realized that I shouldn't have said that. It had slipped out, and had portrayed that I was taking her of less importance. Who does that to a friend who is trying to care?

"Wait!" I tried to call her back.

But she was gone, not turning back to look at me. I was sorry. I turned backwards to leave, but Gerald was standing, looking at me like he'd been listening to our conversations.

"You've been here?"

He shook his head slowly. Looking into his eyes gave me a strange feeling that he knew everything about me, and I was getting the urge to turn away from him.

"Are we leaving today?" I threw the question at him, like I didn't know the answer.

It was the bridge to what I wanted him to do.

"Hmmm… We were already packing up, and have talked about you leaving your clothes behind. Is that a question?" He whistled with his mouth, producing the sound of birds. "Just say it."

"I want us to spend a while before leaving, I really need to do something important, and also want to go through some things with my mother."

He was going to frown at what I'd said, and I realized I shouldn't have said "something important" so he wouldn't have to ask, but the statement had already reached his ears.

"That is what has come to your mind?" He said, his voice sounding as though he was asking a question, but I was sure he wasn't.

The look on his face? He showed no emotion. It was like he already knew what I wanted to say, and was only acting out a script.

"Your friend seemed hurt," he said.

"You were listening to us? You've actually been here this whole time?" My eyes narrowed at him.

"Of course not, I only saw her leaving, stomping her feet on the ground." And then he rolled his eyes. "I hope I didn't see too much." His fingers touched my chin, bringing his face closer to engage in a kiss."

"Whatever!" I pulled his hands away, heading to my room, the room I'd always had.

I heard him laugh in my head, but I couldn't see him. There he went with his unusual ability to mindlink me as his mate. But the knob of the door turned, slowly opening it.

"Gerald?"

He hadn't stepped inside, or the door was pushed open by the wind? But that couldn't have turned the doorknob.

Then he showed up. I almost lost my hold on the floor, my breathing picking up pace like I'd just moved faster than a flying spear. He wrapped his hands around me, laughing into my ears.

"I was here this whole time. Sorry I scared my Luna."

I remembered I was going to become the Luna of his pack.

"You scared the hell out of me!" I was still breathing fast.

I was becoming so close to him, but at the same time, I knew nothing about him. I got the feeling that he had strange abilities, and must be a powerful Alpha, but we haven't really talked.

Maybe things have to move slowly. Maybe I was only trying to rush things.

"But Gerald…" I went against my thoughts. "You haven't told me anything about yourself."