The issue with Cristine

Leah's POV

She had taken the picture inside the room, wiping her eyes with her palm, and acting as though I hadn't seen her sob.

"What is it about the picture?" I asked.

I couldn't be fooled by her acting. She was hiding the picture from me, and that had caught my attention, it had made me feel there was more to the picture. Why would she be hiding it if it was just a normal picture?

"I've told you it's nothing important," she said.

She was standing at the doorpost to the room, and her head was bent low, and her body appeared stiff like something had stuck her to the ground.

"Cristine? Are you hiding something from me?"

She did not answer, but I heard her breathing became heavy like something was pressing against her body.

"Cristine?" I got close enough to touch her fingers.

Just then, her eyes set loose the tears she was trying to hold back, letting them pour out softly without a sound, and gradually taking a soft tone and soon increased to an actual cry. Her face fell on my chest, wetting my gown with her tears.

All I did was pat her on her back, and caressed her softly.

"Sorry," I said.

But I had no idea of what had caused the tears rolling down her jaws. It was just the normal instinct of showing compassion that had printed me to let her lean on me, and say "sorry" to her.

The picture… It must have sparked something in her, something that was grave enough to make her go down in tears.

"It's okay…" I brought her to one of the sofas, my hands still patting her.

I looked at her face. Her milk coloured face was reddened. Her body had become weak. It was strange. Could the picture be of someone so close to her whom she hadn't seen for ages and was catching deep feelings? Or maybe for her mate who had left her?

That could never be the case. If it was, she would have told me about it, and not try to keep it a secret from me.

Kate came out of the room, but she didn't seem surprised that her sister was sobbing. She sat on the other sofa. Cristine coughed out, and she hurried to get water for her to drink.

It was hard for Cristin to sit upright. She was coughing, and spilling some water on the floor.

"My head aches… I can't feel myself…" Her hands let go of the cup, and it poured the rest of the water on the floor, also wetting the chairs.

I touched her neck, and noticed it had become shivery. Her teeth had started to shake as though her days were already numbered. But was this all about the picture? It could be if the picture was of a high level importance to her.

But it was still a picture. It simply showed the person on it, and not the person himself or herself.

"Sorry," I said, touching her forehead. "You need medicine. "What if I took you to the palace? My mum could order the pack's physician to check on you, and there would be nothing for us to worry about…"

She shook her head, her body shaking, but finding my thighs to be a soft pillow to her head. "I'll be okay, all I actually need is rest… If I can rest for just a while, everything about me would be okay."

"See… It's important you see a physician! This is above resting for just a while, and bouncing back to normal!"

Kate, who was still holding the cup, was looking at us. I could see the tiny dot of tears in the corners of her eyes. She feared for her sister.

About thirty minutes passed, and Cristine was sleeping peacefully on my thighs as though nothing had happened.

But how have they been surviving without parents?

I had started to rack my brain to understand how things have been for them to have been able to cope alone. Of course it couldn't be easy.

I understood that.

What about Cristine's sexual life? She loved sex, and had made it one of her hobbies. Our pack rules didn't allow for girls without mates to engage in sexual activities, but she'd broken that rule a thousand times, and still counting. The guy who left some minutes ago, why had he hid his face?

Kate's eyes were steadied on her just the same way she'd done after Amon had made me stay in the sick home. Cristine had been with me, she had followed me to Amon's pack for the supposed marking ceremony Amon and I had planned out. When I'd discovered I was pregnant, she was the first person to hear about it.

"Your sister," I called out to Kate. "Has this ever happened to her?"

"This isn't the first time it's happening…" Her voice was turning into a sob as though it was her turn to become sick.

"Shh… Don't turn your voice into a painful cry, you hear me? Come, touch her, her body is getting back to normal. There's nothing to worry about."

She left the sofa she was sitting on to touch Cristine's neck. Her face brightened after that, slowly dismissing weakness.

"You see… There's nothing to worry about."

She got back to a sitting position, and instead of looking at Cristine, her eyes steadied on me.

"I heard you've found your mate," she said, her eyes trying to find the bite mark on my neck.

The word "mate" sent a familiar feeling all over my body, always tempting me to transform into my wolf form. It always gave me a sudden connection with Gerald, like I could sense his energy around me.

"Yes, I have been marked by an Alpha."

Her eyes were still steadied at me like she had a lot of questions to ask, but deciding not to.

"Kate, the guy whom we found leaving the house about an hour ago, who is he?"

Her eyes first looked at Cristine as though waiting for a go ahead. "He was hiding his face from us."

"Yes he was, could you tell me who he is?"

Curiosity had taken over me.

She shook her head. "Cristine must have had a reason why she'd asked him to hide his face… Sorry, I can't tell you."