56| Moment with Leah

Grimes' POV

I had taken the normal step I felt I should have taken all this while. It was compulsory I put things in motion, I had reasoned to myself. In what way did I plan to take the normal step?
I was going to the Greymoon pack, and even though Maggie would not accept me, I was certain that Leah was just trying to deceive herself. If she had no feelings for me, then why had she come to visit?
I was going alone, this time, no Greyson. Who knows if he gave me bad luck?
"Ride slowly." I told the driver of the cart I was in.
My mind was firm, I still felt nervous about my decision.
"Maintain this speed." I reminded him when I noticed he was going faster than I wanted.
I needed the whole time to think.
And time moved on with speed, making me find myself in front of the palace gate. It was time I braced up myself, it was time I faced the big deal.
"Open the gates!" I heard Maggie ordered the guards at the gates.
When I entered inside, she put up a smile I had never expected. Maggie was smiling at me?
"Welcome," she said, shaking hands with me.
I forced a smile with discomfort.
"You came alone?"
"Yes... I just came alone."
I was about to go straight to the point of my coming, but I held myself back. It occurred to me that Maggie's smile might have some meaning, and I needed to be careful not to start on a wrong note.
"You should come inside." She went ahead of me, walking exactly like Leah.
She was like a higher version of her, and I felt curious to know more about the mother of my mate.
"Sit down, while I go get her for you."
No questions? It seemed that my plan was going to change.
I feast my eyes on the sitting room in waiting for Leah to show up. I also wondered if she would be okay to see me, considering the wet moment we had. Wouldn't she feel awkward?
Maggie returned to the sitting room, but Leah wasn't with her.
"She will join you shortly." She sat on the sofa beside me.
"Okay."
And she was looking at my eyes. It was so intense that I had to gaze away from her.
"The letter got to you sooner than I expected."
A letter? Did I receive any letter?
"Sorry, when did you send the letter."
I was close to thinking that the letter Andrea had read was from her, but it couldn't be. What business would she have with my brother?
She narrowed her eyes on me. "I sent a letter some hours ago."
I shook my head slowly, causing confusion to appear on her face.
"You didn't receive a letter?"
"N... No..."
"What made you come?"
She had asked the same thing I was avoiding to say, and I took some seconds to think before speaking.
"I just came."
"Without a letter?"
"Obviously."
Had she really sent a letter? I had no idea about it.
"Okay."
She went back to the room, and the next time she came out, Leah was with her. The way she was dressed.... It seemed as though it was a marriage ceremony, and that Maggie was offering her to me.
I got on my feet, looking right into her eyes. Its color being a mix of green and gold was so alluring. What next? My eyes drifted from her to look at her friend who had spoiled the moment I was to have with her during my disguise.
Did I look too much? Leah turned backwards to look at her friend. I was simply thinking of a way Octavier was going to stay out of our conversation. I couldn't risk anyone spoiling the moment.
I concluded we were better without Greyson and Octavier.
"You could talk in the hall just a few steps away."
That meant privacy!
"Leah," I said, holding her hand as we walked to the hall.
Only two seats were available in the hall, and I decided it was meant for training.
"The hall.... Do you train here?"
It wasn't easy to start a conversation, and the hall became my first subject.
"Yes, Octavier and I train here."
"I would love to see you train, you wield a sword, don't you?"
There was a slight change in her face, and I quickly asked a different question.
"How have you been?"
"Just trying to be okay," she said.
Her scent was alive in my nostrils, and some part of her breasts was visible to my eyes. That was when I noticed we were under watch. It was expected, and I didn't feel offended.
All the while, she was looking into my eyes the same way she had done when she was with me before our love moment.
It was creepy. Maybe.
She touched my hands, opening them so her palm touched mine. Her gesture was strange. I had not seen or heard of such.
She bent her back slightly to me. "Tell me about yourself."
And the way she smiled.
"About myself?"
"Yes, then I will tell you mine."
She had loosened up.
I took my time to explain about what I felt she needed to know about me, and of course she would have known all that, but I didn't mind repeating them. It kept the conversation flowing.
"You are good," she said. "You must have known many things about me."
I nodded. There was no point denying that I hadn't done research about her.
"I could tell you about my likes and dislikes."
"I would love to hear that."
She kept on rubbing our palms together.
"I must confess, concerning what happened between us, I enjoyed every moment of it."
She surprised me, and at the same time warmed up my soul.
"It was impromptu." She made her voice turn into a whisper. "And I loved it that way."
And then, her face turned serious. "We should do it more often."
"Can we kiss?" She asked.
I simply moved my head closer to her to initiate it, but then I noticed someone by our side.
"Please excuse me." I heard.