Page 89 of The Alpha's Fallen Spell
“Thank you,” I reply stiffly. “But I doubt you came all this way to compliment my café.”
Leanna takes a sip of her latte, her expression thoughtful. “Direct. I like that.” She sets down the cup. “I’m Erik’s friend. And you’re right, of course. I came to meet you.”
“Why?” The question comes out sharper than it should have.
“Several reasons,” she says, unruffled by my tone. “I wanted to meet the woman Erik is head over heels in love with. Curiosity got the better of me.”
I scoff before I can stop myself. “He’s not in love with me.”
“Isn’t he?” She studies me, her gaze disconcertingly perceptive. “He searched for you for a year, Fiona. Gave up his post, his responsibilities, his life at the palace—all to find you.”
“And he succeeded,” I say flatly. “Mystery solved. He can go back to his life now.”
“Is that what you think he wants?” she asks, her head tilting slightly. “To confirm you’re alive and then return to his old life as if nothing has changed?”
“What Erik feels for me is obligation, not love.”
Leanna blinks, then lets out a short laugh. “Good grief, that’s depressing. Why on earth would you think that?”
“Because I know what the fated mate bond is,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “It’s a biological imperative. Nothing more.”
“Oh, honey.” Leanna shakes her head with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. “Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Just because a fated mate bond exists doesn’t mean feelings don’t. Yes, the bond creates physical attraction and a soul-deep connection, but love? That’s something else entirely. Plenty of fated pairs never fall in love. Trust me, I’ve seen those relationships, and they’re not pretty.” She leans forward, her expression becoming more serious but still direct. “But Erik? That man talks about you like you hung the moon and the stars.He has rearranged his entire life around protecting you while respecting your independence. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”
I shake my head, confusion and pain warring in my chest. “I don’t understand why you’re sitting here trying to convince me that Erik loves me when you’re the one who holds his heart.”
Leanna’s friendly expression falters completely. “I’m sorry, what did you just say?”
“Erik told me about you,” I say quietly, not meeting her eyes. “How he fell in love with you. How he was drawn to your courage.”
“Oh, for crying out loud.” Leanna sits back in her chair, looking genuinely flummoxed. “Erik does not love me, Fiona. We’re friends—good friends, practically family at this point—but that’s it. Period. End of story.”
I shake my head again, but I don’t add anything on this point. If Erik hasn’t told her about his feelings, I’m not going to be the one to reveal them. “Erik should find someone better for himself,” I say instead.
Before she can respond, the front door opens again. A man enters—tall, imposing, with the same regal bearing as Leanna. His eyes immediately find her, and the way his entire expression softens tells me everything I need to know about their relationship.
He approaches our table with purposeful strides. He is huge and terrifying. “Leanna,” he says, his voice carrying a slightly different accent than hers. “How long do you need?”
“Cedric,” she says, her face lighting up in a way that makes my chest ache. This is what love looks like—this immediate, radiant joy upon seeing someone. “I’d like you to meet Fiona. Fiona, this is my mate, Cedric Raine.”
Cedric nods in my direction, but his attention quickly returns to his mate. It’s clear in every line of his body, every glance, that this man is completely devoted to Leanna.
“Fiona was just telling me that Erik is in love with me.” Leanna sounds amused. When her mate doesn’t smile, she blinks. “What?”
“He had some feelings for you.” Cedric shrugs, completely unbothered.
The shock on Leanna’s face has me wondering about her interaction with Erik the other day. I thought for sure she reciprocated his feelings.
“He had what?” Leanna gapes at him. “You’re telling me this now?”
“He doesn’t any longer.” Cedric looks down at her. “Why do you think he was such an ass when I came to get you?”
“I thought it was because he didn’t like you. You never said a word!”
It’s her husband’s turn to look amused. “He wasn’t a threat, and he knew it. Besides, it’s been years. I’m sure he got over you choosing me.”
Leanna makes a face and smacks him on the arm. “Don’t look so smug.” She turns to look at me. “Whether Erik used to have feelings for me or not, Fiona, he has never seen me the way he obviously sees you. The way he talks about you…Pardon my language, but Erik seems to think the sun shines out of your ass. He is stupidly in love with you, not me!”
I’m silent. She clearly didn’t see the way he was looking at her in the restaurant that day.
