Who was he?

Luke.

Seven hours went by, and I still couldn't get my mind off Valerie. Each time I thought about the fact that she had gone off to meet some man, my heart raced faster, and my teeth grind hard on each other.

Shelby's attempts to get me to have a long conversation with her were rather unpleasant, because I was always pulled out of the discussion she started.

At some point, I tried to take my mind off it, focus on something else and decided to ask Shelby some questions too since she had been doing all the questioning all day.

"You and Valerie, you are friends?" I asked, watching her as she walked out of one of the rooms, a round thing in her hand.

"Well. . . . Val and I have known each other for long," she explained. "We're really close, yeah you could say that."

"A long time? How long?"

"Mmmm. . . Six to seven years." I saw how she smiled, how the smile faded away before she stopped right next to the huge box with people on it.

It was also making ridiculous sounds. She set down the round thing on the glass table, and folded her arms across her chest before she spoke again. "I have a question though."

"That's not fair, " I gave her a small smile. "You've been throwing questions at me all day."

She smiled genuinely, obviously enjoying this conversation, and replied, "you wanna know anything about me? "

My smile faded the moment I realized this was turning into some flirtation with her. I hate to think that I was flirting with another woman, especially my mate's friend, so I decided to drop it.

"How long have you been a doctor?" I asked.

I saw how surprised my question got her, but she plastered it up with a smile and replied. "Well. . . . Four years and counting."

"What's the question you wanted to ask?"

Her eyes watched mine for a brief moment, like she was contemplating on what to ask or how to ask it. Then just like that, she finally let it out..

"Who are you, Luke?"

I remained silent for that split second. I knew what she meant by that question. Me healing miraculously from an arrow wound overnight wasn't something that happened to humans everyday, but I couldn't stand the chance of telling her who I really was.

From history till today, humans are known to haunt werewolves. They kill werewolves, but I wasn't scared of dying, I just couldn't afford to die now. I need to finish what Jamie started first.

Just then, like a savior, we heard the doorbell ring, causing her to shake out of her frenzy, and look towards the door. She shook her head like she was waking herself from a delusion before walking out to get to the door.

I turned around and waited.

I felt my heart make a painful beat in my chest the moment I saw Valerie appear from the corner, her handbag lagging off her right shoulder. Everything seemed to stop and all that was moving at that moment was her. She walked gently, a small smile threatening to escape her lips, but she was hiding it.

Her dark hair spiraled across her shoulders and cascaded down her chest. Her pants clung to the right areas of her thighs, showing off her protruded wide hips. I tried to look away and not come out as a pervert to her, but I couldn't. That very moment, I wished I could take her down right there and it could only be me and her. Nothing else would matter.

"I really should get going, Val." Shelby cut through the building silence, reaching for her bag that sat on the couch's armrest. I couldn't agree less with her decision. I also needed her out of here. Fast.

Valerie turned back to her and said, "oh, thank you so much, Valerie, I didn't intend to stay so long."

"It's okay, I got you. I'm on night duty starting today anyway so no time is wasted!"

Valerie gave her a side hug before Shelby waved at me and saw herself out of the house.

Valerie slowly turned around to face me again, her lips going into a straight line.

She started opening her mouth to speak but I beat her to it. "How was your day?"

"It was great!"

Oh, I get it. . .

Deep inside me, I wished I could express how I felt, tell her how jealous I was that she had been out with her boyfriend all day.

"Did you eat already? " She asked. "I'm gonna start making dinner."

I nodded, giving her my brightest smile.

"I'll just be a minute." She said before she walked past me and towards what I presumed was her bedroom. For over ten minutes I just sat on the couch, anticipating her to come back out. At some point, I actually thought of going into her bedroom and grabbing a hold of her, but I knew if I did that, I wouldn't ever be able to do that again, and she'd probably kick me out before I could apologize. I didn't want that. As much as I wanted to leave right now and go back to Perdio, I didn't wanna leave her side. Even for a second.

I looked up the instant I heard her making her way out to find her in a yellow maxi dress, her full arms exposed, her long curvy legs in full display, her hair looking damp like she'd just washed it. The thought of her being inside that bathroom naked kept appearing in my head, more than I actually appreciated right now.

I shut my eyes and tried to get the thoughts of me holding her body out of my head.

She walked past me and headed into the kitchen, her face hurried under her hair. A shy type? Or did I make her uncomfortable?

After a few minutes, I decided to go talk to her. I needed to know if I made her uncomfortable. I didn't exactly have anywhere else to go in this damned city, and I owed much to her, but I wouldn't want to cause her more inconvenience.

"I'm sorry if I bother you here," I said as I stopped at the kitchen's exit.

She turned around to see me, surprise on her face. "Of course not, " She replied. "You don't bother me."

"Then why don't you talk to me? Shy?" I gave her a flirtatious smile and I knew immediately how uncomfortable it made her feel.

"Of course not, I've just been too busy to even sit and have a conversation with you. That's exactly what I was telling Blake when he dropped me outside "

He dropped her here?

"Your boyfriend?"

She chuckled a bit, almost hiding. She was laughing like what I said was such a big sin, but I waited to hear her response in anticipation. I imagined her telling me he was actually her boyfriend and that she was deeply in love with him and that they were getting married next week.

I'd kill him. Then kidnap her.

"Blake isn't my boyfriend, he's my best friend," she replied, turning away instantly after saying that. I could see her cheeks flushed red and it made my heart race.

"Well, that explains a lot." I tried not to sound stupid or privy.

"Explain what?"

"Sorry ma'am, I don't mean to pry." I gave her a smile.

"You're not prying," She smiled back, her smile playing havoc with my heart. "We're just really close, he's like a brother to me and earlier. . . I'm really sorry, he was just looking out for me. He does that all the time."

I wanted to tell her that it was my job to look out for her, to protect her, to be by her side every minute but I didn't wanna sound awfully sensitive. Besides, I haven't told her she was my mate.

Given the fact that she wasn't a werewolf but a human girl, she wouldn't be able to feel the mate bond the first time our eyes met yesterday. Only I felt it and only I knew how I felt. She has no idea. She has no idea werewolves even existed and she wasn't planning on getting her perfect human life ruined by one.

" Listen. . . I know that we barely know each other and haven't even gotten to know each other but I want you to know that you can stay here for a bit before you leave," she said. "I stay here all by myself and I don't mind you staying till you get things straightened and figured out."

I narrowed my eyes on her. Did she know who I was?

*****

Valerie

I wanted to ask him where he was from or if he didn't just lose his memory due to the injuries inflicted on him. He could still be from Los Angeles for all I knew.

But if he really lost his memories or something, Shelby would have said that, right?

Earlier he'd said he didn't remember how he got here. But I'd picked him up from the beach side. Did he fall off a ship heading to some other place?

"Thank you, I'd really appreciate that, " He replied, giving me a slight nod of his head, his small eyes barely open as he watched me. His smile was a killer.

"Okay, I. . . " I forgot to bring in the clothes I'd bought him earlier. After twenty minutes of arguing with Blake not to walk me in that I was more than capable of doing that, I'd forgot to pick them up after my driver drove him back.

"I'll be back," I told him before quickly hurrying out of the kitchen and walking out to my car. The night was slowly turning in, the twilight fading into the sky and the night looming in.

I opened the car and picked out the bags from the boutique. I walked back in and met him still rooted to the spot where I'd left him, at the kitchen's exit, his back leaning carefully against the wall.

"Here," I pointed them to him, "This should do for now. I'm sorry it's not very much."

He watched me for a moment and for a second there I thought he was gonna piss me off and rejected them but instead, he smiled gently and accepted them from me.

"Thank you, you really didn't have to, " he said.

Smiling back, I replied, "it's necessary, unless you were planning on borrowing some of my clothes to wear. Which is totally impossible."

Jeez, I shouldn't have said that! I cautioned myself but he smiled at my weird dried joke anyway.

I watched him retreat until I couldn't see his back again. I could finally breathe normally again. This wasn't gonna work, it wasn't gonna work. Huh! I tried to breathe before he came back out.

I didn't know why I felt this way whenever he was in close proximity. It was like the room was suddenly too small for the both of us when he was near.

Soon enough, dinner was ready and I set a plate for the both of us, I called him out but the moment I saw him walking out, now in one of the white button-down shirts I bought him, I stopped breathing.

That was when it occurred to me that I'd never really asked him this very important question.

Who was he?