With Hearts to Hear| ✔

|07|

Killian and Rachel settled for takeout for dinner, ordering burgers, chips and milkshakes from five guys with a plan of eating when they got back to the hotel. Killian couldn't stop grumbling about how hungry he was, and so Rachel decided to sit on the ground right in the middle of Willsden Brooke's main square and tuck in to her meal. Killian, seeing how carefree and happy she was to enjoy her meal followed suit.

They ate in mostly contemplative silence; Killian could tell that the brief distraction he had provided for Rachel was beginning to wear off judging by the contemplative look on her face. She seemed far away, lost in her thoughts, and Killian wondered what it was that was bothering so deeply.

That is to say, when he wasn't thinking about his own worries. He wondered how long he would really be able to keep his secret from Rachel, and what would happen when he had to leave. His pack was only a few hours away, but he was an Alpha, he had a pack to look after- constantly and dedicatedly. He most definitely did not know the girl enough to ask her to stay with him, nor would he tell her to; in the little time that he had known her, it was obvious to him that Rachel wasn't the type of girl you could control with forceful words.

Rachel dipped a chip into her strawberry milkshake, turning to Killian with a thoughtful gaze. "Do you ever plan to get married?"

"Are you proposing?" Killian jested playfully, Rachel merely rolled her eyes in return. He looked at her then, unable to hide his knowing, longing gaze; he hoped that she didn't see it, that she didn't recognise the intense, heated look in his eyes. "I do, I want to marry my soulmate."

Rachel wasn't looking at him, she was looking down at her burger in its half eaten disassembled glory. "Do you think you'd remarry, if something happened to your partner?"

Killian thought for a moment; knowing the question was probably something to do with Rachel's home situation. Whilst she hadn't given details, she had briefly mentioned something about having a stepfather.

The question though wasn't something he had ever worried about, being that soulmates were said to possess matching lifespans regardless of their pairings; but it was still an interestingly human conundrum to consider. On one hand he most definitely knew that he would probably never love another person in the way he would grow to love Rachel; that's what it meant to have a soulmate. However, if it was to fulfil his duty then he didn't think it was impossible to find someone who was willing to be a part of a partnership as such; somehow he didn't think that was the answer she wanted to hear, neither was it the one that he wanted to give to his soulmate.

"I don't know," Killian spoke truthfully. "I think it's one of those situations where you have to be in it first."

"Yeah probably." She slurped her peanut butter milkshake, and bit into another fat steaming fry. She gave Killian a smile, but he could tell that it was somewhat forced; he still wasn't sure if he should ask her what it was or let her decide to tell him on her own. Either way now probably wasn't the place to start that conversation.

"It's getting late," Killian caught sight of his watch. It was drawing closer to ten, and the night was growing colder. "Do you want to head back to the hotel? We can put on a film, cuddle up together... or maybe we can crack open a drink and see where we end up?"

"That sounds perfect."

They finished off their meals, collected their rubbish and put it in the appropriate bin before heading back in the direction of the hotel. They walked in companionable silence, only this time Killian didn't hesitate to take hold of Rachel's hand; her conflict, though she was having a good time, was still very much at the front of her mind and she wanted to comfort her even if it was just in a small, subtle way.