With Hearts to Hear| ✔

|14|

The woman who stood in the centre of the room, was a tall dark skinned woman. Her hair was braided in a protective style, and adorned with golden beads that clacked together when she flipped her hair back. An interested, sly grin stretching across her features as she took in Killian's hand that was pressed against the small of the girl's back.

"Rachel, this is my assistant Leandra." The woman, Leandra, quirked an amused brow but the expression left just as quickly when Killian turned to face her. "Leandra this is Rachel, the girl I'm dating."

"So this is the Rachel I've been hearing so much about," Leandra mused as if it suddenly explained everything. "Shame, we could've been so good together."

Killian growled, though only half heartedly; he knew that Leandra would never really make a move on his partner, especially when he had already briefed her on the fact that she was his mate.

Leandra, when she wasn't flirting with the women around her, was an incredible beta and one of Killian's close friends. She, along with his cousin Sebastian, had been there for him when his father had died, and had been the one by his side when he had taken over the pack. It was only natural that she became his beta.

"Alright down fido." Leandra rolled her eyes, used to Killian's Alpha male behaviour; having known the hot-headed male as long as she had, he didn't bother her at all. Rachel chuckled, slightly taken aback by Killian's animal-like display, and loving the woman's good energy.

There was a quiet cough, the second person just beside Leandra caught everyone's attention. It was a man, a little taller than Rachel. He was pale, with a face full of freckles, dark eyes and an afro of orange curls.

"Ah yes, Rachel this is Aiden my finance manager." Killian gestured to the man who gave an adorably, awkward shy smile and waved to the woman who offered him a polite 'nice to meet you.' "You have something for me?"

He nodded, tucking the papers he had in his hand under his armpit before signing to Killian. Killian nodded in response, signing a 'thank you' as Aiden deposited his papers onto the desk and scurried out of the room.

"He's mute and very shy," Leandra answered the question swimming in Rachel's eyes. "Killian, his cousin Sebastian and I all learned sign language to communicate with him growing up."

"That's really cool." Rachel mused in wonder, glancing down at their own palms that were calloused from her guitar. She wondered what she could use them for that might make a difference to others. She wondered how many other people Killian had positively impacted with his hands.

She turned to Killian with a new look in her eyes, a small smile tugging at her features.

Up until then she had wondered about the trivial things, she had wanted to store information on the man and analyse whether they could be compatible. She had looked at his body, and the way it moved with hers and thought 'maybe this could work.' She had compared their astrological signs, and the layout of his house, and the way that he spoke. She had completed an itinerary of surface level assessments without a single consideration of the man that she was actually looking at.

The man who learnt sign language to make sure he could speak to his friend, the man who defended her in front of his mother, the man who though albeit a bit strange was trying to be open with her. That was the kind of man that he was; kind, caring, and loving.

Rachel knew if she only gave herself the chance to think about it, she could really see a long term with him; admitting that came with a new kind of commitment and she wasn't sure that she was ready for that. She just wanted to have fun with him for now, and when that was no longer enough they would figure out what would come next.