With Hearts to Hear| ✔

|19|

Rachel stopped in her tracks, slackening in his hold; the words that she had feared to hear the whole night haunting her. He didn't want her, he hadn't wanted her. She was as always, the afterthought, the thing to be discarded.

If he hadn't wanted her before, what was to stop him from suddenly deciding that he no longer wanted her?

Killian froze as his words registered in the stillness between them, his breaths coming out in unsteady pants. "That's not— Angel I didn't—"

"Don't." Rachel pulled away from him. "Don't touch me."

"That's not what I meant, I'm sorry. Rachel, will you please just listen."

"No. I don't want to hear you, I don't want to see you." Rachel fought to keep the whimper out of her voice.

"You want to know the truth, then I'll tell you the truth... All of it." Killian promised, waiting for her to decide, to do anything to let him know that she would just listen. He held his breath, waiting for her to move; part of him expected her just to leave, to go lock herself away in a room somewhere.

Rachel knew that even though every instinct in her body was telling her to run, she needed to hear what Killian had to say. If she didn't let him talk now, she didn't know if he would ever be so forthcoming again in the future. So, silent as shadow, she slinked onto the edge of the couch, just out of his arms reach.

"The truth."

"I'm sorry, about what I said before... that didn't come out right. What I meant was that I thought I didn't need my mate, in fact I didn't expect to even find you. But if there is anything that I've learnt since I found you Rachel, it's that I do want you." Killian's voice shook with the force of his emotion. "I may not be able to promise you anything else, but I can fucking promise that I will always, always want you beside me."

Rachel turned her head away, too afraid to look at him; she wasn't sure if she would kiss him or break down in tears— hell, she wasn't even sure if she should believe him. "There's something else that isn't there? Your mother said it affects more than you."

"Yes," Killian sucked in a sharp breath. "Rachel, angel, I'm a werewolf."

Rachel whipped her head around to glare at him, eyes narrowed, irritated that he wasn't taking things seriously. She considered walking out the front door and forgetting all about him; maybe that might put some sense into him. She almost rose from her seat, but his steady, sharp stare had her blood stopping cold in her veins.

He was being serious.

Rachel had mentally prepared herself for anything, or so she thought. She expected Killian to say that he was a part of some cult, that he and his people were a part of some kind of mass hysteria, she was even ready for him to say that he was from a different planet... but a werewolf?

Oh Gods, he was insane.

She opened her mouth, trying to think up some kind of response but what exactly were you supposed to say in that situation?! He wasn't well.

"Look I know it sounds crazy, but I am telling the truth." Killian interrupted her train of thought, practically reading the startled surprise colouring her face.

Rachel sat frozen in her disbelief, her brain still reeling trying to process what couldn't possibly be real; how could— what could— what was happening? She couldn't move, couldn't speak, all she could do was listen intently as Killian spoke. He was saying something about a Moon Goddess, Diana, and something to do with a curse. She could hardly concentrate over the force of the memory of their first proper date coming back to her.