Chapter 05 Family

Hanna

His question rings on repeat in my head. It’s uncomfortable.

Dean reaches for me first, his right hand hovering near my cheek for a second before tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear. Then he pulls back, slowly, as if hesitating between doing more and retreating. His arm returns to his side.

“Am I not family to you, too?” he asks in a voice so low it can be mistaken for a whisper.

It’s like cold water suddenly poured on me.

We barely talk about our pack lives because it’s filled with memories we’d rather not remember. All he knew about me is that I ran from my mate because he chose someone else over me. And all I knew about his story until earlier is that rogues killed his parents when he was just a child.

Though I can relate to him in the aspect of not having a mother growing up, I at least had my dad and the pack. As for him, he had to survive alone as a rogue for a while until the Blackwood Pack finally found him and took care of him. Then he left for the city because the pack wolf lifestyle was too brutal for him. His words, not mine.

“Dean, you know that’s not what I meant.” I try to explain, but I can feel him pulling away. Retreating inside his shell like a child hiding under his blankets because he fears the storm.

After all we’ve been through, both in our respective packs and in the city, I didn’t expect he’d think of me as someone close to family. It’s scary and also, heartwarming. To think he considered me kin all along.

I take his hand off of my arm and hold both of them between us. His hands are larger than mine and rougher. My voice softens. “Dean, you’re my best friend. You’ve been with me at my lowest and I can never thank you enough for all you’ve done for me. You know I love you.”

Standing on my toes, I reach up to cup his smooth cheek and have him look at me. “You’re my family, too, Dean. I’m sorry I said that.”

Dean holds my right hand and keeps it placed on his cheek as he leans in to my touch, long curved lashes fluttering close. His golden waves follow suit, its softness brushing the back of my hand.

My heart skips a beat from how peacefully gorgeous he looks. It’s like I’m caressing a being not meant to be here. When he opens his beautiful blue eyes again, they reflect my image. An image of a woman in awe of the beauty before her.

Dean tilts his head back to neutral then smiles. Not smug. Small. Gentle. Like he knows what I was thinking and he’s accepted it like it’s normal for him.

“Hanna—,” he begins, his voice louder now but still soft, “—won’t you be my family … officially?”

His proposal catches me off guard. My brows raise from surprise, but I don’t say a word.

No, I can’t say a word. The first thought that crossed my mind sounded too absurd to even say aloud.

He can’t mean …

I wait in the awkward silence with him, half-expecting him to say it’s a joke or a prank or anything else but that absurdity. I’ll laugh with him if he says he wants to be adopted. “Dean Wells” doesn’t sound so bad, and it’s a reputable name. A respectable name within Evergreen and outside its borders.

But Dean doesn’t do any of those. His eyes bore into me instead, patiently waiting for an answer.

“You mean—” I swallow hard. “You mean like an adoption?”

His smile widens. It should be a downright crime to look as gorgeous as him. He’s charm is different from Logan’s. It’s subtle, gentle, and lethal for my heart.

“You know that’s not what I meant, Hanna,” he says smoothly with a drop in his voice that my name sounded nearly guttural.

Dean closes the space between us in one step.

My brain scrambles for a reply. “Wha-What do you mean then?” I reply, feigning innocence in hopes that he won’t pursue this further.

I don’t want to hear him say it. I don’t want to ruin what we have.

“Wait for me right here. Don’t move,” he says as he drops my hands and goes out of the dining room in a hurry. His head peeks back in to quickly add, “Just- Just stay right there.”

I release a breath when he’s out of sight. Legs shaking, I return to my seat to calm myself.

What was that?

Dean sounded so … real, far different from his usual antics.

He can’t possibly have feelings for me … right?

We’re just … best friends. The best-est of friends. Sure, I find him so unbelievably attractive and he ticks off every box, but I can’t just accept his feelings knowing how much it’ll hurt his mate when they finally meet.

I won’t be that girl who takes away someone’s fated. There’s a possibility they might never cross each other’s paths, but as long as that possibility exists, I can’t take it away from the two of them.

While short-lived, I know what it’s like to have a mate and share intimacy with him. The bond between mates is an entirely new experience unlike any other. I will not rob him of what he can have.

I shake my head and take deep, deep breaths to calm myself. I’m already assuming that Dean has those kinds of feelings for me. Though a bit mortified, my cheeks heat up.

Just thinking about it is embarrassing.

The dishes catch my eye.

I should put them away.

I pick up my plate then Dean’s when something hits the windows. The kitchen has French doors that lead to the patio. We keep them open in the summer to let the cool breeze inside the house, but since the weather’s fairly agreeable, we didn’t bother doing so tonight.

Curious, I leave the dishes in the sink first. Something hits it again. Likely a pebble, but still rude, whoever’s doing it. I then push the doors open and head outside. Goosebumps instantly run all over my body. Not from the chill. The most pleasing scent hits my nose.

A deep voice comes from my right. “I remember a cute little mouse telling me she loved me, too. Where’s that love gone to, little mouse?”

--CC_GN--