The Alpha's Lifeline

~Chapter seven~

"Rylan?" Adeline knocked on his door lightly.

"Wait a minute, I haven't got a shirt on." She heard him shuffling about, and he opened the door before turning round to button up his shirt.

"I'm really sorry, I was just wondering if you were ready." She said quietly, smiling.

He turned around and grinned. "You look amazing."

"I'm only in this..." She shrugged, looking down at herself and he shook his head chuckling at her.

"You look lovely." He slipped on his jacket. He felt warm when she was around.

"Thankyou." She smiled again.

"Ready?" He asked and she nodded, turning around and going out of his room with Rylan right behind her.

She slipped her heels on at the bottom of the stairs and his parents were standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Please be careful, you both look lovely." His mum smiled.

His father reached out a hand for Rylan to shake, and for the first time in a long time, he shook it back.

"We'll be back later," Rylan said opening the door for Adeline and saying their goodbyes.

They walked quietly in the dark as the sun began to set towards the car and Rylan opened the door for Adeline.

"You're driving?" She asked.

"Yes." He chuckled. "It is one of the things I can do." He got into the driver's side and started the engine.

"Where are we off too then?" Adeline asked, slightly excited... But also, slightly nervous. They both were.

"You'll see," Rylan told her, pulling out of the driveway. "It's nothing fancy. I wasn't sure what you liked." She nodded, fiddling with her hands in her lap as he drove through the roads.

"The appointment went okay, didn't it? You were okay?" Adeline asked and Rylan nodded silently.

"I have a hard time accepting my scars. They're not pretty. I worry about what other people will think... It's also the touching factor I'm not great with. I'm not a pretty boy" He admitted. "Isaac suggested a few things."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"He told me about one of the guys I was with when they found us all. He was only there for about 3 weeks, so he was in a much better state than I was, but he found his mate a few days after we were rescued. His case wasn't as bad as mine, but he recovered within about a week." Rylan explained.

"I don't want you to get the wrong impression... I'm not just getting close to you because I think it will help me recover...I want you to realize that I want us to be close too..." He added quickly.

"I don't think that. I know you do. I know you care, it's just difficult for you, I know that." Adeline reassured him. She was unsure of what to say.

"He suggested small things, like starting to touch and whatnot. Maybe sleeping in the same bed." Rylan explained.

"How would that work? With your nightmares?" She asked. He felt that her heart started beating, she was uncomfortable with the suggestion.

"I'm not sure, I think we'd have to have someone there. But I don't want to hurt you so..." He assured her and she nodded. "Let's change the subject... We don't want to ruin tonight. This is a positive night, not to talk about me and my fucked-up life." He said and Adeline smiled slightly, he chuckled at her expression.

"Tell me about you." He asked.

"About what?" She asked nervously. "Be specific."

"Okay, middle names?" He asked and she sighed.