Hearing His Words

Chapter 5

At home for our weekly family night I can't stop thinking about it. Thinking about him. So much had happened earlier this afternoon.

I was only half focused on Argo the film my dad chose for tonight. Sitting on the couch I leaned up against my brother's shoulder trying to wrap my head around my changing life. The idea that I could now actually share my life with someone was mind-boggling. In the past two years there have been days I was convinced that the time I had seen him at the hospital was a dream, that what I felt through the mate bond was a hallucination. Pain would always come through the bond ending those thoughts quickly. If I had been dreaming my mate would never suffer pain.

One of the things I wanted to question him about the most: the pain.

Eric and Philip told me that Kìli wouldn't talk to me. They say it doesn't mean he doesn't care, or want me, that he has just been through a lot, and the fact that he knew I was out there waiting for him helped him a lot. I don't know what to think about the things they told me.

Looking up at my brother I could see him looking down at his mate Casey, who was tucked under his other arm. They hadn't even known each other for a month before she started coming to family night on Fridays, and we officially considered her a part of the family. I always looked at the way Jim watched her, the look in his eyes was so soft and tender, and he cared for her so much.

I have hoped for so long to find my mate and have him look at me in that way. Kìli didn't look at me that way though, his eyes were hard, lacking any emotion, and when he had smiled it was so small and hesitant. It hadn't reached his eyes. It almost seemed as if he were putting up a front so that it would seem as though he was happy to meet me. He hadn't tried to stop me from leaving, and he only touched me briefly after answering my question in a whispered voice. As hard as I try not to find myself questioning what Eric and Philip said earlier.

Pushing my thoughts to the back of my mind I focused on the last ten minutes of the movie with my family.

As the credits began to roll my parents turned to the tree of us.

"So, anything new happen this week?" Mom asks excitedly as she practically bounced up and down in her seat.

"No mom, you'll be the first to know if something big happens." Jim said trying to pacify mom.

"Nothing happened mom, my life is still boring," I say fidgeting with my fingers.

"That's not what I heard," Casey said quickly before my mom could change the topic, "Her friends and her were talking about her finding her mate in the pack house living room."

Leaning forwards mom bounced in her seat again grinning broadly as she said, "Tell me about him! It is him right? Not that I mind if your mate's a girl it's just..."

"I don't know much about him. He was registering for classes when I bumped into him in the hallway. I was turning in the attendance for Mr. Bon's sub so I had to get back to class, but his name is Ceallach O Maolmhuaidh," I say reluctantly.

Jumping up mom wrapped me in a hug as my dad gave me his congratulations. My parents talked about all the possibilities, the things they wanted me to do on Monday when I saw my mate again. Eventually the conversation moves on to things that our family members have done or seen in the last week.

As time passes the night winds down and the five of us head off to bed. I sat in bed for hours staring at the ceiling as I recounted my earlier encounter with my mate over and over again. Eventually I fell asleep as my thoughts and memories faded into dreams.

I wasn't sure exactly when I woke up the next morning, but the first thing I was conscious of was sitting in the back seat of my parent's car as they pulled up in front of the pack house. Climbing out of the car I realized I was still in my pajamas, and that it was way before three o'clock? I had to question why we were here so early.