Healing His Mate

Chapter 11

Aaliyah POV

After Zea leaves, Aaron and I spend the day talking. Well as much talking as we can. He asks me questions and I reply with yes or no before pointing back at him for him to answer as well.

I have been strangely able to learn about him and his family, even with the limited questions.

Aaron is the oldest of four kids. He has two twin brothers currently in college and a younger sister who just started her senior year of high school. His father is the Alpha of the pack and Aaron is the next one.

We spend the day in bed as he tells me stories about his siblings and him growing up. Every story he tells makes me smile and laugh. As I learn each new thing about him, I can feel myself start to trust him a little bit more.

An hour before we were expected to show up to dinner, he asked me if I really wanted to go. He has been terrified of anything upsetting me and has tried to avoid all stressors as humanly possible. I think he is scared that I will crack.

In truth, I wanted to say no. I know that I might never be ready to fully go into the world. I know that I may not be ready to be around people.

But I can see in his eyes that he wants me to be. He wants to help me heal, to make me less broken, and I want to try to give that to him.

Walking into the kitchen now, I smell the cooking chicken. I first notice Zea standing in front of a steaming pan as she flips a piece of chicken over. Looking around the room, I only see one other person and he definitely isn't one of Aaron's siblings.

A man stands at the kitchen island near Zea. He has some greying hair and is made of solid muscle. Looking at him closely, he resembles Aaron greatly. The man is huge and sends out a strong feeling of dominance throughout the room.

I want to hide behind Aaron as the man stares back at me. Aaron gives my hand a squeeze as he walks us further into the space. He approaches his mother first at the stove.

"Thank you for making it just us," Aaron says as he kisses his mother on the cheek in greeting.

"I figured we didn't want to overwhelm your mate with the entire pack tonight," she says.

I give her a small smile of gratitude. Tonight would be just us four. I can do this.

"It's nice to see you again, sweetheart," his mother says as she turns her attention to me, "This is my mate, Jacob."

I smile back at her before turning to face her husband. I try to push down the fear I felt when I first saw him, but I can still feel the weight of it crushing my chest. My body's reaction is to fold into itself.

He's Aaron's father, I remind myself, trying hard to give myself a pep talk, He won't hurt me. Aaron wouldn't let him.

"I'm very happy to meet you, um..." he trails off as he looks between me and Aaron. An awkward silence hangs in the air as I realize he doesn't know what to call me.

None of them do because I can't tell them my name.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I should have warned you," Aaron says as he rubs my arms soothingly, "My angel can't talk and I haven't been very successful in guessing her name."

"Angel?" Jacob smiles at the nickname, "It is very fitting."

"I think so too," I can hear Aaron's smile in his voice as he moves his arms to wrap around my waist from behind me.

"Angel it is then," Zea says. Her eyes show happiness at the decision, "Do you mind if we call you Angel for now then?"

I nod my head in agreement. I love Aaron's nickname for me, so it doesn't bother me at all.