5

CHAPTER 5

Adrianna's POV

**Five years later.

"Mom, I'm hungry." Jackson cried out from the living room.

" It's almost ready, dear," I assured him.

"Mom…. I said I wasn't going to eat first." Hayley cried out.

I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for them. They had been whining the whole morning about how hungry they were.

I started dishing the food out on a plate. As soon as I was done, I took it to the room and placed it in front of Jackson.

"Mom…I said I wanted to eat first."

"Hayley, you know the rules."

The rule was that whoever calls out first gets to be fed first.

Jackson was busy painting. I had no idea what he was painting. It was just a habit he picked up when he was three. I thought it was just a phase and it would wear out. But he was five years of age, and he kept painting.

I pulled a chair Close to him since he was seated on the floor. According to him, it was more comfortable to draw on the floor.

"Yayy…food is finally here." The young boy in front of me rejoiced.

That was always his expression of food and it made me happy. When I left my family, I felt like I had nobody with me.

I had always blamed the child because I felt that if I didn't get pregnant, I wouldn't have been chased and banished from the pack.

But all that changed when I had Jackson and Hayley. They were the sweetest thing ever. They made me laugh anytime I thought about my family.

They made me realize that even if I didn't get pregnant, my parents and Amelia were out to get me. Not that they told me all this but the moments I had to meditate about my past.

"Here," I said as I scooped a spoonful of cereal and positioned it in front of his mouth.

He took it in and chewed while smiling. Then he continued his painting while he awaited the second spoon.

I heard a click on the door as I took the next spoon. It could only be one person, the only person who had the key to my house.

”Hey guys." Shawn said while smiling. His lips formed a 'u' as he smiled.

Shawn, the Alpha of the Cross eye pack. My boyfriend. I can't explain how it happened, all I knew was that it just happened.

After Steven said I should find Shawn, I left in search of him. I later found him and Steven was right, it was a free pack. Everyone was welcomed.

Shawn found me a place. He constantly came to visit me with the excuse that he wanted to check up on me.

We started dating soon after he asked me out. He was nice and all but that was it. I only saw him as a nice person and nothing else.

Anytime I thought about our dating, I would ask myself why I had agreed to it if I didn't have any affection for him.

"Hey, Shawn," I answered as I gave Jackson the second spoon of his meal.

Shawn walked towards me and leaned forward to hug me. When he pulled back, he tried to kiss me on my lips, but I was fast enough to put it on my cheek instead.

When he saw what I did, he just kissed my cheek and didn't say anything. I knew he wasn't happy but I couldn't give him what he wanted.

He knew I wasn't in love with him but he wanted to date me still. "Jackson…" he shouted while lifting him.

Regardless, of whatever was happening between me, and Shawn, Shawn loved Jackson and Hayley a lot. They played together most of the time Shawn came here.

"My turn," Hayley said while jumping up.

They also liked Shawn as much. They were inseparable. I just hoped their relationship wouldn't affect us in the future.

I never had any problem with Shawn. He always gave me space because he knew I wasn't in love with him.

When he started courting me, I told him that I didn't feel the same thing he felt for me. But he said he could make me fall for him, that I should give him a chance.

I agreed eventually. Don't get me wrong, I didn't agree immediately. The initial plan was to avoid him but wherever I went, he was always there. He was stalking me.

I had to agree. It was no fun watching him trying to get attention. Plus, no one had ever been this much in love with me.

I was rejected by my mate, so I thought it would be easy to fall for Shawn. But I was wrong, it was really hard.

"Adrianna," Shawn called out to me. I was immediately brought back to the present.

"What were you thinking about? I have been calling you."

"Nothing. Why were you calling me?" I asked.

Our conversations were always this formal. No spark of romance. Nothing. And I hated it.

I mean, look at Shawn. He was tall and nice with ocean-blue eyes. Who wouldn't fall for that? I saw many girls in the pack who tried as much as possible to get his attention but he wasn't interested.

He was only interested in the girl who had no interest in him. The irony. Something was wrong with me.

"Are you free today?" He asked.

"Why?" I asked.

I hoped it wasn't one of those dates where we both sat and just stared at one another because we had nothing to say.

"I want to take you and Jackson out today." He answered.

I was doomed. Anytime we went on a date, it always ended badly. These were the many signs Shawn refused to see. He wanted to keep trying.

But Jackson and Hayley were coming. I wouldn't consider it a date. But I felt that the bond between Shawn and the kids was getting really strong.

I didn't want to be in a situation one day where they would say they wanted Shawn as his father.

Jackson and Hayley had never questioned me about their father but I had a feeling they would soon. They were getting older fast.

I was about to give my response when my phone began to ring.

It was Steven.