Page 23 of Bonding with the Beta (Fated Souls #2)

23

KAYDEN

W e scurry into the front seat and watch as the police lights move closer behind us. I glance over at Kayleigh to find her chest moving rapidly as she attempts to fix her hair quickly.

The siren goes off once, and I press my hand to Kayleigh’s thigh when I see it bounce. Her eyes meet mine, and fear flashes behind them. “I’ve got you,” I whisper. “Promise.”

She gulps and offers a slight nod, but it’s not convincing.

There is a quick tap at my window, and I roll it down to glance at the police officer, who doesn’t look impressed. “Can I help you, sir?”

A waft of alcohol hits me square in the chest, and I cover my reaction to the stench. I pray he didn’t see the way the car was rocking back and forth, but something tells me we’re already busted.

The man with grey hair on his chin and glasses sitting on his face leans against the ledge of the car, his eyes slowly flicking between the pair of us.

He stares at Kayleigh for a beat too long, and I tense.

“I’m gonna need you to step out of the vehicle.” He taps the car, and I hear the slight slur in his voice.

“Alright.” I nod and turn back to Kayleigh, whose frightened eyes are pleading with me not to leave her. “Stay here, okay?”

He slams on the door again, and she jumps. “And the girl.”

I turn to look at him and grit my teeth. “That’s not necessary, sir. She wasn’t driving.”

“It wasn’t a question,” he snaps. “Get. Out. Of. The. Car.”

Kayleigh unbuckles her seatbelt and nods at me. “It’s okay.”

I watch her climb out of the car, and I do the same until she meets me by my side, and I reach for her, wanting to keep her close. But the second my fingers graze her hip, he waves a hand at us.

“Step apart,” he growls.

A breath escapes my throat. “What is this about, officer? We’re just trying to get home.”

“Shut your mouth, boy,” he snarls at me, and I blink at the harshness of his voice. “You really think I don’t know what you were up to?”

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from making this worse. “We weren’t doing anything.”

“We pulled over because I wasn’t feeling well,” Kayleigh blurts, and all I want is for her to be quiet so she doesn’t draw attention to herself.

He sways towards her, and I clench my fists. His fingers move to grasp the fabric of her dress. “Pretty,” he comments with a feral grin before I push him off, and he stumbles back against his police car.

Fire bursts through my veins.

“You dare touch her, and I’ll fucking kill you,” I hiss through my teeth.

The man recovers, and his eyes burn red with rage. “Is that a threat to a police officer?” he rasps. “You can’t put your hands on me.”

“You’re drunk,” I spit.

“Drunk? You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Kayleigh,” I say softly. “Get in the car.”

“You don’t want to do that.” He reaches into the back of his waistband and removes a gun, making us both step back. I instinctively try to move in front of Kayleigh as I hear her gasp, but he aims it at me with shaky hands. “Don’t move.”

I curse myself for not moving faster because she’s not fully tucked behind me.

Breathe, Kayleigh. Breathe. You’re going to be okay.

My heart squeezes at the panic in her voice. Whatever happens, I’m getting us out of this unharmed. I’ll do whatever it takes.

I’m not losing her before I’ve even had the chance to be with her.

“What do you want?” I grumble under my breath.

He flashes me a smile that turns my stomach sour. “Whatever you’re willing to give me.”

“Nothing,” I bark at him. “You will get nothing from us.”

“I don’t want anything from you.” His grin is sickening. “I want something from her.”

The gun tilts towards Kayleigh behind me, his eyes flicking over her for a moment. My blood boils beneath the surface. I could shift, but he’ll shoot me dead before I have the chance to extend my claws and rip out his eyeballs. That will put Kayleigh at risk, and I can’t chance it. I promised her everything would be okay.

I want to kill him. I’ve never hesitated to kill men like him before.

But the last thing I want is to terrify her.

She doesn’t know about our world. She doesn’t know I have blood on my hands. But this is different. He’s a civilian. I won’t be able to hide this myself, and I don’t want to put the thought into Kayleigh’s brain that I’m a murderer—even if he deserves it.

“Fuck you,” she seethes.

“Yeah.” His eyes flare. “Something like that. I’d take off that dress and see what you have underneath, and?—”

Before he has a chance to finish his sentence, I lunge forward and grab his wrist, tilting it away from Kayleigh and towards the trees beside us. He struggles against me, but his footing slips due to his intoxication. I attempt to worm the gun out of his hands, but he latches on, and the trigger is pulled.

Kayleigh screams, and panic floods my veins.

I expect to see blood, but no pain hits me.

What if the bullet hit Kayleigh?

The sudden thought has me flinching. I rip the gun from his grip before throwing it across the road and slamming him down onto the floor with his hands behind his back. I release a shuddering breath as I turn around; relief fills me when I find Kayleigh there, white as a sheet.

“Are you okay?” I ask desperately.

“I-I–”

“Kayleigh, tell me you’re okay.”

My lungs aren’t functioning right now.

“Yeah,” she answers, her throat tensing. “I’m okay.”

My chest quivers at her words as I hold the man down. “Go grab your phone.”

She dashes into the car and slips her phone from her purse. “Who am I calling? He is the police, Kayden.”

“And something tells me that he’s not on duty. He’s drunk.”

“Get the fuck off me.” He wriggles against the floor, but I pin him down with my strength. “You’re not going to do anything.”

“Call the police,” I grumble. “Tell them everything.”

“Okay.”

Five minutes later, the police turn up, and I am tugged off him as if I'm the one in the wrong. But after explaining the situation, as Kayleigh trembles beside me, I’m released by the two police officers, and I rush towards her, cradling her face in my hands.

Tears stream down her cheeks. and I feel nauseous at the sight. “Are you okay?”

She sniffles and nods. “Yeah, a bit shaken up. Are you?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” I whisper and wrap my arm around her, pressing my lips to her forehead. “He’s not going to hurt you, okay? I’m right here.”

Her fingers grip onto my shirt as she presses her face into my shoulder and shakes aggressively.

Once the police take our statements, I’m desperate to get Kayleigh home. I climb back into my car and drive to Stonebridge campus. Kayleigh is silent the entire journey, and I hold her hand and raise my lips to her knuckles.

When we pull up and I park, I open the door for her and hold her heels, which she took off on the journey. She digs around her bag for her keys numbly before stepping into her room.

I give her space until she turns around to face me with black make-up smudged under her eyes. I step towards her, placing my hands delicately on her face as her watery eyes find mine. “I-I was so scared something was going to happen to you,” she chokes. “When you grabbed the gun, and the gunshot went off. I thought–”

“It’s okay,” I whisper. “I’m fine. I’m right here.”

She sniffles. “H-how did you move so fast?”

“What?”

“You grabbed the gun and manoeuvred yourself as if it was easy. It happened so quickly. How?”

I pale a little as the lie crawls up my throat. “Oh, I’ve taken self-defence classes in the past.”

Kayleigh blinks. “You have?”

“Yeah.” I cup her cheek, wishing I could tell her the truth about my life, but now definitely isn’t the right time. “Come on, let’s get some sleep.”

“D-don’t leave me tonight. Please.”

My heart crumbles at the pleading in her voice. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Thank you.” She smiles, but it’s forced and painful.

I help her in her pyjamas before removing my shirt and trousers and crawling into bed behind her. My arms close around her body, and I hold her tight. I don’t sleep, not even when the sun rises.