Page 41 of Bonding with the Beta (Fated Souls #2)

41

KAYDEN

N either of us slept well last night. Kayleigh tossed and turned and stared up at the ceiling endlessly. Knowing her level of distress, there was no way I could sleep. So, I silently lay next to her, my eyes firmly on her face to make sure she was okay.

My fingers itched to touch her, but I kept my distance after she rolled out of my arms. I couldn’t hear her thoughts, and I didn’t want to push her boundaries.

When the morning rolls around, Kayleigh is still looking blankly at the ceiling.

I frown. “Kayleigh?”

For a moment, I expect her to ignore me, but she doesn’t. She looks right at me, her blue eyes dull and empty.

“Can I touch you?”

She nods instantly, almost desperately.

My arms snake around her body, and I tug her into my chest. She releases a deep sigh as she touches my bare skin.

I gently brush my fingers up and down her spine. We stay like this for a while, neither of us uttering a word to each other. I listen to her breathing and feel my heartbeat slow to regulate with hers.

Kayleigh pulls back slightly, and I raise my hand to cup the back of her head.

“Why did you come to mine?” she croaks, her withdrawn eyes flicking between mine. “We were literally texting a few minutes before. H-how did you…know?

I sigh and brush away a clump of blonde hair from her cheek. “I knew something was wrong, Kayleigh.”

Her lips part. “What do you mean?”

“There is something I haven’t told you,” I rasp.

“Haven’t told me what?

“You’re going to think this is absolutely mad, and I don’t expect you to understand because I don’t understand it mysel–”

Kayleigh drops her hand down onto my chest. “Kayden, please just tell me.”

A wave of her anxiety showcases on her face. So, I come out with it.

“Sometimes, I can hear your thoughts,” I admit.

Her expression stiffens, and then her eyes narrow. “What?”

“I know it sounds equally as mad as when I told you about being a wolf,” I say softly. “But I’ve heard your thoughts from the moment I met you. The day you saw me walking into the kitchen, and you thought I was the most handsome man you’ve ever seen.”

Kayleigh’s face glows brighter than a red traffic light. I wait for her to start blubbering nonsense, but she doesn’t. “What else have you heard?” she gulps nervously.

“Not everything,” I clarify. “Nothing too invasive. I promise.”

Her brows dip as she roams my face. “And last night?”

“It was like sirens were going off in my head. I could hear your voice as if in the distance. I could feel your distress.” I drop my hand from her face to take her hand. “I was nearby with Jaxon. I came as soon as I knew something was wrong.”

“H-how?” she stutters. “How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know, but it’s what some wolves can do with their mates. Jaxon can hear Ava’s thoughts.”

Kayleigh freezes at my words. “I don’t understand. You said I’m not your mate.”

“I know, it’s something else between us. It must be.”

“Oh.”

“Do you want to talk about what happened?”

She shakes her head. “No.”

“Do you want to go to the police?”

“No. I doubt it’ll hold up anyway; his face will be black and blue. I don’t want you getting in trouble for me,” she murmurs.

My lips curl, and I cup her cheek. “Don’t worry about me, blondie. I couldn’t care less about what happens to me as long as he never comes near you again.”

“Did I take you away from your work?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I say as I brush back her hair. “What matters is that you’re safe.”

She frowns. “I know you have responsibilities here, Kayden, and you’ve been spending a lot of time with me.”

“Because you are important to me.” I press a kiss on her forehead. “Let me worry about that, okay?”

Kayleigh reaches for her phone on the bedside table, and I sit back against the headboard as I trace shapes on her legs. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she groans.

“What’s wrong?”

“My professor has asked to see me today.”

“Today?” My brows rise. “I thought the term was over?”

Kayleigh shakes her head. “Not until Friday. My classes have finished, and as I’ve already submitted my essays, I thought I’d be pretty much done.”

“Can’t you video call him?”

“No,” she sighs. “He takes punctual meetings seriously, and I have a feeling it will be about the essay I almost lost the other day. I really, really don’t want to fail this one.”

My head pounds with the thought of Kayleigh going back to campus after last night. I promised Jaxon I’d help with donations to Cole’s pack after he catches up with paperwork.

“I also left my laptop there.” She runs her hand down her face. “And I’ve got online reading I need to do.”

“Let’s get breakfast first,” I say, wrapping an arm around her waist and picking her up as if she weighs a feather. “Then we can talk about it later.”

Because it is the last thing I want to do.