Page 9 of Bonding with the Beta (Fated Souls #2)

9

KAYDEN

A s Ava and Jaxon prepare for parenthood, Jaxon plans to split his Alpha duties between his brother-in-law, Sebastian, and me. I practically looked after the pack when Jaxon had lost Julia, his first ‘mate’. He couldn’t even eat and dress himself, let alone run this pack.

Jaxon might be a perfectionist, but all his attention will be on the new baby and not on how Sebastian and I decide to run the pack. I kept us above water once; I can do it again.

As I walk into the kitchen, I spot Ava as she talks away with Lucy and her six-month-old baby, Albie, between her arms. Ava’s dark eyes cut to mine as I stroll towards the living room. “Hey, Kayden,” she says and smiles.

“What’s up, guys?”

Albie makes a little sound, which makes Ava physically melt at the sight. “Not a lot. Just talking about baby things,” Lucy responds, dragging her finger down the curve of his cheek.

“Riveting.” I laugh.

Ava’s phone vibrates on the counter, and she glances at it. “Oh, shoot,” she murmurs before leaving the kitchen to walk to the living room and back, this time with a book in her hands.

“What is it?” Lucy asks.

“Kayleigh left her university book here. She needs it for her essay.”

The sound of Kayleigh’s name has my ears perking. I flick my eyes from Ava chewing her lip and typing on her phone to the book in her hand. “Can’t she get another?”

“One-of-a-kind, apparently,” Ava murmurs. “She can’t collect it until the end of the week.”

“I’ll go drop it off,” I blurt out of nowhere.

Lucy and Ava both look at me. “You will?”

“Sure.” I shrug it off casually. “I’ve not got much going on today, and I was going to pop into town to see the district chief anyway. It’s practically on the way.”

“It’s like fifty miles past town.” Lucy raises a brow at me in confusion.

My shoulders rise again. “I don’t mind. If she needs it, I’m happy to drop it off.”

“Doesn’t Jaxon need you?” Ava tilts her head.

“Not right now,” I huff. “Says he needs some alone time to collate everything before he hands over duties to Bash and me, so I’ve got some free time.”

Ava’s eyes soften as she turns to look at me. “Kayden, you’re a lifesaver. Thank you. Thank you.”

“No problem,” I say as I take the book from her.

I’m not entirely sure if I imagined it or if I’m going batshit crazy, but a small zap of something shoots down my arm when I have it in my possession. My brows crease, but I quickly recover.

“I’ll text you the details.” She nods once.

I grab my keys and head out. “No worries.”

As soon as I’m in my car, I head towards Stonebridge. I pass town on the way, the little white lie of needing something completely blowing over my head. I might be stupid, but I know I wanted an excuse to see her.

It’s been four days, and I cannot get the blonde bombshell out of my damn mind. Those blue eyes have been haunting my dreams, and even though I can’t hear her thoughts miles away, the sound of her voice is imprinted into my brain.

Despite telling myself to stay away, I’ve gone against all logical thought. What’s wrong with saying hi?

Everything.

I’m not the kind of man to get attached. I’m also not the kind of man to sleep around. It’s not in my nature. But there is something about Kayleigh that draws me in, tugging me into a black hole that I’ll never be able to resurface from.

The drive takes a little over an hour as I pull onto campus and head towards student accommodation. I park up and look at my phone to find the details Ava sent me. It would be handy to call Kayleigh, but I don’t have her number.

Ava would have told her I’m coming surely.

I jump out of my car and enter the building after a group of people come out. I head up the stairs and walk towards her numbered door before knocking and leaning on the edge of the wall.

The door swings open, and I stare down at Kayleigh with her blonde hair thrown up on top of her head. She’s wearing a tiny blue crop top and loose sweatpants that hang low on her hips, showing off her stomach and her pierced navel.

She jumps at the sight of me, eyes widening as I smile. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Don’t be too disappointed to see me.” I chuckle playfully. “It’s good to see you, too.”

Kayleigh looks at me like I’ve lost my mind—or like I’m stalking her.

“Ava didn’t tell you?” I ask when she says nothing more.

“Ava didn’t tell me what?”

I narrow my eyes, keeping the smile on my lips. “I presume you realised you left your book at our house; you asked if it was there, and she messaged you back saying I’d come and drop it off.”

“Fuck.” She presses a hand to her head and turns away and into her bedroom, searching for her phone. “I haven’t looked at my messages in over an hour.”

I step inside and glance around to find half-dead plants on the windowsill and a bright neon cherry light beside her unmade bed. Clothes litter the floor, along with books, pens, and everything else a university student would own.

“Nice room,” I comment.

“Hey!” She turns and points a finger at me. “I didn’t say you could come in.”

I hold up my hands in defence, which are holding up her book. Her eyes immediately dart to my hand and then back to my eyes. “Sorry. I was looking for somewhere to put this down, but it seems everything is a little full.”

Kayleigh shoots me a glare. “My hands are just fine.”

“I’m sure they are.” I wink at her.

She rolls her eyes and holds out her hand before I place the book in the centre of her palm. “Thanks,” she mumbles. “But you really didn’t have to come. I could have come to collect it at the end of the week.”

“Ava said you needed it now.” I shrug and shove my hands into my pockets. “I thought I’d pop by and do you a favour.”

Kayleigh blinks at me before her brows crease. “That was kind of you, Kayden, but, honestly, you really didn’t need to.”

“Well, I’m here now,” I state. “You’re welcome.”

She huffs out a breath and tugs down her crop top, even though the material pings back up. I still get an eyeful of her stomach and that sparkly bar staring back at me that I hadn’t noticed before today.

Of course. The day of all days you look like a mess, he has to turn up.

The sound of her voice echoes in my head, and I wipe my hand over my mouth to cover my smile. “Busy day, huh?”

“Oh.” She laughs to herself, but it’s harsh and void of any humour. “You wouldn’t believe it.”

“From the bombsite of a room, I can tell,” I joke lightly.

Kayleigh’s demeanour changes within a second. “Because I have important things to do, other than turning up at someone's house unexpectedly with a book they said they’d collect later. That’s weird behaviour. If you wanted to stalk me, maybe you should have just said.”

I shake my head once and move back, resisting the urge to scoff at her venomous words. “Sorry for wanting to do something nice for you. Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered.”

Her eyes flash with panic as I step out of her room and down the hall.

See? You always fuck everything up, Kayleigh.

“Wait,” she calls after me, and I pause. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’ve got a lot going on and–”

I glance over my shoulder as she stands in the middle of the hallway. Her hands are laced together, and I see the sheer embarrassment on her face as she pleads with her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she says again. “Thank you for dropping off the book. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s fine.” I nod once.

Kayleigh’s mouth opens, but she shuts it seconds later.

“I’ll go.” I throw my thumb over my shoulder. “I don’t want you thinking I’m planning on how to break in later.”

Her lip twitches. “I don’t.” She shakes her head. “I guess not a lot of people would drive over sixty miles to drop off a book for me.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not a lot of people, blondie.”

Kayleigh raises her shoulders and locks her eyes on mine. “I know. Do you want to come in? It’s a mess, as you know.”

“Is this a trap?” I raise a suspicious brow.

She laughs softly. “No. I promise I won’t throw you out the window.”

My lip twitches at her words. “Well, if you’re sure,” I say as I follow her back into her room.

You don’t have to be an asshole to everyone. He was doing you a favour. Be nice. He’s a good person.

Kayleigh frantically starts throwing things in different directions, sweeping clothes away with her feet and adjusting the duvet on her bed. I walk across the room to her desk and stare down at the books that litter the dark wood.

“Uh.” She brushes away small baby hairs that have fallen onto her face. “So, yeah. This is my room. Don’t judge me.”

I hum as I chew on the inside of my lip. “What am I not judging…the butterfly bed sheets or the half-eaten cheese toastie that looks like it’s carrying the plague?”

Kayleigh whips her head to her bedside table where the mouldy bread is lying. “Oh my God.” She presses her hand to her forehead. “I’m so disgusting.”

I laugh as she shoves the toastie into the bin and ties it up before placing it outside her door. “Don’t worry,” I reassure her. “This doesn’t even phase me.”

“Then you’re as disgusting as me,” she huffs.

My mouth stretches into a grin as she watches me under her lashes. “You’ve still been stressed, huh?”

Kayleigh’s cheeks begin to tint pink. “Like I told you before, I am always stressed. Too many essays, coursework, and lectures to attend.”

“Sounds like you need a day off,” I comment.

She snorts. “A day off? No such thing.”

“Not even for a few hours?”

“Nope.”

“Liar.”

“Fine.” She folds her arms over her chest. “What do you suggest?”

I take a confident step towards her, and to my surprise, she doesn’t back up. She tilts her neck to meet my height. “A date.”

Kayleigh’s eyes almost pop out of her skull. “Excuse me?”

Yeah, even I don’t know where that idea came from, but I’m rolling with it.

“A date, Kayleigh. It’s simple.”

Then she laughs, almost like she’s trying not to die by choking so hard.

“What’s so funny?”

“You and me…on a date?” she clarifies.

I nod.

She laughs again. “O-kay, good one, Kayden.”

The room turns to silence, and she wipes her eyes and looks up at me.

“Does it look like I’m joking?”

She analyses me for a long moment before her mouth falls open.

“Apparently not,” she whispers under her breath. “We’re not going on a date.”

“Why not?”

Kayleigh’s throat tenses as she presses a hand to her chest. “I don’t do dates.”

“There must be a reason,” I arch a brow.

She simply shakes her head. “No reason.”

Not after last time. You need to focus on yourself.

“Fine,” I rasp. “It doesn’t have to be a date. It can be a meet-up between friends.”

Kayleigh narrows her pretty, suspicious eyes at me. “We’re barely friends.”

“Sorry, am I not allowed to get to know you, Kayleigh?”

Her lashes brush her cheek when I say her name. “Depends what the reasoning is for.”

“For fun,” I state simply. “For letting your hair down since it looks like you need it.”

My eyes flick down to her mouth as she bites her bottom lip. “Is it really that obvious?”

“Remember the cheese toastie?”

“Okay.” She waves a hand in the air. “You don’t have to bring it up again.”

I hold my hand out to her. “Give me your phone. I’ll put my number in. If you change your mind and want to forget about all the essays and university work for a few hours, let me know.”

Kayleigh sighs and removes her phone before handing it over to me. “Why does this sound like a bad idea?”

I flash her a feral grin. “I don’t think you’ll regret it, Kayleigh.”

My fingers work over the screen before handing it back, and she looks at me with those big blue eyes full of curiosity. “I guess we’ll see.”

“I guess we will.” I wink.