Page 126 of Bonding with the Beta

I grab a glass and fill it with water before rummaging in the cupboards for some tablets.

“How did you know something was wrong?” Jaxon asks.

I glance in his direction. “There was this overwhelming pressure inside my brain. It’s like all my senses were heightened and were trying to get my attention, then I started hearing her voice. It was weird, really weird.”

Ava blinks at my words. “That’s like a…fated mate reaction.”

“I know.”

“And she’s not?”

My head shakes. “She’s not, but she’s clearly something else.”

“And you still haven’t gone to see the elders?” Jaxon folds his arms over his chest.

“Quite honestly, Jaxon, I haven’t had the time.”

He stares back at me with narrowed eyes.

“I know what I feel for her,” I state. “Regardless of what they tell me, I know I want to be with her, so it’s not going to change anything.”

Ava’s face softens, and she steps towards me. “Tell her I’m always here, okay?”

“Of course. I should get back to her.”

When I head upstairs to my bedroom, I push open the door and find Kayleigh tucked beneath my sheets. I place the water and tablets on the bedside table and remove my clothes before climbing in beside her.

“Hey,” I whisper.

“Hey,” she croaks. “I’m so tired.”

I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head over and over as she slots in against my chest perfectly. “Get some sleep,” I murmur into her hair. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“Okay.”

“For as long as I live, I willneverlet anything happen to you. I will fight anyone who tries to harm you because you mean so much to me, Kayleigh.”

She sniffles and clings to me. “I’d fight anyone who tries to harm you, too.”

I crack a small laugh. “Then we’re settled for life then, aren’t we?”

“Yeah,” she whispers before falling asleep in my arms.

41

KAYDEN

Neither 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?”

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