Page 113 of Bonding with the Beta

That look of raw honesty is lingering.

“I don’t need a matebond if I feel this alive with you,” he whispers against my lips.

My chest heaves at his declaration. I’m grateful his arm is wrapped around me because I’d turn to liquid and slip down the drain if not. He rotates me in his hold, pressing me against the wall, and lays his mouth over mine with a passion that makes my toes curl. A zap electrocutes my heart, and we mould into one.

Kayden strokes backmy hair tenderly and studies my eyes as we lay together on the sofa. “Tell me what you’re thinking about.”

I purse my lips. “I’m meant to go home next week for the break, but I don’t think I want to.”

“Why?”

My shoulders raise. “It’s a lot to see my mum. She’s trying to convince me to spend time with her and her new partner, but I’m not interested. Does that make me a bad person?”

“No. When she cheated on your dad, she also hurt her relationship with you. I think it’s normal to feel that way,” he says, and it calms me.

“I see a lot of my dad’s sadness in myself. While my mother is off loving her new life with her new woman, my dad’s still heartbroken and wondering what went wrong. It reminds me of how I felt with Josh. I was a mess, then I’d see him around campus laughing and smiling. I don’t get how that’s fair. She reminds me too much of my own pain,” I confess.

He laces his fingers with mine. “Then don’t go home. You can stay here with me. You know that, right?”

“You do way too much for me already.”

“Having you stay here isn’t too much; if anything, I want you here. I want to spend time with you,” he says slowly.

My chest warms. “You’re too kind to me.”

“Your expectations for men are so low, Kayleigh. It makes me so angry to think how Josh treated you.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “You deserve someone who will be there for you when you need them. You deserve to feel appreciated and cared for and everything else in between. Never settle for less—you are worth so much more.”

My heart aches. I can’t take it. These intense feelings make me want to scream at the top of my lungs because I’ve never felt this intoxicated by emotions—especially good ones.

“How are you feeling after everything I told you yesterday?” he asks.

I pause. “The wolf stuff?”

Kayden nods.

“I don’t know if it’s completely sunk in that you’re a…wolf. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you. It changes nothing. I’m just surprised. I still think it could be some silly joke any second now.”

“I really didn’t know how to tell you,” he sighs. “I did say it would sound ridiculous. The only way I knew how was to show you.”

“Yeah,” I whisper. “I wouldn’t have believed you otherwise.”

Kayden smooths his thumb across my knuckles. “You’ll learn more about this world, and soon, you won’t bat an eyelid at it.”

I snort. “Not sure about that.”

“Yet.” He smiles. “We’ll work this out. I promise.”

“Can I see your wolf again?”

“You want to see him?”

I nod. “This time without fainting.”

Kayden’s face lights up as he grins. He takes my hand and stands from the sofa before tugging me outside, and my heart races with anticipation.

36

KAYDEN

---