Page 125 of Bonding with the Beta

I will never let anyone hurt her—not again.

“Come on,” I say as I slowly remove myself from her, gripping her arms. “Pack some things. There is no way in hell I’m letting you stay here tonight.”

Kayleigh trembles. “Okay.”

I grab one of her travel bags and help her pack some clothes and toiletries. I watch her carefully, but I can tell she’s not thinking straight. How can she after her ex-boyfriend tried to assault her?

My breathing begins to increase, and I clench my fists, lowering my wolf’s anger. He might not accept her as his mate, but he knows I have a deep connection with her, which makes him want to protect her as much as I do.

As I take the bag from her hand and we walk to the door, she pauses.

“Kayleigh,” I say softly.

Her eyes finally meet mine, and the sadness behind them almost defeats me. “He was lying,” she murmurs.

“What are you talking about?”

Her lips tremble, and her eyes squeeze shut. “When he said I begged him to come over. I didn’t. I didn–”

Tears fall from her eyes, and my heart shatters. I cup the side of her neck, and she eventually peels open her lids. The worry of not believing her settles on her expression. It’s pained and uncomfortable and I despise it. Her eyes practically beg me to see the truth in her words.

“You think I’d believe anything that comes out of that prick’s mouth?” I quirk a brow. “I know you, Kayleigh. I know you’d never do that to me.”

She takes a shuddering breath of relief, and I take her hand, tugging her out of her dorm room before she turns around to lock it. We walk down to the car park, where I open the passenger’s side for her.

When I sit in the driver’s side, she’s curled up into a ball in her seat, resting her head against the window. I start the engine and drive off silently.

We are on our way back now. Sorry for bailing.I mindlink Jaxon.

Everything okay?

No. Kayleigh’s ex-boyfriend. It was a mess. I almost killed the guy.My fingers grip the steering wheel tighter.

Shit. She okay?

She's not hurt, but she’s shaken.

I’ll see you at home.

I roll a hand down the curve of my temple and glance over at Kayleigh. Her eyes are shut, and she wraps herself up in her arms. My chest begins to bleed from the inside out.

When I pull up outside the pack house, I slip around to the passenger door and crack it open. She stirs from her sleep and rubs her eyes. “Sorry,” she murmurs, and I shake my head.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”

I take her hand as she undoes her seatbelt and exits the car. We approach the front door, and I silently take her upstairs. She perches on the edge of my bed as I lower her bag to the floor beside her.

“Can I borrow your clothes?” she whispers.

“Yeah,” I say as I grab a T-shirt and pair of sweatpants from my wardrobe. “Here.”

Her fingers cling to the fabric. “Thanks. I’ve got a pounding headache.”

“I’ll go grab you some water and paracetamol, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Kayleigh merely nods before I press a kiss to her forehead and leave my room to head downstairs to the kitchen. Ava and Jaxon are standing whispering at the island, and as soon as they see me, Ava walks in my direction. “How is she?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “She’s in shock. See how she feels in the morning.”

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