Page 51 of Beginning Fate

“I'm not really either.”

Wanting more time alone with her, I took her back to my room. As President of Delta Omega Gamma, Archibald Reynolds Chapter, I was gifted a dampener in my room. It was a device that guaranteed absolute privacy when in there. I didn't tell Lauren that though because I didn't want to freak her out.

I let her sit on my bed while I kept my distance from my desk chair. While I expected it to be a little weird after our sexual incident in her hotel room, our time in the woods really did change things between us. Lauren looked perfectly content surrounded by my scent, which made my wolf and I ridiculously happy.

Silence dragged on between us, but there was nothing uncomfortable about it.

She yawned. “I should probably check on Kylie and head back to the hotel.”

“Or, you could just stay here,” I blurted out.

I gulped hard as she laid down like she was testing the bed before sitting up with a frown.

“I should probably talk to Kylie and explain things before word gets back to her. She's already hung out here and knows people that could talk. I don't want to blindside her like that.”

I wanted to ask what she was going to tell her. We hadn't talked about our future. Did we even have one? I suddenlyneeded to know, but I also couldn’t seem to form the words to ask. A part of me feared the answer.

“I understand,” I said instead.

“She said she was staying with Autumn again, but maybe she'll decide to come and stay with me tonight instead.”

I looked at the time and shook my head. “If she was going to do that, you would have heard from her by now.”

Frowning, Lauren reached for her phone.

“Oh no. It's dead. What if Kylie did call? What if she's out there looking for me? Or stranded all alone somewhere?”

I was across the room in the blink of an eye pulling her into my arms and allowing my touch to calm her. It made me feel a little high and happier than I knew possible to do such a simple thing for her.

Taking the phone from her hands, I checked to see what type it was and then reached over on my nightstand to get the right charger.

“Just relax. It'll be back up soon.”

“I can't believe I let that happen. She knows I'm always accessible, no matter what. What if she tried to call?”

“Babe, I'm sure she's fine. It's time to let go a bit.”

I knew I'd said the wrong thing the second the words were out of my mouth.

“You have no idea what you're talking about or what we've been through.”

We both knew that wasn't true. I was pretty certain she'd shared more with me about their past than she ever had anyone else.

When she scrambled to get off my bed, I gave her the space I thought she needed. Or at least I tried to. My feet were moving of their own accord as I followed her out of the room and down the hall towards the raucous sounds of fraternity life.

She was trying to get away from me in her moment of freaking out. I knew it, but that still didn't stop me from following.

At the door to the living room, she came to an abrupt halt.

“Kylie?”

My mate's face flushed and then went pale.

“What's going on?” I saw her sister sign when I rounded the corner.

I wanted to reach out to my mate. I sensed she was freaking out, but she looked so fragile in that moment that I feared she might break if I tried.

“Lauren, what's going on? Why are you here?” she asked again, but this time her arms flailed in bigger gestures.

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