Chapter 7 - Miles
With my hands shoved into my pockets, I stand and watch Kelsey walk away from me toward the building with a grin on my face.
I’ll get through to her eventually. I’ve noticed the way she looks at me.
She can’t forever hide the fact that she’s attracted to me.
We’re fated mates after all. Her wolf must be going crazy every time she fights her need to be with me.
It’s a matter of time before she’s crawling into my bed, begging me to take her.
I sigh, remembering what I said to her, and yes, I can have any girl I want. But the only one I want is her. It’s difficult to find another woman attractive anymore after discovering that she is my fated mate.
I watch her hips sway. Her tight blue jeans and that cute pink sweater are gorgeous on her.
It makes her look sweet and innocent. I’m so used to seeing her in training gear and her security uniform.
Of course, at home, I get to see her in more relaxed clothes too, but she has been opting for oversized hoodies and sweatpants over anything revealing.
Maybe she thinks they aren’t as flattering, but the truth is they’re just as sexy as anything else she might have chosen to wear.
Walking her to work has nothing to do with the pack seeing us together.
Yes, it’s true, it looks good. But I don’t give a shit what people think of us as a couple.
However, it was a good cover to hide the fact that I desperately wanted to spend time with her.
Especially time outside of the house. When we’re home, she’s silent and distant.
Out in public, she at least partially has to deal with me in some way or another.
My instincts spike as Kelsey’s body language shifts. I can sense her tension. I want to go to her immediately, but I don’t understand what has triggered this reaction.
Controlling my urge, I remain where I am and observe.
Two men walk toward her. Both of them look like they’re up to no good with scowls on their faces and their eyes fully focused on her.
Luke and Taylor. I know both of them. Neither is particularly high on my list of people I’d ever call friends. Every pack has this type of man. Desperate for power they don’t have and working in low-level positions they believe they are too good for.
The men are walking toward her with determination, as though she is the end goal in whatever their plan is.
My eyes are tight on Kelsey, reading her every move. Every slight of her hand and the tiniest gesture, so that I can figure out why she’s so tense after seeing them.
Luke says something to her, too low for me to hear.
I can’t take it anymore. She looks like she’s drowning in stress, and as her husband and mate, I can’t ignore this.
The guys haven’t noticed me yet, and I plan to keep it that way until the last moment.
I walk with silent steps as I approach them.
Somehow, Kelsey senses me coming and turns to look at me.
My eyes are on the men, though. Their aggressive stance. Their confrontational approach.
Neither of them sees me until it’s too late.
“Hello, Luke, Taylor,” my voice is neutral, but stern.
“Beta?” Taylor snaps in surprise, standing up straighter with his eyes wide. Luke looks away from me. His eyes dart anywhere but onto me.
I’ve spent years learning how to read people, but I don’t need any of that training to see that there is definitely something going on here.
“How is everyone this afternoon?” I ask, slipping my arm around my wife. Relief washes over me as I pull her against my side.
“We’re good. Just coming back from lunch. We were, uh, just coming to congratulate Kelsey on her wedding,” they explain.
Right, and I’m president of the United States.
“Nice. Did you guys enjoy the party?” I ask, watching them intently.
“Yeah, it was great. Yes.”
Kelsey is stiff as a plank next to me. Her aura is rigid and stressed.
Luke shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other. Taylor clears his throat and swallows hard. I remain quiet, waiting for them to cave under the pressure.
“We should get going,” Taylor says after a moment of awkward silence.
“Have a good day,” I say, almost cold, almost a warning.
“Thanks, you too,” Luke replies, already hurrying away from us with his friend following close behind.
After the two of them disappear through the revolving doors, Kelsey steps away from me, but I don’t let go of her fully.
“I should go too.”
“What time do you finish?” I ask, my eyes still on the revolving doors.
“I’m only here to catch up on news and prepare for coming in tomorrow. Maybe two hours at the most. Why?”
“No reason. I’ll sort dinner out tonight,” I smile.
She smiles back, but it’s tight. “See you later,” she says.
I reluctantly let Kelsey slip out of my arm and watch her walk toward those same revolving doors.
I hate that she’s now in that building with those two assholes.
What the hell was that about? Was I reading into it?
Was it some kind of possessive, stupid thought that fogged my mind in a totally normal situation.
I’m new to this fated-mate thing, and it has been messing with my head a bit.
No. It definitely wasn’t normal.
There was something going on.
Walking back home, I can’t get it out of my head.
And at home, while I work on some admin and make lasagna, it’s still bothering me, so I make sure I’m outside the security headquarters close to the time she estimated she would finish.
I don’t want her cornered by those guys again.
There is no telling what they had planned for her.
I’ll walk her to and from work every day if it keeps her safe.
“Hi,” I smile a broad, genuine smile when I see her. My whole body seems to fill with energy the moment my eyes fall onto her.
She tilts her head to the side. “What are you doing here?” She asks, surprisingly sounding like she’s happy to see me.
“I was in the area, so I figured I’d come by and see if you were done,” I tell her.
She narrows her eyes and grins at me. “You were waiting for me,” she accuses.
I smirk.
“You weren’t even in the area at all, were you?” She taunts me.
“Hey, like I said, it’s good for our image,” I shrug, grinning and caught out by her sharp senses.
Kelsey giggles, and it’s a soft, beautiful sound.
I wanted to ask her about what happened earlier today, but she’s in such a good mood, I don’t want to risk it just yet.
“What did you make for dinner?” She asks.
“Lasagna. Extra cheese and extra mince.”
“Sounds amazing. I can’t believe how hungry I am after having a massive burger at lunch with the girls,” she remarks.
“How are they?” I ask as we walk down the pathway in the direction of our cottage.
“They’re all good. Apparently, they all got rather toasted on champagne the night of the wedding,” she grins.
“I think everyone did. It was a good party. The pack needs nights like that to let loose a bit,” I say.
A group of men and women is walking toward us, so I slip my arm around Kelsey and pull her closer to me, pretending it’s for show, but I’ve been dying to do it from the moment I saw her.
She smells of jasmine. A scent I never knew I could enjoy so intensely.
I used to think it was too sweet and annoying, but on her, it is the most beautiful thing in the universe.
“How was it being back at headquarters?” I ask.
“It was good. There hasn’t been another rogue sighting since the last one, but they have increased security patrols. Tomorrow morning I’m heading out pretty early.”
Of course, as Beta, I get two daily reports on everything that goes on in this pack, but it doesn’t matter. It’s nice to have her talking to me.
“I’ve also got an early start tomorrow, so I’ll walk with you.”
She steals a side glance at me, grinning. “Alright,” she muses, eyeing me.
“Hi, guys,” someone waves at us, and we both smile and wave back.
“We are still top news and all the gossip for now,” I whisper.
“Yes, until the next thing comes along.”
“Roger from the accounting team drove his car into the lake the night of the wedding. A bunch of them got really drunk and thought they could drive right over the frozen surface, but it wasn’t solid enough,” I chuckle.
“How in the world did I not hear about this?” She blurts out, laughing.
“Because our wedding still trumps that saucy bit of gossip.”
I grin at her, and she shakes her head. I slip my arm tighter around her. Even though the crowd has moved past us, I am in no hurry to let her go.
This is the first time we’ve had anything resembling a decent or real conversation. I like this side of her. Relaxed and not pushing me away.
But I still need to ask her what happened earlier. If I don’t, it’s going to keep bothering me.
As we arrive at home, I ask, “What happened earlier today? I could see you were uncomfortable about those two. What was going on?”
The effect is immediate.
Kelsey’s body goes rigid, and the smile wipes from her face. Her mouth pulls tight, and she glares at me. “Why are you trying to monitor every damn thing in my life?” She blurts out.
“What? No…”
“You follow me to and from work, and now you’re questioning every little interaction. You need to stay out of my personal life,” she huffs.
“Kelsey, that’s not what is going on here, I just noticed…”
“There was nothing to notice. Stop reading into things.”
“Do you think I’m blind?” I snarl, losing my patience.
I have been patient with her. She’s pushed me away, been cold toward me, ignored me…but there is no way in hell she is going to make me believe that what I saw today was nothing.
“I think you should mind your own business,” she huffs, folding her arms over her chest and standing her ground.
Funny, where was this boldness when those two guys confronted her? Where was this confidence and aggression?
“You don’t get to say that to your husband,” I demand.
She scoffs, and it aggravates me even more.
“I believe I made things clear on the day I moved in here,” she snaps, referring to her ground rules for our marriage.
“Yeah, you made it clear, and I haven’t crossed any lines. I have every right to protect you, Kelsey, even if you view it as me being intrusive.”
I stand over her, much taller than her, glaring at her with intensity.
I want to kiss her. And I want to grab her and shake some sense into her. It’s confusing to me, so aggravated and so turned on at the same time.
She scrunches her nose, clenching her jaw tightly.
Neither of us looks away, and it becomes a battle of wills in an intense stare-down.
After a minute, Kelsey huffs angrily, “This is so childish!”
She glares at me one last time before storming toward her bedroom and closing the door with a loud, solid bang.
I sigh heavily and roll my eyes, shoving my hands through my hair and groaning out loud.
Is being married always going to be this aggravating?
When the lasagna is ready, I knock on her door, and she replies with a tense, “What?”
“Dinner is ready,” I snap, more harshly than I had intended.
The silence annoys me, so I walk away, giving up waiting for her reply.
But when I sit down at the table, she walks into the small dining room and sits down too. Neither of us speaks for the entire duration of dinner, and when we’re done eating, she gets up, gathers the dishes, and carries them to the kitchen.
I am drained by this silent torture. Where is the happy, relaxed girl I walked home earlier? I wish I hadn’t said anything to her. But I know myself better than that.
Lying in bed that night, I toss and turn.
I’m not used to any of this. Especially not to give someone enough power over me that they keep me awake at night.
Because that’s what she’s doing. She’s keeping me awake.
It’s a mix of desire, anger, and confusion moving through me.
No matter how much I try to figure her out, I can’t understand why she’s so hellbent on pushing me away.