Trashed & Treasured

25

I heard Kayla giggled and felt this weird sensation, got this strange feeling that she didn't do that very often. "Well, that's why you have Dominic right? To massage the pain away."

I snorted, "He'd enjoy that way too much! He's another case all in itself. Since we mated he just refuses to keep his hands and everything else to himself! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining but it feels weird looking everyone in the face when I'm pretty sure they heard me moments before. Too much info?" I cringed thinking that after everything was already said, "I'm sorry!"

"No need! My whole life I lived with my other Uncle and his mate so I've seen and heard a lot worse! I'd come home from school to a wrecked kitchen and they'd both look ruffled as they'd just been caught."

"The kitchen?! I can imagine how gross that must have been. I used to feel that way about my parents but now that I've actually...you know...I understand that it can't be helped. When you feel that need you feel that need!" I laughed lightly only to realize I was alone. I looked up at Kayla and saw her with a faint smile that looked forced. "I'm sorry! I touched a sore spot didn't I?" Still, she said nothing so I bit down and asked the question sitting on the tip of my tongue. "Where is your mate, Kayla?"

That question seemed to break the dam. Her nose scrunched as tears quickly raced toward the resting point underneath her chin. My wolf whimpered at the sight and pushed me to be by her side. Jumping off the stool I rushed around the counter and wrapped my arms around her allowing her to rest her head on my chest. I knew this was going to happen, I felt it and still asked anyway because I felt like I had to ask.

"He—" She sobbed trying to gain control of her breathing. Pulling back enough to see my face she let another stream of tears roll that I wasted no time wiping away with the palm of my hand. "He—" she paused looking at me with a much deeper frown, "They killed him! He was a lone wolf when I met him and really didn't want to be a part of a pack but he was going to join for me. The day he planned to go to my pack's alpha and request membership the enforcers of our neighbor pack caught him on their land, chased him down, and killed him. They—they thought he was a threat." By the time she got all of that out, she was bawling her eyes out sobbing loudly into my chest. I pulled her to me and stroked her hair gaining that familiar feeling of spinning then saw exactly what she said. Clear visions of Kayla and her mate on the phone arguing over her leaving the pack for him then him agreeing to join for her. Suddenly I could feel her pain, the exact moment of his death like I was experiencing it myself. Every blow to his body, I felt and the moment his neck was snapped—mine throbbed with inexplicable pain.

Right away my mind went to my own mate. Was this what it was like for Dominic? Did he suffer the same way? I know pain; not being wanted but I don't know what it must feel like to have to live and breathe every day knowing the one you're supposed to be doing it with is no longer there. I have to do something to help her but what can I do? Dull footsteps sounded behind us and before I could help her banish the evidence of her sadness Jaxon walked in. I moved away from her to block her with my body so she could clean herself up.

"You're having a party without me?! I'm hurt!"

"Yeah, and it's no boys allowed so...bye Jax!" I threw my hands on my hips.

"So rude! For that, I think I'll party crash!" He tried to sidestep me but I followed each of his steps. He chuckled then out of nowhere gripped me by my waist picked me up like I weighed nothing and then put me back down behind him. He sat down on the other side of Kayla with a fleeting smile. Whiffing the air he leaned into her and frowned more. "You were crying."

"N-no I wasn't." She stammered shoving a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"Yes, you were. There is salt mixed in with your scent. It can't be from sweat because it's freezing in here. I could smell it from my room."