Hurriedly, Kyle jolted away from Ashlee, sitting at a certain distance from her. She, too, straightened up quickly. An awkward silence filled the house, with only the stupid laughs from the TV echoing in the background.

"I..." Ashlee broke the silence, coughing away the awkwardness. "I'm cutting myself some fruit. Would you like some?" she asked, attempting to pretend as if nothing had happened.

Even if it was just for a moment, weirdly enough, Ashlee felt comfortable around him. Whenever she was around others, she felt suffocated rather than relaxed. But with him, it was different.

"Yeah, that would be fine." Kyle quickly stuttered, barely registering what she'd said. She got up and went to the kitchen to slice some apples.

"Here. Have some." Both of them seemed relaxed now, the strange, tense atmosphere lifted, and everything felt back to normal.

"Don't you feel unsafe with a stranger in your house?" Kyle asked, his inability to read her mind frustrating him no matter how many times he tried.

"What are you going to do, kill me?" Ashlee chuckled painfully. "You've seen me. Do you think I'd mind dying?" She raised an eyebrow, munching on the apple.

She was finally free to eat properly and move around as she pleased. Why wouldn't she enjoy that freedom, right?

"Then why do you let that happen to you?" Kyle's concern for her was intense. He didn't want her to get hurt. By looking at her, he knew she could fight back. But why wasn't she?

"Do you think I want that to happen?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she switched the channels.

"Then why don't you defend yourself?" His calm tone shifted to one that was deeper and more possessive.

"Eat your apples, baby boy. And then leave quietly. Stop getting tangled up in my business." She took a deep breath, sinking into the sofa.

With a sudden rush, Kyle grabbed her elbow and pulled her into his chest. "Do I look like a baby to you?" he demanded.

"Hey! Stop it." Ashlee yelled, jerking him away. Wait... what? Just like that? How could she push him? He wasn't a mere human; he was a werewolf—a big, bulky werewolf. The strongest of them all. How did she manage to do that?

"You're certainly not a baby. Babies don't stalk people. It was just a slip of the tongue; it didn't mean anything." She said, picking up the apple pieces scattered on the floor.

Kyle was still processing the shock of how she'd pushed him. And hearing her say she didn't mean it only confused him further. Did she want him to stay? Did she not mean it?

'What the hell? Why is she so confusing?'

He struggled to understand this mysterious mate of his. If only he could somehow get through her mind. What was blocking him?

"Are you still not leaving?" Ashlee's voice dripped with hints of annoyance. She just wanted him to leave her alone. She didn't want his help or his company, either.

"I told you—you're stuck with me for the whole day." He replied, getting up and wandering around. There was a crystal cabinet beside the TV displaying various awards.

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He went over and began reading through them; all of them were Ashlee's. She had won countless math Olympiads, creative writing contests, essays, and debates until middle school.

But there were no records from high school. Odd. How could someone suddenly stop excelling?

"Whatever. Feel free to roam around." Ashlee scoffed sarcastically, watching him explore her space without permission.

"Why did you stop studying?" he asked, holding up one of her pictures. She looked so small and cute. Her mother was in the photo, and there was another person, though his face was blurry—probably her uncle or dad.

"I do study. Do you have amnesia? We literally just went to school yesterday," she replied, doing the dishes in the kitchen.

"Then why is there nothing from high school?" He asked, waving one of her awards at her. She stopped abruptly, running to snatch it from him.

"None of your business." She narrowed her eyes, putting everything back in place.

"Where's your dad?" He asked, standing behind her, looking at the picture he'd picked up earlier.

"You!" She shrieked, attempting to snatch the picture away. But his height gave him the advantage. He raised his hand in the air, taunting her to grab it if she could.

"Give it back, you asshole!" she shouted, kicking his leg. A sharp pain shot up his leg, making him lower his arm just long enough for her to snatch the picture back.

"You're really strong for someone who doesn't eat properly," he growled, rubbing his leg with a hiss of pain.

Ashlee chuckled devilishly, sticking her tongue out at him. "I don't like to tell people about myself," she whispered loudly, putting the picture back.

"Why not?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Because I don't need pity or sympathy," she replied, heading back to the kitchen as Kyle followed.

He'd forgotten why he was even there. He was supposed to take Ashlee with him, but that no longer seemed important. He just wanted to know more about her—what she was, her past, her present, every detail.

"I never pitied you. So why won't you tell me?" He frowned, leaning against the counter as she washed the dishes.

"Who brought me food at lunch?" She raised her eyebrows at him, making a "seriously?" face.

"That was because..." Kyle knew she was right, and he couldn't come up with an excuse to deny it.

"Because what? Stop lying. I can see it in the way you look at me." She turned off the water, taking a deep breath.

"Fine. I just wanted to know more about you," he muttered, pouting and looking away.

"Why are you even interested in me?" She shook her head, putting the dishes away.

"Because you're my..." Kyle began, but she interrupted him.

"Don't you dare bring up that nonsense again. I'm not your mate. Maybe you mistook me for someone else." She shrugged, opening the fridge to get some water.

"But you are my mate. I didn't mistake you. I know you are," he replied firmly, his face set, showing he wasn't lying.

"How do you know?" she asked, taking a sip of water, her eyes fixed on him.

"Well, it's an internal voice that tells you," he said, unsure how to explain that his wolf had revealed it to him.

"Like how?" she asked, putting the bottle back in the fridge, confusion all over her face.

"Let me show you. It'll be easier." Kyle straightened up.

"Hmm?" Ashlee tilted her head in confusion.

"Give me your hands and close your eyes." Hesitantly, she held his hands and closed her eyes, unsure.

"I hope this works," he muttered, trying to link his wolf with her. His wolf was eager to take control, but he needed to hold back. He couldn't hurt her yet.

He closed his eyes, awakening his wolf. His wolf sounded happy and excited to talk to his mate. He calmly called her using the mind link, which initially didn't work.

Unexpectedly, it succeeded when he held her hands. So it was only he who couldn't make a mind link with her. She could hear his wolf easily.

'So it only works with my wolf? What the hell?'

He was utterly annoyed, feeling both irritated and jealous of his wolf.

"You hear me, Ashlee?" his wolf called to her.

"What the...?" Ashlee spoke aloud instead of responding mentally.

"No. Don't open your eyes yet," Kyle urged her to stay calm and listen. "Talk to him in your mind. He'll hear you," he added.

"Who is he?" Ashlee asked, baffled by the situation.

"Shh... You'll understand. Just focus." He whispered, moving closer to make the link clearer. There was definitely something blocking him from connecting with her directly. But if he got close enough...

"Ashlee, my mate, don't be scared. I won't hurt you," his wolf said, reassuringly.

"Who are you?" she asked, curious.

"I am your other half—the one you're destined to. Stop pushing me away and accept your fate. I don't want to see you getting hurt anymore." He tried to console her, but why would she listen to him? His voice was certainly different from Kyle's. Maybe Kyle was right—it was a third person and not him.