Chapter 87: Cute Caius

The next morning, Hazel woke up lazily, feeling so dizzy that she wanted to close her eyes and sleep for another few hours. However, when she tried to move, she realized that someone was holding her tightly against his chest, with a strong arm wrapped around her waist as if he had no intention of letting her go anywhere. Her eyes slowly opened, and the moment she saw the familiar silver eyes staring down at her, she froze.

Caius.

Hazel blinked several times, wondering whether she was still dreaming because there was no way she could wake up in his arms and find him watching her like this. Yet, no matter how many times she blinked, the man holding her remained the same, and the fact that he was still naked beneath the sheet made her face turn bright red.

Oh, my goddess!

She quickly looked down and realized that her breasts were exposed to his view, causing her to release a small, embarrassed sigh before reaching for the sheet to cover herself. Unfortunately, before she could pull it up properly, Caius lowered his head and buried his nose in the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath as he enjoyed her scent.

Hazel stopped moving.

She had expected him to send her away after what happened last night, and she certainly hadn’t imagined waking up beside him the next morning, especially with his arms wrapped around her so tightly. She didn’t know whether to feel happy or embarrassed, so she simply remained still while her heart beat wildly inside her chest.

Her eyes slowly moved toward the mirror beside the bed, and she almost forgot how to breathe when she saw their reflection. Caius’s long white hair was spread across the sheets, with some strands covering her chest as he held her close, while her own hair looked messy from sleeping. The sight was so beautiful that Hazel couldn’t help staring at it for a while, wondering how she had ended up in such a situation.

She had once dreamed of being close to this man, but she had never imagined that she would be lying on his bed with his arms wrapped around her body, his face resting against her neck, and his beautiful white hair spread all over her like a blanket.

Most importantly, she was actually playing with his hair!

Hazel carefully lifted one hand and began running her fingers through the soft strands, gently moving them away from her chest. She had never thought she would have the chance to do something like this, and now that she did, she found herself enjoying it far more than she wanted to admit.

A small smile appeared on her face as she looked down at him. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

She wasn’t sure whether he had recovered completely, and even though she was embarrassed by their position, she was more concerned about his health. She didn’t want him to return to the state he had been in the previous night, when even standing in front of her seemed to require all his strength.

Caius nodded against her neck.

Hazel stared at him for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh. Who would have thought that the terrifying Werewolf King could have such a cute side? If anyone had told her that Caius would willingly lie in bed holding his mate, she would probably have laughed at them, because the man she knew was cold, proud, and frightening enough to make powerful wolves lower their heads.

Yet here he was, holding her as though she were something he didn’t want to lose.

Before Hazel could tease him about it, a voice suddenly sounded inside her head.

[Does it still hurt?]

She nearly jumped out of the bed.

Her eyes widened as she looked around the room, trying to find out who had spoken.

Hazel had heard about mind-linking many times before. Male wolves could communicate with other male wolves through their minds, but they couldn’t usually do the same with female wolves unless they had marked and mated with them. She had often heard her mother, sister, Janet, and Akeelah speaking through their mind-links, but she had never been able to answer anyone that way.

Now, however, Caius had spoken directly into her mind, and she had no idea how to reply.

She looked at him helplessly, hoping he would somehow understand her problem without her having to explain it. Unfortunately, Caius only raised his head and stared at her, making her immediately look away when his fox-shaped eyes caught hers.

Why did he have to possess such eyes?

His gaze was already dangerous enough without the dark lines around them that made their shape even sharper. Hazel had noticed them before, but seeing them this closely while he was holding her made her wolf react in a way that left her struggling to think properly.

She swallowed and tried to focus on the question he had asked her instead of staring at his face like a fool.

Caius seemed to understand her confusion. [You only need to think about what you want to say. Speak to me inside your mind, just as I did with you.]

Hazel nodded slowly, then closed her eyes as she tried to follow his instructions. She had no idea whether she was doing it correctly, and the thought of accidentally sending him something embarrassing made her even more nervous.

[ Can you hear me?] she finally asked inside her head.

Caius’s eyes softened slightly. [Yes.]

Hazel’s mouth fell open in surprise before she broke into a smile. It had worked! She could actually communicate with him through their minds, and somehow, that small discovery made her feel closer to him than before.

She wanted to try it again, but a sudden yawn escaped her lips, reminding her how exhausted she was. Her body felt heavy, and her legs were so weak that she was certain she wouldn’t be able to stand properly if she tried to get out of bed.

She glanced at Caius and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She knew he stopped last night because you felt sorry for her.

Hazel immediately became embarrassed by her own question, but she forced herself to continue. "I want to sleep some more," she mumbled aloud, hiding her face against his chest.

They were both still naked beneath the sheet, and the realization made her cheeks burn all over again. She could barely look at him without remembering what had happened between them, so she decided that sleeping was the safest thing she could do until she found the courage to face him properly.

Caius chuckled softly, the sound so rare that Hazel lifted her head in surprise. He nodded and pulled the sheet higher, covering her body before glancing at the mark on her neck. Hazel noticed his movement and quickly pulled the sheet over her face, leaving only the top of her head visible.

She couldn’t believe this was happening.

For so long, she had thought Caius was too ancient to understand anything about women, romance, or the simple act of making someone feel loved. She had even wondered whether he understood what it meant to be someone’s mate beyond the rules of the moon goddess.

But after last night, and now this morning, she was beginning to suspect that she had completely misunderstood him.

This man is perfectly normal!