A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter Fifty–Eight 

‘So handsome,‘ I thought to myself as I watched Cai sleeping next to me. 

I wasn‘t sure how long I‘d slept for but I‘d woken up to find him by my side. He looked so peaceful; his hair had tousled into a mess as his chest softly rose and fell. I could have watched him for hours. 

I lost track of time as I recounted the events that had transpired the evening prior but soon Cai stirred next to me. In his slumber, a strand of hair fell across his face and I couldn‘t help but reach out and gently brush it away back into place. It was so silky to touch. 

As my eyes drifted back to his face though I froze, realising he was now awake and watching me. 

“Morning,” he mumbled sleepily, reaching out to pull me close to him. 

Thad fallen asleep in one of his t–shirts but could still feel his warmth through the fabric. If not for the confusion of his words, I would have melted myself into his touch willingly. But the nagging in my mind prevented me, forcing me to pick up on the oddity. How could it still be morning when I knew I‘d slept for a t least a few hours? 

“...Morning?” I asked slowly. “How long have I been asleep?” 

“Just over a day. You were dead to the world, completely comatose.” 

I tensed up immediately realising that, if that were true, then I‘d disappeared without notice for over an entire day. Were my parents freaked out? I knew I was exhausted from using that newfound authority but I hadn‘t realised I‘d be out cold for so long. The tax it took on my body must have been far more severe than I thought. 

I sat up and knew I needed to leave as soon as possible. If they already had people out looking for me then this was the last place they should find me. 

“Why didn‘t you wake me?!” 

I tried to squirm off the bed but he held me back, his arm around my waist. 

“Relax! I already handled it all. I told your attendant you were safe but had a rough night and were staying with a friend.” 

I turned back to look at him. “...No one can know I‘m here, Cai.” 

With a sleepy sigh and completely unphased by my stress, he shifted into a sitting position to tighten his grip on me. “I already figured you‘d say that so I told her to be discreet with the information.” 

It took a few seconds to fully process his words but finally, I exhaled in relief knowing that Lucy would make up an adequate excuse to appease my parents. At least there was no search party out looking for m 

“Come on,” he said, guiding me to lie back down again. 

He pulled me up against his chest once more so we were face–to–face and softly kissed my forehead between my knitted brows. I could already guess what he was thinking. 

“You worry too much,” he grumbled, confirming my suspicion. 

“You need to take this seriously, Cai,” I said quietly. ‘Do you realise what would happen if word got out?” 

“I‘m aware,” he replied, much to my surprise. 

“...If you know then why did you pursue me in the first place? ...Why come back to the Winter Mist?” 

wanity Light 

His eyes were serious, a sharpness to them I rarely saw. He was like a different person when he was this focused, so contrasted to his normally playful manner. 

“Because it‘s avoidable,” he said. “The issues are surrounding our positions and Aleric, right? There are ways around it.” 

this so well then he was

worth starting

he remained deep in

issues is because of my future status, then maybe I‘ll just... let it go. Personally, I think I‘ve

still stared at him in disbelief. He really

can‘t just abandon your pack

as my Luna anyway? You‘d probably be terrible at it. Only those with *seven years o f Luna experience need apply for the future entry–level job offered at the Silver Lake pack. Unfortunately, you‘re one year short of the minimum application

his amusement. He quickly restrained me within his arms though, laughing

finally continuing, “it doesn‘t bother me. If it

the worst decision I‘ve ever made and I‘ve done a lot of dumb shit

“Possibly,

where we can ever be public–.”

just enjoy the moment for a second. We have plenty of time to argue about whether we go public or not. And besides, it‘s not really much of an argument when I could just....” He started kissing his way up from my chest,

would go, and a shiver of pleasure spread throughout my whole body. I could picture it so clearly and knew how amazing it would feel to wear that mark. It would bring us together in ways no

completed their bond, a requirement for showing full commitment and becoming one. But a mark had its own complicated downsides; one of which was that if we were to go through a mate rejection post–marking, the process would potentially kill us.

aside from rejection, a mark meant that there could be no other mate until one of the bonded died. It was unquestionable, final. And whilst the normal death of a mate was painful,

his pack; something that Tytus would want to prevent at all costs... And yet a part of me wanted him to do it. To quell any doubts

whether being with Cai was okay because by that point it would be too late.

me along that area of m y neck. “... Stop

he replied.

knew he wouldn‘t actually do it, not here and definitely not today, but the excitement it caused was involuntary. That feeling of knowing

felt his hand creep up under the fabric of his shirt I wore, working its way along my waist and upwards towards my chest. These feelings he gave me, this... intense… desire to be close to him, as if he were a force of nature pulling me in via gravity... It was intoxicating. The more he was near me, the more he touched me, the more I felt my addiction

he proceeded to take me just as he had the morning prior, forcing my body to feel unimaginable highs, I knew

once more, wrapped in each other‘s arms, I couldn‘t help but want

“doing anything at all right now in a perfect world, where would you be? What would

thing as a perfect

thought about it...,” I

always wished you could do but couldn‘t? You‘ve lived two lives but it feels like you‘ve barely lived for yourself from what

What would I want to be

few

pack and all associated responsibilities. I would be living a quiet life where no one knew me or was looking for me... and where I wouldn‘t need

took it all in.

it clearly now, a small smile forming on my lips as I envisioned it. “In the woods. A small house just big enough for me that no one would find. I‘d be

for you? No partner?” he asked, hinting at the

be too busy in this alternate reality, living up a more exciting life. Why

the idea if it meant I got you to myself. In this world maybe no one will come looking for me too. I don‘t exactly

then. I‘ll definitely need the extra space if it means putting up with you twenty–four

having kids then the extra

assaulting me over something I‘d become uncertain about.

unable to meet his eyes. “I need to tell you... I‘m not

to interrupt me. “It‘s okay, you don‘t need to explain. I already had a feeling based on the things you told me about Thea. There are other options though if we

been thinking for a while now regarding a certain dead rogue doctor in a cave. However, if it turned out to be irrelevant then I didn‘t want to give him false hope prematurely... and besides, it was way too soon to be thinking of anything like that. We shouldn‘t even be together right now, let alone thinking of possibly having a family

I finally asked after a few moments of silence. “If you could be doing anything right

he repeated as he thought. “...You. I‘d be doing