56

April’s POV
The soft warmth of the morning sun kissed my skin as I slowly woke up. The scent of the sheets, mixed with the faint trace of Cassius’s cologne, filled my senses. I was wrapped up in the blankets, tucked against his side, his arm still draped over me like a shield. His presence was both comforting and unsettling at the same time. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep in his arms, but somehow, here we were. The quiet hum of his breathing, steady and deep, gave me a sense of peace I hadn’t realized I craved.
For a moment, I stayed still, allowing myself to linger in the quiet of the room. I didn’t want to move or break the fragile cocoon we had woven in the middle of this chaotic world. My body was still pressed against his, every inch of me warm where our skin touched. There was a quiet, electric pulse between us, like a magnet pulling at my core, something raw and undeniable. But what was it?
I had always been so independent. The last thing I needed was to depend on anyone, least of all him-an Alpha, a leader of a pack, someone who was as much of a mystery as he was dangerous. But here I was, waking up beside him, feeling something I couldn’t name, something I was afraid to examine too closely.
“Snow,” I whispered softly, almost afraid the words would leave my mouth but knowing I needed guidance.
Her presence filled my mind almost instantly, that familiar, calm voice. “What is it, April?”
“I don’t know,” I confessed. “I can’t stop thinking about him. About… this.” I gestured subtly to the space between us, though I knew my wolf would understand.
“His scent is different, isn’t it?” Snow murmured. “There’s something about him… it calls to us. Don’t fight it, April.”
My breath hitched at her words. I had expected her to caution me, to remind me of the dangers of trusting someone-especially someone like Cassius. But her response only deepened my confusion. I had no answers, just an overwhelming pull that seemed to grow stronger with each passing moment.
I closed my eyes, trying to push aside the turmoil in my mind. But it was hard when his fingers brushed against my skin, sending sparks of electricity through my body. I didn’t want to acknowledge it, but I couldn’t deny it either.
I turned my head slightly, careful not to wake him, and watched as he slept. His jaw was relaxed, his brow unfurrowed for once. He looked… human. Vulnerable, even. His lips were slightly parted as he breathed deeply, and a strand of dark hair fell across his forehead. The Alpha, the leader of a pack, the powerful figure I had come to know-it all seemed so far away at this moment, in this space between us.
I ran my hand over the bedspread, tracing the patterns absentmindedly. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling anymore. The connection between Cassius and me was undeniable, but that didn’t mean I was ready to open up to him, to give him that kind of power over me. It was terrifying to let someone that close, to let them see the parts of me I had locked away for so long.
I could feel him stir beside me, his chest rising and falling with a deep inhale. Then, his fingers twitched against my arm, and I felt the heat of his skin even through the fabric of my shirt. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to send a shiver down my spine.
I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to break this moment. I didn’t want to wake him, but part of me needed to know if this was real or if I was just caught up in something I didn’t understand.
I don’t know how, but I fell asleep again. When I woke up for the second time, I opened my eyes to find the hot Alphas’ eyes on me, and I found myself smiling.
How long had he been watching me? I wondered, but I could not say I hated it. After all, I was doing the same just a few hours ago, and the fact that he was doing it, too, made my heart warm.
Cassius’s voice broke through the quiet, low and thick with sleep. “Morning,” he murmured, yawning, but his grip on me tightened ever so slightly.
I swallowed hard, struggling to gather my thoughts. “Morning,” I replied, my voice softer than I intended.
His eyes opened slowly, locking with mine. We just looked at each other for a moment-no words, no expectations, just a heavy silence that seemed to speak volumes.
“Sleep well?” he asked, his voice still rough, but there was something in it-an undercurrent of something I couldn’t name.
“Yeah,” I answered, feeling the warmth of his body against mine. It was almost too much. “You?”
“Better than I have in a long time,” he replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He shifted slightly, rolling onto his back, but his hand remained on my waist, the pressure gentle but steady.
I could feel his warmth even from across the small space between us. The weight of his presence was undeniable. “Why have I not been able to keep you off my mind?” I asked softly, almost as a whisper to myself, though I knew he would hear me.
Cassius turned his head to face me, his gaze intense. “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I’m not sure why, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you either.”
I swallowed. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. This wasn’t how I was supposed to feel. But here we were, tangled in something I couldn’t even begin to understand. A bond that felt too strong to ignore.
“I should get going soon,” he said, his voice taking on a more serious tone as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He glanced at me as if waiting for something-waiting for me to say anything.
I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. The moment between us felt fragile, like a thin thread that could snap if I wasn’t careful.
I nodded, though I didn’t want him to leave. “Yeah, I guess.”
He stood, stretching his muscles, his broad back rippling beneath his shirt. I couldn’t help but watch, my eyes following the movement of his body, the way his muscles shifted under his skin. He caught me looking, a teasing smirk crossing his face. “What?”
“Nothing,” I murmured, though my pulse quickened.
Cassius chuckled softly, the sound deep and full. “You know, you don’t have to pretend with me, April. If you’re not ready for whatever this is, I get it. But I’m not going anywhere. And you don’t have to be alone unless you choose to be.”
My heart skipped a beat at his words. I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment, for whatever it meant to let someone into my life this way. But I couldn’t deny that part of me wanted to believe him. Wanted to believe that he meant what he said.
“I’m not sure what this is, Cassius,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I can’t keep pretending like I don’t feel it.”
He turned back toward me, his eyes softening. “Neither can I,” he said quietly.
But then, as if the moment had passed, he stood fully and grabbed his jacket. “I’ll be back later,” he said with a half-smile, though his eyes held something more profound-a promise, an unspoken understanding. “Stay safe, okay?”
I nodded, though a part of me didn’t want to let him go. But I also knew I couldn’t keep running from this, whatever this was. And maybe, just maybe, I’d let him in. When I was ready.
Maybe I already was.