Chapter 37

Chapter 37
## Caius's POV

I watched, transfixed, as she moved the brush across the canvas with confident strokes. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and I found myself captivated by the small habits that emerged when she was absorbed in her work.

She bit her lower lip when focusing on particularly detailed areas, then would release it and lick her upper lip when satisfied with the result. These unconscious gestures stirred something primal within me.

The portrait taking shape before me surpassed the previous one. Something about tonight's work seemed more vibrant, more alive.

"What do you think? Will your mother like it?" Elara asked, turning the canvas toward me.

I studied the portrait carefully. She had captured not just my features but something deeper.

"It's perfect," I admitted after a long pause. "Seraphina will love it."

Elara relaxed visibly, relief softening her features. Her eyes caught the moonlight, appearing to glow from within.

"Can I ask you something now?" she said, looking down at me with unexpected boldness. "You clearly don't want me as your destined mate... so why haven't you formally rejected me yet?"

The question hung between us, heavy with implication. I stared at her, momentarily unable to formulate a response that made sense even to myself. Why hadn't I rejected her? Every logical part of me knew it was the right thing to do—the safe thing for her. Yet each time the opportunity arose, something held me back.

Because you don't want to reject her, Max supplied unhelpfully. You never have.

Elara's expression shifted from confidence to embarrassment, her cheeks flushing as she mistook my silence for confirmation of her fears. She began to turn away, but I couldn't let her leave thinking I didn't want her.

Before I could second-guess myself, I circled my arm around her waist and pulled her onto my lap. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't resist. I leaned in, my face inches from hers.

"That kiss in the moonlight wasn't enough," I admitted, my voice rough with desire. "It was never going to be enough."

And then I kissed her.

Elara froze for a heartbeat before melting against me, her initial shock quickly giving way to eager response. Her lips were soft and warm beneath mine, parting slightly as I deepened the kiss. A soft sound escaped her throat—somewhere between a sigh and a moan—that sent a jolt of electricity down my spine.

Her arms wound around my neck, fingers tangling in my hair as she pulled me closer. The feeling of her body against mine, the scent of her skin was intoxicating. My restraint crumbled as my hand slipped beneath her shirt to touch the bare skin of her lower back.

Elara shivered at my touch, goosebumps rising across her skin. I traced my fingers up her spine, relishing the way she arched against me in response. Through our growing bond, I could sense Aeliana and Max connecting, their primal energies intertwining just as our bodies sought to do.

The satisfaction of feeling her respond to my touch, of knowing the effect I had on her, fed the Alpha within me. My desire grew more urgent with each passing second, my control slipping as moonlight bathed us both. Elara's tentative touches grew bolder as she gained confidence, her hands exploring my shoulders and chest with increasing curiosity.

I pulled back slightly to look at her—lips swollen from our kisses, cheeks flushed, and eyes glowing with the unmistakable power of her Volana wolf. Tiny electrical currents danced at her fingertips where they touched my skin, a physical manifestation of her heightened emotions.

"Elara," I breathed her name like a prayer, drawing her back to me for another kiss.

Just as Elara's hands began their own exploration beneath my shirt, a distinctive sound cut through our haze of desire—the doorknob turning.

We both froze. Elara's eyes widened with panic as she hastily scrambled off my lap, frantically straightening her clothes and smoothing her hair. I remained seated, maintaining my composure. Outwardly calm, I adjusted my position to appear casual and professional, though my racing heart betrayed the truth.

The door swung open to reveal Mr. Bardrick, the history professor, clutching a stack of papers. His eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of us.

"Elara?" he questioned, then noticed me sitting in the chair. "Professor Caius?"

"Good evening, Mr. Bardrick," Elara said, her voice slightly tremulous. "We were just finishing up."

Mr. Bardrick glanced between us, his expression unreadable. "What are you doing here? It's evening now—shouldn't you be in the dining hall with the other students?"

"I was just heading there," Elara replied quickly. "Professor Caius was just helping me with a project."

Mr. Bardrick's gaze settled on the portrait. "You painted your professor for an art assignment?"

I watched with amusement as Elara's mind worked rapidly to construct a plausible explanation.

"The assignment was to depict a noble example outside of family," she explained smoothly. "Professor Caius seemed like the most logical choice. He's the youngest member of the Alpha Council and the best combat and shifting instructor at the academy. It would have been foolish not to choose him."

Mr. Bardrick's expression remained skeptical. "I see."

He turned his attention to me briefly before addressing Elara again. "You should head to the dining hall before dinner ends. Alpha Alaric's daughter needs to keep up her strength."

"I'm going right now," Elara nodded, hastily gathering her supplies. "See you tomorrow morning, Professor Caius."

She hurried out of the room without meeting my eyes again, leaving me alone with Mr. Bardrick. The history professor lingered a moment longer, his gaze assessing me carefully before he nodded and departed without further comment.

## Elara's POV

The next morning, I arrived at the combat training arena early, hoping to center myself before facing Caius again. After last night's encounter in the art room, I had no idea how to act around him. Would he pretend nothing happened? Would he finally reject our mate bond? The uncertainty had kept me awake most of the night, much to Anna's frustration.

He wanted us, she had insisted repeatedly. You felt it through our bond.

To my surprise, the arena wasn't empty as I'd expected. Eleanor was already there, setting up training equipment with efficient movements. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, accentuating her elegant features. She wore form-fitting combat gear that highlighted her athletic figure.

I had almost forgotten about Eleanor's existence.

Students began filing into the arena, chatting excitedly about the day's lesson. I positioned myself near the middle of the group, trying to remain inconspicuous while scanning the entrance for Caius.

He arrived moments later, and the sight of him nearly knocked the breath from my lungs. Shirtless, wearing only loose combat training pants, his muscled torso glistened with sweat as though he'd just completed a morning run. The Alpha aura that surrounded him was almost tangible, drawing every eye in the room.

Caius took a long drink from his water bottle as he strode through the gathered students. When he passed near me, his eyes met mine briefly, a flicker of last night's intensity passing between us before his expression returned to its usual professional mask. Without acknowledging me further, he took his place beside Eleanor.

"Attention, everyone," Caius called, his authoritative voice instantly silencing the murmurs around the room. "As you can see, Professor Eleanor will be joining us today. Her contract still has several days remaining, and until it expires, we will be co-teaching this course."

He surveyed the students with his intense blue gaze. "You are expected to follow instructions from both of us. Today, we'll be practicing techniques for defending against multiple attackers."

Eleanor stepped forward, her movements graceful and precise. "We'll divide you into two groups. Those working with me will focus on evasion tactics, while Professor Caius's group will concentrate on offensive counters."

As they began separating students, I held my breath, certain I would be assigned to Caius's group. To my dismay, Eleanor pointed directly at me.

"Elara, you'll be working with my group today."

I glanced at Caius, but his expression revealed nothing as he called names for his own training section. Had he deliberately placed me with Eleanor? Was this his way of creating distance between us after last night?

Or perhaps he's trying to protect us from rumors, Anna suggested, though her displeasure at being separated from Max was evident in her tone.

Either way, as I moved to join Eleanor's group, I couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that today's training session was going to be about much more than combat techniques.