5. Levi

As the intensityof the rain began to wane, I cast a glance over at Luca, still sound asleep in the shelter of the cave.

I couldn"t help but smile as I watched him, his peaceful face a sharp contrast to the storm raging outside.

There were moments when I almost wanted to join him in sleep, to let exhaustion take over and drift off into slumber.

But duty kept me awake, a nagging reminder that even here in our pack"s territory, danger lingered in the shadows.

I decided not to let Luca walk the rest of the way back to the pack house. Instead, I backtracked to where I had left my clothes when I shifted into my fox form.

It was surprisingly just a short distance away. Turning back to human form, I retrieved my drenched belongings.

I couldn"t help but curse under my breath at the sight of my wallet and phone, both soaked through and rendered useless by the rain.

My phone had died, unsurprisingly, leaving me cut off from the outside world and unable to contact Owen or Luca"s kin.

They were probably worried sick or waiting anxiously for any news of our whereabouts.

After hastily dressing in my damp clothes, I returned to the cave, where Luca still lay sleeping, oblivious to the world around him.

The sound of his loud snoring filled the air and I chuckled softly to myself, shaking my head in amusement at the sight.

Despite the circumstances, there was something endearing about Luca"s ability to sleep so deeply, his trust in me evident in his relaxed state.

When the rain finally stopped, I lifted Luca into my arms. He felt surprisingly light against my chest as I held him close.

His steady breathing was a comforting sound in the silence of the cave. In that moment, a thought crossed my mind that maybe, once we were married, I could cook for him.

The image of Luca"s face lighting up with delight at a home-cooked meal brought a smile to my lips, warming me from the inside out.

With Luca snug in my arms, I stepped out of the cave and into the fading light of the forest.

He nestled against me as we headed towards the pack house, his weight a comforting presence.

On our way, we encountered two of my pack mates in their fox forms, likely patrolling the area. They stopped in surprise, their eyes widening at the sight of me carrying a sleeping mage.

I knew it must have seemed like an odd sight, a shifter carrying a human mage through the woods.

But in that moment, I didn"t care what anyone thought. All that mattered was getting Luca safely back.

With a nod of acknowledgment to my pack mates, I bid them goodbye and continued towards the pack house.

Owen awaited me outside his gaze assessing as he took in the sight of Luca still cradled in my arms, sleeping soundly like a newborn babe.

"How is he?" Owen asked, his tone concerned.

He studied us both closely and I let him come to his own conclusions.

"He"s fine, save for his knee, but it"s a minor injury. Nothing broken," I reported.

Owen nodded, a flicker of relief crossing his features.

"His family would be glad to hear that. Do you want to drive him back to his place or—" he began, but I cut him off before he could finish.

"I"ll do it, but I want to let him sleep first," I interjected firmly.

Owen opened his mouth, clearly not entirely in agreement with my decision, but I held out a hand to avoid any further protests.

"Owen, he"s been through a lot, and he"s probably exhausted. Let him rest. We"ll be in my cabin," I insisted.

To my surprise, Owen gave me a thoughtful look, his expression softening with understanding.

"Alright," he conceded with a nod. "I"ll inform his mother that he"s fine and is resting before we return him."

I nodded. With Luca still cradled in my arms, I made my way towards my cabin, which was only a five-minute walk from the pack house.

As I brought Luca into my cabin, a pang of sympathy hit me seeing how cold and drenched he was from the relentless rain.

I gently lowered him onto the sofa, wrapping blankets snugly around him to ward off the chill.

Once Luca was settled, I wasted no time in lighting a fire in the fireplace, the crackling flames casting a warm glow throughout the room.

But seeing Luca shiver beneath the blankets, I knew just warming up the cabin wouldn"t be enough to shake off the bone-deep cold that had settled into him.

I made my way to the bathroom, filling the tub with hot water until steam billowed into the air.

Returning to Luca"s side, I lifted him into my arms once more, mindful of his injured leg, and carried him to the bathroom.

As I helped Luca out of his wet clothes, my heart twisted with sympathy at the sight of his pale, shivering form.

With gentle hands, I guided him into the soothing warmth of the bath, watching as his tense muscles relaxed beneath the heat of the water.

After bathing him, I carefully dried Luca"s skin, being mindful of his injury. Then, I dressed him in fresh clothes, the soft fabric hopefully offering him some comfort.

Turning my attention to his injured knee, I cleaned the wound with antiseptic, wincing in sympathy at the sight of the raw, red flesh.

I carefully bandaged the injury, ensuring it was secure and protected from further harm.

Finally, I settled Luca into my bed, the soft mattress cradling his weary body. Despite my movements, he hadn"t stirred throughout the entire ordeal.

He must really be exhausted. As I watched over him, a sense of protectiveness welled up within me, mixing with the tenderness I felt for this man who had unwittingly stolen my heart.

With a soft sigh, I brushed a strand of hair from Luca"s forehead, marveling at how adorable he looked in his vulnerable state.

I nestled in beside Luca, prepared to keep watch over him until he awoke. But soon, I too drifted off to sleep beside him.

"Oh hell, not again!" Luca"s sudden outburst jolted me awake from my slumber.

I blinked away the remnants of sleep, rubbing my eyes as I turned to face him. He was still cuddled next to me in bed, his expression panicked.

"What happened?" I asked, concerned.

"This, it happened again," Luca exclaimed, his finger jabbing between us before gesturing to himself.

My brow furrowed in confusion until realization dawned.

"You think we slept together?" I couldn"t help but chuckle, the amusement bubbling up despite the seriousness of the situation.

"But I"m in your bed and wearing your clothes," Luca protested, his voice tinged with disbelief.

I reached out, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"What do you remember?" I asked gently, hoping to help him piece together the previous events.

Luca furrowed his brows, his expression clouded with uncertainty.

"I remember getting lost, hurting my knee, and..." He trailed off, his eyes widening as he flung off the blanket to reveal his now bandaged knee.

His gaze shifted to me, comprehension dawning in his eyes.

"You came for me," he whispered. "There was a cave too... We took shelter in it. Was that all part of my imagination?"

"No, it"s real," I reassured him. "Once the storm settled, I carried you back here. Warmed you up."

"You carried me... all the way back here. Where are we?" Luca"s disbelief was palpable, his eyes wide with astonishment.

"It"s my cabin," I reassured him, hoping to alleviate any concerns he might have. "Your family knows you"re safe. I thought you needed some rest, so I brought you here. It"s close to the pack house."

"You took care of me," Luca murmured.

I reached out, my fingers brushing against his cheek as I tucked a stray strand of hair that had fallen across his face.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" I asked, amused.

"You didn"t have to, I mean we just met and... I was so angry at you, for hiding who you were the night we met," he confessed, his words tinged with vulnerability.

"I"m truly sorry about that," I expressed sincerely, looking directly at him. "I never meant to deceive or cause you any pain."

"Although I won"t apologize for the amazing time we had in bed," I added with a playful wink, watching as Luca blushed, the color spreading from his cheeks down to his neck.

"You saved me... so we"re even," Luca said.

"Luca, listen," I began, my tone becoming serious. "I know things started out rough between us, but I want to make it up to you. Will you give me a chance?"

"I mean... I still have another prospective partner to meet," Luca blurted out.

Somehow, that revelation filled me with a surge of unexpected emotion—jealousy.

It was a sensation I wasn"t accustomed to. I usually maintained control over myself, my fox, and my emotions.

But knowing that Luca had another potential match, that we weren"t a done deal, made me feel uneasy and possessive in a way I couldn"t quite explain.

"But," Luca continued, his voice softer now, uncertainty evident in his tone. "Yeah, I can give you, give us, a chance."

A wave of relief washed over me.

"That"s all I wanted to hear," I said, unable to keep the smile from spreading across my face.

Feeling reckless, emboldened by Luca"s admission, I leaned in closer, closing the distance between us until our lips met in a sweet, tentative kiss.

It was a gentle meeting of lips, soft and hesitant yet filled with promise—a promise of the possibilities that lay ahead for us.

As the kissed continued, the world around us seemed to fade away, leaving only the warmth of Luca"s touch and the softness of his lips against mine.

In that moment, I felt a sense of connection, a bond that transcended words. He's the one, my fox whispered and I completely agreed with him.

When we finally pulled away, we were both breathless and flushed.

"I should probably, um, call my mom. She"d like to hear my voice," Luca said.

"I charged your phone while you were asleep. We have the same model," I replied.

I slipped out of bed, giving him some space.

"Okay," he nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

Leaving the room without being asked, I knew Luca would appreciate the privacy to make his call.

As I made my way to the small laundry area next to the kitchen, I began pulling out Luca"s now clean and dry clothes from the dryer.

"I figured you wanted to return home in your own clothes," I explained as Luca found me, accepting his clothes with a nod of appreciation.

"You"re unexpectedly thoughtful," he remarked, a hint of surprise in his tone as he took his clothes from me.

"When we first met..." Luca trailed off.

"You thought I was just a hot but empty-headed stud?" I finished, earning a laugh from Luca before he nudged my shoulder playfully.

I found myself enjoying our playful banter. Once Luca had dressed, I led him to the kitchen and quickly made him a sandwich, pouring a glass of water to accompany it.

"Eat before you go," I suggested, noting the protest forming on his lips. "You"re all skin and bones."

"I"ve been under a lot of stress lately, with my grandfather"s declining health and all..." Luca admitted, sinking onto a stool at the counter.

Without hesitation, I grabbed a beer from the fridge, opened it and took a sip.

"Can I have one?" he asked tentatively.

"Sure," I replied, handing him a beer as we settled into a comfortable silence.

"Luca," I said, stopping him before we left my cabin. "I want to let you know that I don"t care about whoever else you plan to meet. I"m not going to give up without a fight because you"re worth fighting for."

Luca"s blush spread across his cheeks, and I couldn"t help but feel a surge of satisfaction at the sight.