Page 43 of Hexmate

“What do you mean?”

“You are just a sapling now,” I explained. “And if you force yourself to grow too fast, to reach the light, you’ll be too weak and spindly to survive the smallest of storms. But perhaps if you accept the smallness of your power in the moment and bide your time waiting for a patch of sunlight to find you, then you can be ready to grow your power when opportunity knocks.”

Caden’s eyes widened at my words, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “That’s... surprisingly insightful, Atlas. I never thought about it that way before.”

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant even as my heart swelled with pride at his praise. “I may be a jock, but I’ve got a few brain cells rattling around up here too.”

Caden laughed, the sound light and musical in the illusory forest. “I never doubted that. You’ve shown me more than enough to prove you’re not just some meathead wrestler.”

We stood there for a moment, surrounded by the ethereal beauty of the magical forest, just gazing at each other. The air between us felt charged, electric. My wolf stirred restlessly within me, urging me to close the distance. But I held back, not wanting to rush him.

“So,” Caden said softly, breaking the silence. “What else can you show me in here?”

I grinned, grateful for the distraction. “Well, how about we start with the books? I bet there’s a lot in here that could help with your magic or understanding werewolves. There might even be some history in here you don’t know about.” I paused, biting my lower lip. “Or… if you wanna do something crazy… you could maybe kiss me again?”

Caden’s breath hitched, his blue eyes widening at my suggestion. For a moment, I worried I’d pushed too far, too fast. But then a shy smile spread across his freckled face.

“That doesn’t sound crazy at all,” he murmured, taking a step closer to me.

My heart raced as Caden closed the distance between us. He reached up, his slender fingers brushing against my cheek before sliding into my hair. I let out a soft growl of approval, my hands finding their way to his waist.

“Are you sure?” I asked, giving him one last chance to back out.

Instead of answering, Caden leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was soft and tentative at first, but as I pulled himcloser, it deepened. I could taste the vanilla from his iced coffee on his tongue, and it made me hunger for more.

My wolf howled with joy inside me, urging me to claim my mate fully. But I held back, letting Caden set the pace. His fingers tightened in my hair as he pressed himself against me, a small moan escaping his throat.

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathless. Heat flooded between our bodies. Not only could I smell his arousal, but I could feel that beautiful cock of his pressed flush against my thigh, pulsing rhythmically.

“Will… will you let me sit in your lap while I read?” Caden asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I flopped down on the cushions, pulling him down into my lap. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight against my chest as he pulled the book onto his knees. And together we began to read about my people and their traditions. Sharing the world I grew up in with my mate made me feel closer to him than ever. And for now, that was enough.

Chapter 17

Caden

The bell rang, knocking me out of my daydream. I’d completely spaced out during another one of Professor Blackwood’s lectures. That had been happening a lot lately now that Atlas was in my life. Over the past week I’d barely noticed any of my classes. That wasn’t going to help me get any stronger as a witch, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to spend every free moment I had with Atlas. And anytime we weren’t together, I was fantasizing about being with him.

Gathering my books into my bag, I headed for the door with the rest of the class. However, I only made it a few feet before a voice rang out, calling me back.

“A word Mr. Cromwell,” the professor said.

I stopped, letting out a long sigh. Steeling myself for her inevitable chastising, I headed for her desk. “Yes professor?”

She gave me a long hard look. “It’s about your paper.”

My heart rate sped up. Had she figured out that I’d cheated? That Wild had written it for me? How much trouble was I going to be in now?

“I found your explanation to be quite interesting and a little unorthodox. Latin is indeed based on a Fae language, so casting in Fae, as you suggested, would indeed increase the power ofyour ritual.” She furrowed her brows. “That knowledge is not part of the curriculum. Where did you learn it?”

I had to think up a lie and fast.

My mind raced, searching for a plausible explanation. I couldn’t tell her the truth—that Wild had written my paper for me and, being a Fae, he would know a lot more about all that than I did.

“I, uh... I came across it in an old book in the library,” I stammered, avoiding her piercing gaze. “It was tucked away in the restricted section. I was doing some extra research and...”

Professor Blackwood’s eyes narrowed, clearly not entirely convinced. “The restricted section? And how did you gain access to that, Mr. Cromwell?”

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