Zilia stepped out of the washroom, towel in hand, and found Casaio seated on the edge of the bed, scrolling through his phone. The mont he saw her, he lowered his phone and placed it on the bedside table before sliding his feet into his slippers.
"Let’s have dinner first," Casaio suggested, standing up.
"I thought you said you weren’t hungry," she murmured, raising a brow.
"I wasn’t. But now I am," he replied, already heading toward the door.
’She won’t eat unless I do. She’s more exhausted than I am,’ he thought, instinctively sensing her presence behind him.
Without turning, he tilted his head slightly, subtly motioning for her to walk alongside him.
Zilia took long strides to catch up. Within monts, their steps fell into sync.
"How’s Estelle doing? I was thinking of visiting her tomorrow," Zilia said, breaking the silence.
Casaio gave a small tilt of his head, then looked ahead. "She’s fully recovered. Yeah, you should go see her. She’d be glad."
Encouraged by his response, Zilia added, "And... about my work. I want to resu it. If you’re okay with that."
"Of course," he answered without hesitation. "You should."
A soft smile curved on her lips. "Thank you. It ans a lot."
They reached the dining room. The maids promptly began serving dishes as they settled into their seats across from each other at the long table.
Zilia ate faster than usual while Casaio simply watched her for a while. When she got conscious of being watched, she lifted her head only to find Casaio was eating his own al.
Smiling faintly, Zilia resud eating until her hunger was satisfied. She gently placed the spoon down and reached for her glass, sipping the water slowly.
Across the table, Casaio raised his wine glass and took a sip of it. His gaze, however, never wavered from her face, now softly illuminated under the golden chandelier light.
"Thank you," Zilia said warmly to the maids. "The food was delicious. I truly enjoyed it." Her voice was sincere as she set the glass down and offered them a small smile.
"You can wait for in the room. I’ll join you shortly," Casaio said.
Zilia nodded and excused herself. As she ascended the stairs, Casaio finished the last bites of his al, then turned to the servants.
"Not a single word about this house is to leave its walls," he said with authority. "Anyone who breaks this rule will be punished without leniency."
When he reached his bedroom a few minutes later, his eyes imdiately found Zilia. She was gently smoothing the sheets.
The soft click of the door closing caught her attention. She turned to look at him.
"Are you ready?" Casaio asked.
"Hmm," Zilia nodded, hands clasped tightly behind her back. She wore a composed mask, but inside, her nerves fluttered.
She knew this ti the mark wouldn’t carry the sa aning as before. What once symbolized belonging now bore the sting of betrayal, a scarred reminder of how far they had both drifted.
Casaio stepped closer. He reached for her hair, which fell over her right shoulder, and gently brushed it back. His fingers lingered briefly on her skin as he tucked the strands behind her.
He leaned in, breathing in her familiar scent, like rich chocolate laced with ripe berries.
Zilia wondered why he stopped and lowered her eyes.
’Her scent always cald ,’ Casaio thought, ’and even now, it’s doing the sa.’
Zilia fiddled with her fingers behind her back, wondering why he wasn’t doing anything. All she could feel was his hot breath tingling her neck.
Her eyelids fluttered, but she kept them open.
And then, she felt his lips at the spot where her neck ets her shoulder. Her lips parted as a soft gasp left her mouth while he bit her hard. The print of his teeth left on her delicate skin and again, the mark of their bond appeared on her neck.
The pull between their wolves was instant, and they felt the deep connection once again.
She thought Casaio was done, but no he wasn’t. He planted soft kisses along her jawline as his hands found her waist.
"Cas, what are you–" she couldn’t finish off as his mouth found hers. He could taste the minty taste after brushing. Pulling instantly away, he said, "Good night."
"Ah–" She couldn’t even ask him to stay as he was already out of the room.
"What was that?" she murmured with a confused gaze.
A yawn ca out of her mouth, her body wanting the rest. Sliding inside the sheets, she mumbled, "Wasn’t he supposed to do more? He gave the mark and left." Turning to her left, she touched the fresh mark of their bond on her neck.
"I need to heal the bond between us. But how?" Zilia murmured. She didn’t realise when her eyes fluttered shut, causing her to fall into a deep slumber.
~~~
Casaio sat near the swimming pool with a wine glass in his hand. His legs were dipped inside the water as he looked ahead in the darkness.
’The pull is still so electric,’ he thought, lifting the glass and finishing the wine. Lowering the glass, he again poured wine into it and swirled it, holding the stem of the glass.
"My body only wants her. Can love really ignite between us, Moon Goddess?" He looked up at the sky, looking at the moon.
"You brought such chaos into my life, so you should pay a way that could heal . I don’t want to suffer in silence. I don’t want Zilia to suffer either. Now, she has the mark, I hope things go well between us. I want to love her again the sa way I used to in the past. Do sothing, but take away those cruel mories from . I want to rember Zilia as the sweetest woman."
The moon only watched him in silence, making her chuckle. "I should at least let her suffer for so ti."
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