Chapter 37: Chapter 37

I step out of the bathroom and see Gray sitting on the edge of the bed. My breath catches as I notice he's wearing only his pants, his bare chest exposed. I then glance at myself and realize how we both seem to have forgotten about the cold outside and the heavy rain pouring down. I'm only wearing his oversized black shirt that drapes on my small frame.

"Come here," Gray says, extending his hand slightly, which startles me. I continue walking and accept his hand, allowing him to guide me to sit beside him.

"Are you warm enough?" Gray asks, and I find myself momentarily speechless. The rapid thumping of my heart heats up my entire body.

"If you're still cold, I can adjust the room temperature," he offers, making me shake my head. If he did that, I'd probably feel like I'm on fire.

"No need," I reply, causing Gray to fall silent again.

"Was it really that difficult for you during this past week? You look thinner," I ask, and Gray once more just looks into my eyes.

"Yes, it was very tough," he answers, then looks towards the expanse of his bed.

"Do you want to talk while lying down?" Gray inquires, making me divert my gaze to the neatly arranged covers. I nod, thinking it might be more comfortable to discuss things under the thick blanket.

"Yes, that sounds comfortable," I think, and Gray moves to the other side, while I climb onto the bed. He pulls the heavy blanket over us, partially covering my body. He arranges some pillows and leans against them. I remain quiet, meeting Gray's gaze, which now holds tenderness. No longer is there the stern jaw or sharp gaze directed at me. Maybe he's finally ready to share everything.

"Do you feel better now?" I ask softly, and Gray nods weakly.

"Maybe better than before, but not completely okay," he responds, leaving me once again at a loss for words. I'm not sure what to say, especially since I'm waiting for him to tell me everything as he promised. Gray then extends his large hand and gently strokes my cheek, the warmth of his touch sending a wave of sensation through my body.

"You know, right? About my true form and that I come from a different world," Gray speaks, and I nod in understanding. As I've witnessed, he can transform between a human and a wolf, and I've accepted him as both.

"You also know that I'm in this human world because I was banished from my own, as a punishment for not fully achieving my awakening. Thanks to you, I've gained it," he explains, causing me to furrow my brow in confusion.

"You've gained it?" I inquire, and Gray nods, offering a small smile. It might be subtle, but it's a relief to see him without the stern jaw.

"Yes, and you saw it yourself, how I fully transformed into a wolf. That was my awakening, receiving all the power that was meant to be mine from the start. That's why my body felt so much pain over the past week," Gray tells me, helping me piece together his avoidance. It wasn't just about him holding back; he was adapting to his newfound strength.

"I obtained everything that was supposed to be mine from the beginning. I received all the power that was destined for me, and I was supposed to get you as well," Gray continues, making me slightly startle.

I'm still not daring enough to ask him to elaborate further. I'll wait for him to explain more in his own time.

"Like I said, you are my soulmate, Aurel. Every werewolf has a partner, and what still confuses me and I haven't found the answer to is that you are a human, and that has never happened within our clan. We have werewolf pairs for each other," Gray explained, leaving me questioning within myself.

"What's wrong with me? How could this happen?" I asked with my innocent face, causing Gray to smile even wider. He gently stroked my cheek.

"I don't blame fate, I truly feel lucky. You are my soulmate," Gray said.

"Then why did you avoid me? Don't you agree with the fate you've received because I'm a human?" I asked, feeling that Gray might be disappointed because his partner wasn't of the same kind. Gray immediately shook his head.

"Of course, that's not what I'm thinking about, Aurel. Because you're human, I don't want to hurt you. You know, right? How a cruel wolf can be and the very bad animal instincts. I don't want to harm you even a bit," Gray said, making me shake my head. I grasped Gray's hand, which had been continuously stroking my cheek.

"I'll be fine. You just need to explain and tell me what I need to do," I said, almost instantly, as if I truly understood everything Gray was saying, as if I were destined to be his match. I didn't oppose it, without a hint of fear. Am I really someone like that, I wondered, not even understanding what I was feeling right now.

"I can't make a decision that quickly. I can't let my animal instincts take over and claim you as mine right now. That's why for the past week, I've been trying to clear my mind while regaining my strength from the powers I've gained. Even though it's been difficult to hold back, I can feel the pain in my heart, and I sense that you feel the same. That's why I followed my instincts to find out where you are," Gray said, surprising me a bit.

"Can you feel what I feel?" I asked, making Gray nod.

"Yes, although not fully yet. I can be quite sure because we haven't officially become soulmates yet. We haven't passed a few stages, but I followed my heart when you were in so much pain. At that moment, that's why I came and searched for you. I was really angry when I saw you not doing well in the rain. I was angry at myself for putting you in that state," Gray said, making me quiet. Now I understand why he looked at me with such an intense gaze back then.

"You know, once we truly become a pair, we can feel what each other feels, read each other's minds, and communicate through our mental link," Gray explained, but I still struggled to fully understand each explanation.

"I know these terms are foreign to you, but you'll gradually learn about them," Gray continued, making me want to ask a question that seemed very important to me.

"Why are you so certain that I'm your soulmate?" I asked, and Gray responded with a faint smile.

"Haven't I already told you? We have an instinct for this, and with the evidence that you were able to help me regain my strength, that's already proof that you're the destined soulmate for me," Gray explained once again. I fell silent, processing everything. So, I'm a human who suddenly ended up being the partner of a werewolf. I lifted my head to gaze at the handsome face that was now intently looking at me.

"Will I turn into a werewolf too? Will I eventually go to your world?" I asked, making Gray fall silent, as if he didn't know the answer either. If it's true, do I have to leave everything I have here? I fell quiet. What do I really have? I don't have a complete family anymore, except for Rex and Aunt Ana. As for my mother, she has a happy family. Maybe those are the only two people weighing me down, I thought.

"Most likely, yes, but I don't want it to happen too soon for you. Right now, I just need to be by your side, Aurel," Gray replied, making me smile and nod. Gray must understand what I want and feel.

We fell silent again for a moment until I suddenly felt the urge to place my palm on his chest. He seemed slightly startled as our skin made contact.

"Why is your body so warm? I've asked you a few times, am I running a fever?" I asked, still not having received an answer from Gray, who remained silent, looking at me with a deep gaze.

"That's just how we are. We have a higher body temperature than most creatures," Gray answered.

"Is this your normal temperature?" I asked again, making Gray nod. I continued to stare at my small hand on his chest, feeling the strong heartbeat beneath it. For some reason, I leaned in, wanting to listen more closely to the rhythm of Gray's heartbeat, which was pulsing so calmly. I sensed his body tense slightly, but I ignored it.

I closed my eyes. I don't know why, but drowsiness began to wash over me. I just wanted to continue feeling warm like this in Gray's embrace. I felt Gray slowly moving, pulling me closer to him, making me feel comfortable and warm. Has he already told me everything? I thought as I slowly succumbed to the overpowering drowsiness.