Lily winced in pain as her shoulder hit the bedpost, but because she was still under his spell, her lips remained tightly shut, and no sound came out, not even a grunt.
She glared at him for being so rough, but he simply ignored her and walked toward the incense burner instead.
He took out a pinch of powder from a jar and threw it into the burner.
The fire and powder reacted with one another, creating a billow of smoke that soon filled the room.
The aroma was warm and comforting, but it was different from the scent that naturally came from Ren’s body.
Strangely enough, as she inhaled the smoke, her pain slowly began to ease.
Her legs were sore after running and tripping around the forest, her shoulder was aching from hitting the bedpost, and she was completely exhausted after spending such a long day and night without rest.
Now that all her pain was suddenly gone, there was nothing left but a strong drowsiness.
The more she breathed it in, the harder it became to keep her eyes open.
It did not take long for Lily to fall asleep on the Fox Lord’s bed, seemingly unguarded.
Meanwhile, Ren watched her from head to toe.
Her tunic had yellowed after countless washes, with patches of mismatched fabric to cover up the tears.
She was stained with dirt after running around the forest like a hunted animal, and some of Gareth’s scent still lingered around her body despite Ren’s scent already overwhelming her entire body.
The Fox Lord frowned in disgust.
“Filthy,” he muttered.
He slowly took off his robe, exposing his bare upper body, before resting right next to her.
Ren yawned.
His rest had been cut short after he had to go out and take Gareth’s woman as a replacement for his spouse.
But alas, he had found himself leverage against the Alpha of the West Wolf.
He turned his head, staring at the sleeping woman before scoffing.
“You’re staying with me until you’ve outlived your usefulness.” Then, the Fox Lord slowly closed his eyes, drifting into a comfortable sleep.
— It had been a while since Lily had experienced such a comfortable sleep.
She had never slept on a soft bed with a proper pillow.
It was always either hay from the barn or simply a straw mat laid over the hard ground in the orphanage.
She had also never slept with such warmth surrounding her.
Summer nights at the barn were not cold, but the heat and humidity only made her sweat excessively.
On top of that, she had never hugged anyone to sleep.
Gareth had always slept far from her, keeping his distance because he said it was not proper.
She had never expected that hugging someone in her sleep could be this comfortable.
They were sharing warmth, an intimacy that Lily had never felt before in her life.
Her cheeks were rubbing against his naked chest, and his scent was so warm and soothing that she could not help but nuzzle into him even more, inhaling it deeper with every breath.
A strong arm slowly wrapped around her waist, trailing along her back and tickling her spine, making her shiver.
“Mmh…” Lily whimpered as the sensation was too much for someone who had never experienced such physical touch from a man, yet the comfort made her feel as though she were floating on a cloud.
Then came a whisper.
“To what extent will you irritate me, little woman?” Lily’s eyes opened instantly.
The first thing she saw was Ren’s ruby-like eyes looking down at her angrily.
She was currently hugging him so tightly, rubbing against his bare chest while hooking her legs around his waist, as though she couldn’t bear to let go.
Lily had been so comfortable in her sleep that she had not thought twice about searching for that warmth.
After all, she had not been able to experience such a peaceful sleep for as long as she could remember.
But now that she realized what she had done, Lily gasped and immediately let go of the Fox Lord.
She pushed herself away from him until her back hit the bedpost.
“I-I didn’t mean to!
I-I swear!” Lily tried to clarify.
But then, she remembered how drowsy she had become after inhaling the scent from the burner, and for some reason, Ren had actually slept bare-chested on the same bed as her.
Wouldn’t that mean it was him who had taken advantage of her while she was asleep?!
Lily’s expression changed from shock to guilt, and then to anger, as if she had been wronged.
Ren watched her countenance change repeatedly and scoffed.
“I did not touch you, Gareth’s woman.
I was in my spot, unmoving, until you suddenly invaded my area and hugged me so tightly.
I should be the one who is offended, since you dared to touch my skin with your dirty hands.” “I-I swear I fell asleep after I inhaled the smoke!” Lily tried to defend herself.
She was on the verge of crying because she was still unmarried and should not have shared a bed with her own enemy.
“That’s called Myriad Dream Incense.
I used it to fall asleep quicker,” Ren said.
“I had to use it because my previous spouse’s death was abrupt, and I had to travel a long distance just to get a replacement, which is you.” “I barely had enough sleep yesterday,” Ren added with a lazy yawn.
His platinum hair drooped like a waterfall across the bed, while his tails acted as a cushion behind him.
Lily finally got a good look at the warm chest she had been using as her pillow for hours.
She had seen Gareth without a shirt almost every day at the barn, and she realized that Gareth and Ren were quite different.
Gareth was quite muscular.
With all the work he had to do at the barn, his muscles would glisten under the sun as sweat trailed down his chest.
But Ren was much paler and leaner, with muscles in all the right places and in just the right amount, not too much but not too little.
Just like his face, his body exuded an elegance that made him look like a mythical creature that was never meant to be touched.
Inadvertently, Lily found herself dazed as she looked at his appearance, and the Fox Lord’s lips twitched.
“What a greedy little woman.
You have tasted Gareth, and now you want to taste me as well?”