For whatever reason, Iris knew Cane felt comfortable in her presence, it was either him or the beast inside of him, since no matter what and how it happened, she still bore his mark and she was his mate. The bond had grown between them, and they could find solace in their other half, or else, he wouldn't hug her in his sleep, hold her tight and keep her close.
They had never talked about this thing and treated such acts as two separate worlds. The other world, where they were indeed mates without any complicated things between them.
Therefore, this time, it was Iris, who held him. She was the one who initiated this and hoped he wouldn't push her away. She could feel how stiff his body was when she hugged him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Edited by: Anshu_Bangaram