"Huh?" Evie creased her brows, "who's seducing who again? I just said I'm not worried." Evie retorted.

"And why are you not worried, huh? My love?" he raised a perfectly arched brow at her, "are you perhaps thinking that I'm kidding you when I said I will make love with you in every corner of this castle?"

Evie's heartbeat raced at his words and she felt her face become hotter as she began to actually imagined him doing that, making love to her outside their bedroom. "Y-you said… you'll behave," she said as she forced herself to put her attention to the food on her plate instead of the embarrassing things she just thought about. It mortified her that her mind seemed becoming naughtier now.

"Sometimes…" Gavriel continued her words and Evie was forced to lift her eyes and looked at him. Their eyes met and Evie thought that he would rise from his seat and pounce on her. But he groaned low and threw his head back. "Good lord…" he uttered as he took a deep breath and grabbed the bottle which contain something red before guzzling a few mouthfuls of it down. Evie could not tell if was wine or blood.

"Eat now wife, or else … I will eat you." He half threatened Evie as he took another long draw from the bottle, his gaze focusing everywhere except on her as he tried his best to distract himself.

After their breakfast, Gavriel gathered Evie into his arms again despite Evie's protest. "Just let this husband of yours pamper you, my dear princess," he had told her with a devastating smile before he jumped out of the window and landed in the garden.

But Evie narrowed her eyes at him and feigned an angry face. "Then why am I just a little wary that you're being overly gentle again, hmm… Your Highness?" she said, raising a brow at him as she wiggled in his grasp to escape from his arms.

Gavriel cocked his head. "My princess, aren't I always this gentle with you? What's with the wariness now?" he smirked as he bantered back, enjoying this rare moment of light-hearted jesting between them.

Evie bit her lip and she walked ahead of him before quickly turning around to face him. "I know… and I also have realized that you, being so exaggeratedly gentle to me has had a not so good effect too." She said in a gentle and thoughtful tone.

"Oh…?? " Gavriel was suddenly next to her, craning his head diagonally downwards so he could stare at her face as they strolled around the garden slowly. "And what is this not so good effect? I was so certain there is no bad effect on being gentle as long as it's with you though."

"Certainly, there is little to none… but your kind of gentleness is really too much sometimes. Every time I am with you, you make me forget that I have my own feet and that I can actually walk because you wanted to just carry me in your arms as if walking is a challenge that might kill me." Evie reasoned, "You are just way too gentle, even the way you hold me. And I think because of that, you run out of gentleness when we finally go to bed." Evie ended her explanation with a pout.

Gavriel's lips parted at what he heard and then he chuckled, shaking his head.

"What… isn't what I said correct? Or do you not agree?" Evie challenged as she faced him.

"My love, are you saying that I should stop being so gentle to you so that my gentleness won't run out once we go to bed?" he asked, a glint of mischief dancing in his bright eyes. "Even though you told me you liked me rough in bed?"

Evie could not help but blush hard hearing him saying the word 'bed' twice in a row and in such a deliberate seductive tone too. And there he was, always telling her she was the one doing the seduction!

Suddenly, Evie ran on ahead as if to escape him. But the wolf's responses were quicker, and he caught up to Evie even before she could take any more than ten steps away from him.

"And where do you think you are going, my love? Trying to escape from me?" he whispered in her ear as he settled his chin on her shoulder. "Instead of running, why don't you teach me how not to be gentle with you, hmm my wife?"

"How? Alright, I'll teach you… first, let me go and let me run…"

"Not a chance, love. I will never let you run away from me. You're mine now after all."

While Evie was speechless once again, Gavriel chuckled and suddenly, he lifted her and laid her over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. "Is this not so gentle enough, my love?" he asked with a mischievous grin and Evie could only laugh.

"Well… with your standard of gentleness, I guess this is rough enough." She said biting her lip to stop giggling and Gavriel carried her across the garden until they reached the gazebo in the middle of the large garden.

Gavriel set her down carefully and gently on the table and stood between her legs as Evie sat, her arms still encircled around his neck. They stared into each other's eyes and just smiled, both feeling incredibly satisfied at finally being able to spend time in each other's company without any interruptions.

"How do you feel?" he asked as he planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"Happy…" she replied and kissed him back.

"Me too, Evie… I want to be with you like this forever."

"Me too, Gavriel…"

Before they knew it, their light kisses became rougher and deeper and more urgent. It seemed that they could not make themselves pull away from their growingly intimate position to continue with their romantic walk in the castle gardens.