I trembled in his strong hold, his warm breath hitting the back of my neck causing chills to appear, as I stood frozen. The wolf had awoken and I had done exactly what Alaricus warned me not to, I ran.

His hands travelled down to my waist slowly, turning me in his hold so that I faced him. I looked up into his golden eyes, absolutely mesmerized by their wild beauty. His hands went up to my face, and he cupped it in his warm calloused hands, eyes running over the lengths of my face as he came impossibly closer to me.

"Beautiful." He spoke softly into the silence, his voice deeper then normal. I bit down into my lip to keep it from trembling as I stared up into his golden adoring eyes, not knowing what to expect from the wolf.

"A-Alaricus?" I stuttered out, wanting him to speak to say anything instead of simply stare at me.

"Eros, not Alaricus." He said, his trance still not completely broken as he reached down wrapping an arm around my knees and one around my waist. He hoisted me up into the air pulling my small form into his broad chest. I stayed still in his hold not wanting to irritate him more than I already had. He gazed down at me reverently as he walked back to the bed, careful not to jostle me as I stared back at him with my eyes slightly widened at his gentle behaviour. This definitely wasn't what I had expected.

My muscles tensed as I was lain on a soft surface, the very bed that I had run from. I sat up as he sat in front of me, staring at me with those wild golden eyes of his. I gulped nervously, why did he insist on staring at me in that way. It made me nervous reminding me of the way a predator would observe the prey before they attacked. I shuffled under his intense gaze, trying my best to hold in my instinct to cringe away, but my slight flinch did not go unnoticed by him. He reached out grabbing my hand from my lap he brought it upto his chest, holding my hand atop his heart so I could feel the strong beating of it.

"Eros loves mate, but mate doesn't love Eros." He says softly the wild shine in his eyes turning to a dim sadness. I turn away from him, wondering how to respond how does one tell the most powerful wolf that they didn't love them, that they couldn't.

"Does mate love Eros?" He asked softly, pulling me in closer. I bit into my lip nervously, he was too close, his proximity set off all my survival instincts telling me to get away from him. This man was more dangerous and more combustible than anything I had ever been near. This could simply be the calm before the storm, and one wrong word from me could bring the clouds rolling in.

"Mate doesn't." He said softly, almost as if to himself. He opened up my fingers gently pressing my open palm to his heartbeat he shuffled even closer. If he got any closer I would be settled in his lap.

"Eros' heart beats only for mate, Eros loves mate." He speaks softly trailing his fingers over my cheek slowly as he gazes into my eyes sincerely.

Eros stares at me, his wild eyes holding a lively hope, one that I couldn't live up to, but one I didn't have the heart to diminish. He looks down at his lap sadly when I don't respond, and my heart clenches, this was almost worse than what I expected. Aggressive was easier to handle than hopeful and sweet.

I looked down not knowing what to say, almost letting out a squeal when strong arms wrapped around my waist, yanking me into Eros' lap. He pressed me into him, holding me so close that every curve of my body was pressed against every crevice of his.

"Not close enough." He growled under his breath, he let me go for a moment resting me on the bed gently. He pulled his shirt off revealing his broad muscled torso covered in smooth tan skin, gathering me in his arms again he set my comparably small form into his lap, tucking me under his chin, so that he could rest it on top of my head.

My face was pressed against the smooth skin of his chest, his intoxicating scent filling my senses, Eros smelled like the forest after rain, with a hint of spice, perhaps cinnamon, and something that was indescribable but so incredibly intoxicating that it had me burying my face into his skin inhaling deeply, making him growl deeply in approval.

His arms wrapped tighter around my waist as he nuzzled his face into my hair, purring deep in his chest. He adjusted me in his lap so that he could look into my eyes as he held me close.

His eyes trailed over my form as I fiddled with my hands nervously, his eyes glinting in approval, he sighed deeply in content.

"Mate's so beautiful, Eros is so lucky." He said nuzzling my cheek with his nose. I bit my lip, sitting there silently as he spoke.

"Mate likes reading?" He asks and I nod my head, looking up at him, biting into my lip subconsciously as I wonder as to why he asked.

"Eros doesn't like reading, but Eros likes watching mate read." He tells me softly, and I look up at him as he stares at my lip, and I slowly release it from where I had bitten it. That would explain why Alaricus was always staring at me while I read.

"Mate always looks beautiful. Mate makes cute faces while reading and mate is kind she treats everyone well even the help." Eros tells me gently brushing my hair away from my face as he coddles me in his arms, pulling me even closer as if I couldn't get close enough. He nudges the top of my head with his cheek sighing deeply, and I look up at him wondering what had upset him.

"Mate is Eros' miraculum, our only chance at love, Eros loves mate but mate doesn't love Eros." He spoke sadly, his eyes growing glossy with unshed tears as he spoke, his pink plump bottom lip jutting out in a pout.

"I-I'll try." I said slowly, willing to do anything to console him.

"Mate will try." He repeated, nodding to himself he pressed a deep kiss to my cheek, looking satisfied as he stared into the night seeming to be content with me in his arms. But soon his face drops again, and he looks at me through his thick black lashes.

"Why doesn't mate love Eros, or even Alaricus. We love mate so much, Eros loves mate so much but Alaricus always pushes Eros back, refuses to let Eros be near mate. Doesn't let Eros mark mate, kiss mate, love mate. Mate would love us if we marked mate, mate would never leave us." Eros said, his voice growing softer as he spoke of what he desired to do, making a shiver go down my spine.

Alaricus had to constantly fight with Eros if he was always like this, perhaps I was too harsh on Alaricus he was always fighting with Eros so that I would be comfortable. So that he could give me time. Eros was so affectionate Alaricus had to hold him back from doing what they both desired to do.

"Can Eros mark mate?" He asked softly and I stiffened in his hold, not knowing what to say. I softly put my hand on his arms trying to disconnect them from my waist, and he growled deeply, pulling me even closer, his chest rumbling as he released small growls.

"Why does mate always run away?" He asks gruffly and I look to him hesitantly but what I see makes my heart clench painfully. A lone tear trails down his beautiful face, his luscious lips in a pout as he looks at me in utter despair, eyes shiny with tears, pain clearly displayed in them.

I sit chewing on my bottom lip not knowing what to do, hesitantly I reach out for him, settling my hands on either side of his face. I lean up so that I'm at eye level with him, gently wiping under his eyes as he stared at me with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry." I apologize pressing a kiss to his forehead. His growls quiet until they've completely subsided. He stared at me, the slight pout on his lips making him look almost childish, a complete contradiction to his broad chest and muscles, and his dangerous aura.

I bury my face into his neck, wrapping my arms around his waist, so that I was hugging him close to me. Slowly his arms go back around me as he tugs me closer into his chest, burying his face into my hair, calming down.

"Eros needs another kiss." He states as I pull away from him, making me let out a giggle as he stares at me his eyes holding a childish wonder. I press a kiss to his cheek quickly and a small smile graces his beautiful face, he nuzzles me fondly, before his face goes back to the sadness but the mischief in his eyes making me frown as he looks at me.

"J-just one kiss?" He asks, and I laugh loudly throwing my head back as I do at the dangerous wolf that pretends to be sad only to earn a kiss from me. He watches me in wonder as I laugh happily, gold eyes shining with an adoration worthy of being addressed as worship.

My laugh calms down until it's only a small smile that stays on my face as I look back at him, and shake my head.

"Only one for Eros." I say, and he pouts as he looks at his lap with his golden eyes framed with the thick black lashes looking more like a petulant child than a dangerous beast as he sulks.

"That's what Alaricus says, Eros can't have kisses but Eros wants kisses." He mumbles under his breath as if to himself and I couldn't help it. I press another kiss to his cheek making his face brighten up immediately from the pout, his eyes seeming to glow with happiness as he stares down at me in his lap.

I stare back at him, accidentally letting out a yawn and Eros' eyes widen as he looks out the window.

"Mate is tired, mate must sleep." He says grabbing me gently from his lap and laying me down onto the bed. He lays down beside me wrapping his arm around my waist tugging me so that I was laying nearly completely on his chest.

He pressed a kiss to my head, inhaling deeply as my eyes begin to droop, and his arms tighten around me. I fall asleep in his warm hold, hearing him whisper softly into my hair, before I surrender myself completely to the darkness

"Meum miraculum."