Chapter 84 - Remorseful

"I...I am sorry, E...Eva. I am sorry for everything..." 

Snuggling in her shoulder groove, Zeus whispered his guilt-stricken words in a broken voice with warm tears rolling down the corner of his beautiful big eyes. His heart was throbbing in remorse watching her mourning so helplessly, but at the same time, the fear of their uncertain future ahead occupied his mind. 

After a moment of emotional outburst, her sorrowful heart somehow calmed a bit within his embrace and she finally stopped whimpering. Taking a deep breath inside, she spoke first, closing her eyes and holding him in her arms, "why are you being sorry, Zeus?"

No answer came. He stayed absolutely silent without uttering a single word in response. Eva could easily perceive his warm teardrops, dripping down on her shoulder. However, it piqued up her curiosity and slowly she released herself from his tight embrace. His face was resembling extremely pale, with teary sullen eyes gazing downwards. He was fidgeting a bit anxiously as if something was terribly bothering him from inside.

Softly she raised her arms and cupped his face holding a warm smile. His distressed expression was gradually making her curious but she chose to stay calm, comforting his anxious heart.

"Why are you making such a sad face, Zeus? It's not like...you have anything to do behind my dismal...It is not your fault at all, Zeus, right?" 

Hearing her tender approach, he still couldn't bring himself to stare at her vividly as his heart was filled with too much pain. He continued staring at the ground, with his mind crowded with thoughts.

"My existence...My existence is my regret, Eva... I still can't believe...my lineage or maybe...my pack would be responsible for your lonesome life... My heart is sinking, I...I am scared of losing you... I can't bear to lose you, Eva..." He wondered with tears swelled in his eyes.

Eva continued staring at his dismal face and gradually frowned her eyebrows with a tinge of fear arising in her heart. Gulping her saliva, he lifted her arms away from him and clenched her fist hard.

"Ze...Zeus, why are your eyes...filled with regret? Wh-Why can't you look at me in the eye? Wh-What's wrong? Is...Is there something more painful awaited for me to know yet? Why are you silent all of a sudden? You..You are scaring me now, Zeus." In a sullen low voice, she muttered towards him, gawking at him intensely.

Watching her getting all terrified, he finally raised his eyes up from the ground and stared at her pale worried grimace. However, he couldn't muster up the courage to confess the entire truth as his heart was shaken up with the revelation. Taking a deep huff of breath out, he mumbled, "I...I am indeed regretful, Eva."

"But why?"

"Because...I...I am a beast myself. My heart feels heavy to know that you lost your entire family at the hands of wolves... I couldn't help but feel remorseful about my existence--"

"You are overthinking too much, you fool." Before he could complete his sentence, she meddled in a bold manner holding a small relieved smile on her face. "How can you blame your existence over my tragic story? You dorky child."

"But...Eva..."

"Zeus, don't misjudge me. I really don't bear any hatred emotions towards any other wild animals, except those vile creatures. In fact, I find it quite exciting that the person I love the most is a supernatural being... But you will be always my adorable dorky lover no matter how powerful you are." Pinching his cheeks in a loving way, she gently patted his head to assure his insecurities. 

TAP! TAP!

All of a sudden, both of them heard a tapping sound on the desolated terrace, preferably of footsteps which caused both of them to flinch quite hard. Looking all perplexed, both of them gazed everywhere around them, and momentarily an awkward silence prevailed between them. 

"Did...Did you hear the footsteps just now, Zeus? I...I am sure, I wasn't mistaken! Wh-What's happening here?" All nervously, she blurted out, clenching his arm.

Zeus was sitting in a stiff posture but all of a sudden, his gaze shifted on the glimpse of a mysterious dark shadow reflected by the moonlight on the ground, a bit far away from them. Immediately he frowned his eyebrows and grasped her arm tightly before commanding her in a cold voice, "Eva, go back to your room. Go back downstairs." 

"But...what's happening here, Zeus? Is someone really in here?" She again glanced around them, reciprocating in a dubious tone.

"Eva, don't worry about me, just go back downstairs. I...I will come and see you soon again. Don't fret." Gripping one of his arms on the wall behind him, both of them tried to stand up with his other arm around her shoulder as support. 

"But you are not fully recovered, Zeus! How can I leave you alone here? How will you go back--"

"Eva, please...please do as I say right now. Please go back to your room." This time his voice sounded quite intense and heavy as if he was concerned about something inside.

She didn't object anymore stood still for a few seconds and took a deep sigh out, making a frown face. In the fraction of a second, she leaned her head closer to him and placed a sudden warm soft kiss on his puffed lips quite unexpectedly.

"Alright, but don't get yourself hurt again... And... come back to me safely, soon." In a concerning low pitch, she mumbled her words caressing his shimmering hair. He was a bit surprised with the sudden kiss but immediately nodded his head in obeyance. 

Slowly, Eva started heading straight towards the door to walk downstairs but before leaving, she gazed at him once again. He softly nodded his head to reassure her with a small smile and without having a choice, she chose to walk down.

Gasping a heavy breath of air, Zeus straightened his neck towards the front and scrunched his brows deeply before making a bold proclamation, "You can come out now. I know you are here..."