30 Serious Talk

My shoulders are tensed, hands still clutching the front of the white shirt with a death drip, and back still hunched over.

Thankfully, Eros chose to disregard my weird behavior and not comment on it.

I shuffled over and turned my back to him before realizing what a stupid idea that was.

The experience I managed to get from analyzing werewolves for so long is: never turn your back to the predator.

Even injured werewolves can do more damage in their defensive stage than uninjured ones.

Although I was certain he wasn't going to take my life, there was still a smidgen of unease.

I swiftly turned my head and analyzed his relaxed posture.

He hadn't really moved from his spot ever since I left the bathroom.

Perhaps this would be a really good time to talk to him about a compromise.

He doesn't look too hard to approach with that tranquil atmosphere around him.

I hope.

"Alpha Eros, can we talk seriously for a minute?" I slowly turn to him, watching him from the corner of my eye.

He hummed a response that I could only assume was approval before he set down the pile of documentation onto the nightstand and turned to me.

His vibrant blue eyes stared straight back at me, and I seem to have lost my train of thoughts in the process.

I tried to keep a serious expression on my face to fan down the burn of my cheeks.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a wicked smirk at my somewhat embarrassing reaction to facing him.

"Are you really sure that we are 'soulmates'? What I mean is would you really want to spend the rest of your life with me?" I attempted to say, wracking my brain for ways to get my point across. "There are so many beautiful women out there that are much much more suitable than I am."

"There is no other woman, Emira. I am sure you are my mate. You are my Alpha Female." His words left no room for discussion. Just that lilt of his voice was enough to stop me in my tracks.

"And what if I don't want to be ′yours'? I'm a living breathing human being and I don't take well to the idea of being your personal property, Alpha Eros. I belong to myself. No one else." I bristle slightly in anger.

"You do not understand." He seemed to be displeased with my fuming countenance, "You are not and never will be my personal property. When I say that you are mine, I am also yours in every sense. We will carry a very symbolic relationship of yin and yang, of equality as mates. One cannot exist without the other and vice versa, as it should be."

His words immediately extinguish that burning fire of rage inside of me as quick as it had started.

While I was trying to process what he was saying, I didn't realize that he, somehow, managed to migrate from his side of the bed to mine.

Wait a minute.

I think I just saw a hint of his naked hip and a rounded buttock. The sound of a loud explosion went off in my head.

He sleeps naked?

What are the odds of that?

I am tempted to rip my own hair out in frustration.

It was either that or throttle Eros for his vain behavior while in the presence of a lady. And don't ask me why I associate vain with sleeping naked.

"You are mine to protect, to provide and to care for until the day I cease to exist. Even then, I will make sure you and our pups are properly protected and cared for," he explained in a laid back manner.

His long tapered fingers brushed across the expanse of my hot cheeks with a fairly light touch.

"I can protect and provide for my own self. I have done so for a majority of my life and I can continue to do so—without you," I argued, "and can you move back a little bit?"

My cheek twitches and I ignored the sudden itch of heat that his touch ignited.

He chose to ignore my request and said, "You can, yes. I do not question your abilities. But as your mate, I wish to protect you. Not because of obligation, but because I want to."

I looked away.