95 Because I Love You

What the heck am I going to do for that long?

Sit around and watch the paint dry?

No, seriously.

I would go nuts.

"There are plenty of things that we can preoccupy ourselves with," he said with this slight twinkle in his eyes that makes the hair on my arms stand on end.

I narrow my eyes at him.

He better not be thinking what I think he's thinking.

You know what, I'm not even going to ask.

I had a nightmare after reading his mind the first time.

There's no way that I would want to do that again.

Sending him a warning glance, I tiredly plopped down onto the bed with a long sigh.

"Tired?" Eros asked, lips brushing against my ear while his arm circled around my shoulders to pull me up against him.

I shook my head and said, "No. Just...overwhelmed."

And, really, I was overwhelmed at the number of people in this pack.

Even my mouth felt stiff and strained because of trying to keep a smile on my lips the whole enter time.

It may have been a couple of hours, but I felt as if it was way longer than that.

I can't imagine how long it would be if we had completed the entire ceremony.

1 day? 2 days?

"Why didn't you tell me that you waived all the ceremonies?" I asked, trying to interrogate him before I forget. "I could have done a thing or two."

He glanced down at me and said, "I didn't want you to be too stressed over it. The ceremonies aren't important. You being my mate and Alpha Female is enough."

"But what are the pack members going to think of me?" I groan in disbelief.

I know that their image of me isn't the greatest but, at this rate, I'm sure it won't get any better.

The words stubborn, lazy, useless and human seem to resonate in my head like a continuous mantra.

Do I even deserve their respect?

"You don't have to worry about what they think, Emira. You're the Alpha Female. There's no one you have to please—other than me," he said teasingly to lighten the atmosphere and make me feel better.

I heaved a sigh and chose to disregard the last of his words.

Eros' hand stroked across my back, comforting me in the best way he knew how.

For some reason, I felt as if Eros was willing to back me up no matter what I did.

Wrong or right.

If I were to become enemies with the whole world, he would be the only person by my side, protecting me and supporting me the entire way.

At that thought, my chest felt tight.

"Why are you so good to me, Eros?" I mutter morosely as I pressed my face against the collar of his dress shirt like a sullen cat.

"Does there need to be a reason, Emira?" He kissed the top of my head and his strong arms collected me against him until I was comfortably situated on his lap.

The sense of safety and warmth was quick to surround me, making me feel at ease in his arms.

I remain quiet.

My lips pressed into a firm line as I waited for his answer.

Eros sighs.

"Because I want to," he finally breathes out, his warm breath fluttering the hairs on the top of my head as he speaks. "Because I love you."

I remained quiet for nearly 20 seconds, and my lips pinched thin to keep myself from getting too emotional.

How does he always manage to make me so speechless with his words?

Every single damn time.

"Thank you," I awkwardly croaked out through a choked up throat.

I couldn't get anything else to come out of my mouth.

And, if I could, I would have slapped myself.

He tells me he loves me and all I reply with is a 'thank you'.

What is wrong with me?

My shoulders droop and my mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water.

The words to reciprocate his feelings would not come out, no matter how much I wanted to say it back.

It was heavy in my chest, burning and hot.