44. There you are.

**Eve**

The stranger clung to her tighter, snarling at the unwelcome guest hiding in the shadows. He pressed Eve's body against his, rougher, trying to mix her scent with his; an unofficial attempt to mark his territory.

"Get the fuck out of here, this one is mine," he snarled, showing off his extended canines. Eve shivered; he held her so firmly she winced in pain. It'll be a miracle if he didn’t leave bruises on her skin.

"How about a game? Sounds pretty fun, to me," the other voice spoke. It was a man, for sure, yet Eve couldn't think who it was. She would remember that voice if she'd ever heard it before.

"How about you get the fuck out of here? I found her first, this one is mine. Find yourself another toy to play with," her captor said, his body becoming tenser with each word. Eve was trapped between two men. One wanted to hurt her, and the other was a stranger whose intentions were unclear. Even if she could get out of his hold, there was no way she would outrun them. Eve cursed herself for being naive and giving another chance to Claudia. If she ever gets out of this mess, her former best friend is going down, that's a promise Eve gave herself.

"How about no?" The figure moved in the shadows. Whoever the stranger was, he wasn't tall, nor strong. For Eve, her possible saviour’s frame looked rather weak. Who was this person? And how was he thinking to save her when he more fragile than the shifter who wouldn't let go of her?

"Show yourself!" the shifter roared, next to Eve's ear.

Without a word, the other man stepped closer to them, still partly hidden in the shadow. He was rather short and skinny, but not in the "weak" type of build. The first thought Eve had was that the man had a death wish. Who, in their right mind, would dare to stand up against a werewolf, knowing they're not capable of defending themselves? Eve was sure he couldn't defend himself nor her.

"What now?" the other man asked, yawning, and stretching.

"Haha, you think that you'll be able to get this girl? A gnome, beating up a shifter, that's a first, for sure. You're joking, right? Feeling all big and powerful for a gnome? Fuck off out of here, and I won't kill you."

"Boy, I never claimed to be strong or powerful. The same as I never said anything about being a gnome," he smiled in amusement.

"When was the last time you looked in the mirror?" His hold loosened a bit, making sure that it was still strong enough to keep Eve in place.

"This morning." The stranger shrugged his shoulders.

"Who are you? Why are you even here? Is it so hard to keep your nose out of something that doesn't concern you?" The werewolf couldn't understand why this person was here and why it wouldn’t leave.

"Who I am isn't important. Why I'm here isn't important. The woman you've captured does concern me. Let her go."

"Who the fuck are you?" the shifter spat the words out like venom. He didn't sound nearly as dangerous as Eros, but he still had a hint of madness in his voice.

"I've been called a lot of names, the well-known ones are Watcher or the keeper." If grin were a person- this man would be one. He spoke with such amused hatred in his voice; Eve felt like he was putting her under more danger than her captor.

"Okay, you lost me, I'm not interested. I am interested in this body, though," he snarled, moving his hand onto Eve's breast, cupping, and squeezing it painfully.

"Boy, think again, before you do something. What I just said- it didn't ring a bell? Kids these days. What do they teach in schools, huh?" The creature sat down; his eyes never left Eve's terrified face. There was something odd about the little man, observing Eve being held forcefully. He was trying to gain some advantage of time, but his bored facial expression showed no emotion.

"I don't mind if you are watching, that's all I got to say," the male pulled Eve closer again, her breath hitched, body frozen in fear.

"Great news, I've always wondered how a man can grope a woman, without his arms attached to his body," a weird sound, a mix of snarl and scream left the man's lips.

"Shut the fuck up and get lost!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, so impatient and rude. No wonder nobody wants to stick around shifters. Anyway, where was I? Oh, right, the killing part. Wait, I forgot to mention that one. This is what is about to happen. I kill you, eat your heart while it's still beating, and we part ways like best friends. One, very dead friend, to add," a mischievous grin appeared on his lips. The tiny man was challenging the shifter to touch Eve, he had given out his warnings, and all that was left was to see if the shifter backed up.

"Bullshit."

"I tried," the stranger shrugged.

"Now you. Try to keep your mouth shut, while I take your life," as the last word left his lips, he dropped on the ground, looking lifeless. The shifter laughed, thinking that the stranger had fainted out of fear. His laugh died quickly, as soon as the cracking sounds filled the alley. Shifter's eyes darted to the place where the body laid just a moment ago- there was nothing, just a little puddle of blood.

"Pst, I'm here, big boy." Whoever the man was; he wasn't a shifter or a human, his body hung upside down in the air, droplets of blood landing on the cold concrete.

"How did you? What the fuck! Who are you?! God damn it!"

"I told you. Your kind calls me the Watcher, the keeper, some call me the leach, whichever you prefer. Think carefully- they teach about us in school, make sure to remember what you've heard- that's how much you deserve."

"What do you mean by deserving?" he snarled again.

"Everyone has the right to know by whose hand they're falling. In our case- you deserve to know who is eating your heart. I'm so damn hungry," the hanging man whined, saliva dripping from his mouth. He was not joking about feeling hunger. Eve squeezed her eyes, gasping against the shifter's palm when the person's face came in view. The stranger had changed his appearance completely- looking like a creature that had crawled from the depths of Hell.

"This is impossible. Your kind is extinct!" The shifter didn't bother to hide his emotions.

"Surprise, baby," the man snarled, landing in front of them both. His eyes were fixed on the captor, not even once looking properly at Eve.

"You're almost right. We were proclaimed to be extinct, yet none of us died. We slept for a long time, waiting for the next King to be found. Now that he has been located- we're awakening, ready to follow and serve. I like playing with you, especially while you're holding onto your future Queen. Ah, imagine the things I'll do to you, imagine the things the King will do to you. Can't wait," he licked his lips, stepping closer. Eve's heart skipped a beat, unsure how to feel—terrified or happy. Without losing more time, she bit into the stranger's hand and used the moment when he withdrew it from her mouth to shout.

"Eros!" she yelled out, tears streaming down her cheeks. Everything happened too fast for Eve to follow. As his name left her lips, Eros appeared out of thin air. Her captor pushed her aside, acting like she burned his skin. The next moment, the man was held by his throat against the cold brick wall. Eve observed Eros, trying to figure out what might be the best- trying to stop him or watching over the stranger’s death. She noticed his eyes- black as charcoal. His canines extended, and jawlines more defined. The veins on his arms and neck popped out, pulsating visibly. It was no longer Eros she was looking at it. It was a very pissed off Ares.

"Ares?" she whispered, daring to take a step towards both men. She didn't expect him to react, knowing that calming down a wolf has always been challenging. Ares dropped the man and almost lunged at Eve. She ended up in his strong embrace, trying to stop crying.

"My love," he breathed out slowly, kissing the top of her head.

"Ares," Eve repeated his name, unsure as to what she should say. The woman was terrified of admitting her fault in the current events. She had been too careless and didn't think of the possible consequences.

"I was so worried. Don't you ever leave the house without my permission or guards, kitten! I couldn't forgive myself if something would have happened to you," he leaned into her neck, noticing the coughing male's scent on her. His body shook in anger.

"Close your eyes, kitten, you shouldn't see this," he whispered, turning her around and pushing her towards the mysterious creature. Oddly enough, the demonic look was gone; she faced a very human-like looking something.

"I tried to convince myself that you haven't touched her. I did try to think that my mind was playing tricks on me. And guess what? It wasn't. You put your dirty fucking hands on my mate!"

"Bow in front of your king, beg for mercy," the creature joined the conversation, not looking at Eve, yet extending his hand for her to hold. Eve gladly took it; her knees were trembling in fear; she was lucky to have anything to hold on to. She wanted to look back; she wanted to see what Eros might do and maybe stop him. An ear-piercing scream came from the male. Eve instantly turned, seeing Eros, hovering over the body. His face covered in blood. Eros nodded, and the creature pulled Eve out of the alley. She tried to fight back- tried being the keyword.

"We should get going, my Queen. The King has some matters to deal with. I'll take you home," he said, trying to calm Eve down. A lot had happened in the past couple of days, too much for Eve to understand who she can or cannot trust.

"The King? What are you talking about?" Eve furrowed her brows, leaning her head more to the right- curious as to what was going on.

"Yes, the King. Your mate, Eros- he's a King. Now, let's go and get you home, you must be tired." Eve nodded, following the creature blindly- if Eros trusted it enough to leave Eve with him, she could trust him the same. Before she managed to get far enough though, Eve heard the sound of snapping bones and cries of pain. She didn't speak anymore; Eros was the only thing on her mind; she managed to forget the king talk. After an hour, Eros arrived home, slamming the door closed.

"Honey, I'm home," he called out, reminding Eve of an old, cliché TV show.

"I'm in the room, butt naked," she giggled playfully, waiting for Eros to join her. His usual, heavy steps didn't move from the living room to the bedroom. Instead, someone appeared behind Eve's back and leaned closer to her, whispering:

"There you are."