8.Lies and regrets.

Her heartbeat raced; breath hitched- stuck deep in her throat. Eve's eyes roamed over the room, frantically looking for a way out of the cage made by his body. Eve sighed, quietly coming up with the craziest idea.

"Let me go, please." She still held hope to talk Eros into letting her go. Mates or not, she never asked to be claimed, and he should respect her need for private space or boundaries.

"I'm trying, you know," Eros shook his head, displeased by her actions. He dropped one arm, sighing deeply.

"Trying to let go of me? I'm sorry to disappoint you but caging someone between the wall and your body isn't considered doing so." She pushed onto his chest, trying to increase the distance between their bodies. Eros didn't move his body, standing straight and mighty, like a brick wall- in front of the weak human girl.

"No, not that. I'm trying to hold myself back from completing the mating process. The way you bite your lip. It's so... So, arousing, you're making my task more difficult than you could imagine," he groaned, pushing himself onto her. Eve could feel his hard erection against her belly.

"Completing what?" She ignored his obvious superiority and the fact that she was stuck between him and the wall. Eve wanted to know what was happening in his mind; she had to find out what was coming. Surprisingly for herself, Eve didn't feel like she was in danger. Somewhere, deep down, she knew that Eros wouldn't hurt her or force himself onto her.

"The mating process. You've been claimed. The scent of your body is mixing with mine, making it almost impossible to resist the temptation." Eros took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Eve kept quiet, unsure if she could take a chance and speak up, or if she should wait for something else he has to say.

"I'll be completely honest with you. The first time, when I caught your scent- my mouth watered, now, it's a whole another level. I wish for nothing more than to rip your clothes off and fuck you until you scream my name. Until you have had enough. Until the moment, when your body trembles beneath mine in exhaustion and euphoria, just to keep fucking you over and over again." Eros leaned into her neck, tracing his tongue from the crook of her neck, up to her ear. Eve shivered, affected by his actions. She didn't want to admit how much he had turned her on, just by staying those words and leaning to her neck. Mentally, she gave herself a pep talk, preparing to push him away.

"You can't." Her voice came out as a moan, Eve's eyes slightly closed.

"I shouldn't, but I, sure as Hell, can. Look at yourself; don't try to lie about being unaffected. I can smell how aroused you are. Eve, you want me as much as I want you," Eros whispered in her ear seductively, biting onto her earlobe. Eve's cheeks flushed. If only the ground would open and swallow her whole. She shook her head. A sudden wave of adrenaline washed in her veins, hiding Eve's shy personality, replacing it with fierceness and arrogance.

"I'm not one to cheat on someone. You should know that I have a boyfriend," she lied, looking straight into his blue orbs. For a split second, there was an emotion- so painful, disappointed, and lost; it almost felt as if she just saw his heartbreak in action.

"You're lying," Eros growled. He hoped that the words she said were all lies, that she was trying to test him. And even more- that she was untouched by any other.

"Try me," she snarled back at him. Eros kept conflicting with his beast. Ares admired the sudden change of their mate and wished for nothing more than to rip the said boyfriend to pieces. Eros, on the other hand, wanted to talk and find out if she was telling the truth- if not, how far would she go with those lies.

"You had me in the palm of your hand, Eve!" Eros roared in anger. He didn't notice how his fist collided with the wall next to Eve's head, knocking a hole in it. His breathing became slower, deeper, almost as if he were calm, yet Eve knew that wasn't the case. For as much as she learned, she knew that shifters can slow down their breathing to calm themselves down.

"I-..." she whispered, trying to get out of the cage of his body.

"You what, Eve?" he questioned, pushing her body impossibly close to the wall, with almost no air to breathe.

"I never wanted to be with you. I never asked to be chosen!" Eve yelled in his face, tears escaping her eyes. She was upset, disappointed, and angry, but at the same time, her body trembled in fear. Whoever angered a shifter, would unlikely get away without facing the consequences.

"Ah, I see," Eros let go of her. He stepped backward and eyed the terrified human in front of him. Deep down, he hated himself for scaring her but not for long. Not until her words echoed in his mind.

"G- Go away, Eros. Leave," with a trembling voice, Eve tried to command him. Instead of the reaction she was waiting for- Eros laughed. A deep, loud, animalistic laugh filled her ears. No way, he's finding something amusing in their fight.

"Leave? Is that what I should do now?"

"Yes. Please." Eve straightened her body, facing him like a brave woman she hoped to become one day.

"You know, I would have given you the world," Eros half-smiled, letting the feeling of betrayal overtake him. He didn't bother to hide his emotions anymore. A mate was someone who was supposed to understand and support him. The one person who would love him unconditionally as he would do whatever she tells him to. And now, the one, gifted by the Moon Goddess, forced him to leave. Their souls were tied together, yet she couldn't feel that- that was what hurt him the most. She couldn't feel the connection he felt, she couldn't even try and see that Eros was genuinely trying his best. For her.

"I don't want your world. I want to wake up from this nightmare, away from all beasts, and the danger this world puts us under," Eve screamed, letting the emotions and most profound thoughts of hatred rule her.

"I just can't understand," he whispered. "I thought it was you and me until the end. I guess I was wrong since you're so eager to get out of here, away from my presence," an emotion of pain and jealousy washed over him.

"Are you going to see him? Getting rid of me to run to your lover, aren't you?" Eros growled; his pain was more than visible. Each word was laced in hatred and venom. Now, he was the one who tried to hurt others using words.

"Maybe," Eve shrugged her shoulders. Truthfully, she didn't like the feeling, nor the current situation. She didn't understand herself. All she wanted was to get out of his hands, yet all she did was make the situation worse. She lied, she hurt him and pushed him further than wanted.

"Okay, if you say so," Eros nodded.

"What? Really?" The shock was evident on Eve's face, never would she have thought that he would let her go so quickly.

"Yes."

"And that's all? A simple yes?" Now, Eve became curious- as to why the sudden change of mind. Just minutes ago, the shifter was raging in front of her after bringing up a man, which technically didn't exist. And now he acted as if he didn't need Eve anymore.

"If you think that he is everything you want in a man, I won't stand in your way. Eve, your happiness is the most important thing, the emotion- I treasure more than anything," Eros felt as if he had dropped on his knees in front of a weak human, giving his whole self for her to swallow.

"What's the catch?" This time she neared him cautiously, yet step by step, she moved closer to Eros. The man desperately wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her go.

"A week," he turned his back to her and headed for the door.

"A week? Wait, I don't understand. What will happen after a week?" Eve ran up to him and grabbed his hand, trying to prevent him from leaving. She needed answers. Eros sighed; his body froze.

"After a week, I'll come back. Enjoy your lover; for the time being, after that, I'll kill him. Do not try to talk back now, I've warned you- defy me, and the consequences are not my fault. I will kill him in front of your eyes and take you home. There, you'll become the perfect mate- I will provide for your needs, and you will carry my pups. Let's say- a perfect arrangement for both of us, don't worry, no feelings, emotions, or even love involved. This is our deal- you get to enjoy your lover, and later on, I'll get rid of him." Eve shivered at his cold worlds, she opened her mouth and quickly shut it again.

"Just like I said, a monster," she whispered as a lonely teardrop slid down her cheek. She let go of his hand and watched as Eros left her bedroom.