𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑶𝑹

18

"Enough! " Eros is going to teach them a lesson. But a sudden whimper caught his attention and all his actions stopped.

"please don't hurt me" Aryah's voice comes out soft. She thinks that he is angry with her and finally going to kill her.

Eros's jaw tightens. He remembers all day what went through him when he came back from work, didn't find a little someone that his heart so desperately wanted to see all day...

And now she is scared of him. How could she not when he foolishly chased her in his beast form. Eros suddenly feels hatred towards himself.

Another fact he realizes is that he will eliminated anything that is a threat to her.

This type of thought is coexisting with his erge to keep her as close as possible, devouring her even.

Aryah closes her eyes as Eros tightens his hold. She could her her heart beat drumming in her rib cage in fright. But then he whispers in her ear, "calm down. No one is going to harm you. Not me , not anyone."

His words calms her heart. Although she already subconsciously knew Eros won't hurt her.

But his enraged form earlier, scared her seriously.

She gets out of his hold.

Eros frowns and reached out for her immediately but then stops seeing her uneasy form. He turns away to take deep calming breath. He doesn't know how to take the fact that she is scared of him... again. He can only try to calm himself and think straight from now on.

It is getting darker and darker in the forest so he needs to quickly find a shelter for her. The little one needs warm and safe place to sleep.

He turns to the carriage boy. "Where were you heading to?"

"....."

Looking at at frozen boy Eros rises one brow.

The girl who tried to run with Aryah speaks shakily, "to our village... We are almost there please spare us!"

The boy recovers form his frozen state and nods his head repeatedly. "Please let us leave!"

Eros hums.

"Get going "

They don't need to be told twice.

Dorian and Doek runs to the carriage in haste.

Doek's eyes pops out as she sees the vicious beast enter from another side of the door with Aryah in his arms. Aryah struggles but her power in no where near the leopard.

He rises one brow at doek as if telling , do You have any problem and sits across arrogantly, placing Aryah on his lap.

The carriage starts moving . But Dorian who is controlling the horse, feels the carriage is really heavy! But he doesn't care about that right now. At least they got away from the leopard!

"What are you doing Eros?"

Eros's mood is already bad seeing her struggles but he has to keep her close to him. For her safety and his sanity.

He tries to calmly explain to her
"You need a safe place to sleep. It is almost midnight."

Aryah doesn't know what to say. Why does he care? But cannot ignore that it feels good to have someone caring about her.

But she doesn't want to be a burden to someone. At the end of the day she is on her own. She hurriedly tries to explain,
"You have your own work too right? You don't have to come wi-" one glance from him shuts her mouth.

"I will keep you safe lil bird." He gently touches her head. But his eyes flashes some emotion.
Fear.
He doesn't know what to give her in exchange of her staying with him.

She gets up from his lap and sits beside him.
His jaw clenches but he lets her do what she wants.

"Little bird? Huff I am a big girl though!" She mumbles folding her hands, pouting. Small leafs are nested in her dark hair, evidence of her adventure earlier.

A rumble of husky laugh escapes from Eros's mouth. He picks out some leafs out of her curls. Looking at her face adoringly that is smaller than the size of his hand.

Sitting across from them Doek's eyes are still popped out. what on the earth is happening?
Then again she can hear the predator speaking softly to Aryah "...Did you eat anything?"

What on the world!?

Aryah shakes her head. Her stomach also decides to answer.
She frowns at her stomach.

Eros's eyes widen. He looks at the other person Infront of them. He is about to ask if the herbivore has any food.

Doek straightens up. She wants to be on a good side of the leopard so she hurriedly brings out some fruits and leaf from her bag, quickly bringing them forward.
"Here Aryah you can eat these right?"

Eros eyes these unappetizing things. Carefully picking the red and yellow fruits from them with two long fingers, diminishing the rest. He gives them to Aryah.

"Thank you Doek!" Aryah gratefully starts eating all the fruits.

Doek nods wiping some sweat from forehead.

Eros watches her eating hurriedly thinking how hungry she was. He wants to pinch her cheek for acting recklessly and putting herself in danger.

"Such a messy baby-" he reaches out and wipes her sticky lips.

Aryah just smiles at him sweetly. She momentarily forgets that she is supposed to be afraid of him...

But this brings unusual hope into Eros's heart.

He turns looking outside the window feeling sudden warmth into his chest.

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