A chunk of well-cooked steak magically appeared right in front of me.

I blinked a couple of times before parting my lips to bite off the steak from his fork.

Eros' lips curved into a small smile and his eyes were downcast as he continued to patiently cut up more portions of the steak on my plate.

"Sorry," I muttered through a mouthful of steak.

I grinned sheepishly at his handsome face before was.h.i.+ng the perfectly seasoned steak down with a sip of cool water.

"Are you worried about what the council said?" There was a slightly awkward pause that ensued right after his question.

I couldn't help but nod my head.

"Eros, I don't want to have kids—pups yet," I finally reply, watching him through my lashes.

Eros set the plate of finely cut steak in front of me and placed a fork down on top.

I dropped the bomb on him and he looked completely fine, handsome face still really calm and relaxed.

His beautiful blue eyes stared deeply into my own and I couldn't help but choke back a sigh of relief.

At least he doesn't seem mad.

"Forget about what they said, Emira. We will go at our own pace. 3 months. 6 months. 1 year. 10 years," he softly said, his fingers brus.h.i.+ng off a strand of hair that had stuck to my lips. "It doesn't matter how long it takes. We have a whole lifetime ahead of us and I will wait for you, regardless of what the council says."

I couldn't stop my heart from beating rapidly in response because I knew that every word he spoke was true.

And I believe him.

From the very bottom of my heart, I believe Eros.

"But they said—"

"I will protect you, Emira. Even if the G.o.ds themselves come, I will protect you." The conviction and truth in his words made my eyes burn with unshed tears.

"What's the use of this Alpha position if I can't even protect you?" he murmured, his voice slightly gruff and rasp as if he was asking himself that.

I had to bite down on my tongue hard to keep from crying.

No one has ever made me feel the way that Eros does.

Not even family has willingly protected me the way he has.

And I'm sure that I will never find anyone that will willingly do that without asking for anything in return.

I pressed the back of my palm to my nose and mouth to cover the suddenly overwhelming emotions that filled me, trying to hold the dam together before the tears start rolling.

He's making me too emotional.

"Don't cry," he said. Eros picked up my fork and brought a piece of steak up to my mouth again.

"It's all your fault for being so cheesy." I attempt to glare at him before biting down hard on the steak and chewing rapidly.

"I can't help it when it comes to you, Emira," he softly said, handing me a napkin to wipe my mouth.

"Stop it. You're giving me gooseb.u.mps." I waved my fork at him before taking a bit of mashed potatoes from the plate.

He chuckled, slightly shaking his head at my childish antics.

The room had gone comfortably quiet now with occasional sniffles here and there from me as I viciously chewed on the steak.

I glanced up slightly from the steak to look at Eros who was looking at his doc.u.mentation, patiently waiting for me to finish my meal.

Since that first time that we ate together, Eros has not eaten with me again.

What I mean to say is that he stays with me the duration of the meal, watching me eat until I'm finished.

He never eats while he is with me.

I asked him once but he had waved it off and gave me the same old reply that he would eat later.

It was oddly unsettling.

"What is it?" He glanced up from his paperwork and gave me a soft smile that lit up his eyes, waiting patiently for my reply.

"If our relations.h.i.+p is to work, Eros, I need to know all aspects of you. It feels weird to be eating by myself every time," I said.