SPELLBOUND

Evie's eyes widened as her face immediately flushed a deep red. The intense glimmer in his bright eyes made her feel that familiar feeling Gavriel always evoke inside of her. It was as though her body was melting like butter on a hot pan before his scorching gaze and she was rendered utterly helpless.

Blushing hard, Evie swallowed and forced herself to look away from his hypnotizing eyes. "I really am fine, Gavriel. If… if I am hurt, you'd immediately know right? I mean, you'd be able to smell my blood immediately if I even have a single scratch on me." Evie realised that she was blabbering due to being slightly embarrassed at the intensity of his seductive gaze on her. When that registered in her mind, she bit down on her lip and blushed even harder. She could even feel the heat radiating from her cheeks.

Even though she wanted them to be with each other like this, Evie just felt like it would not be good for the both of them if this continues. She wanted to hold him and kiss him more and never let go but they have more important things to deal with at the moment. If she allowed him go further and do what she suspects he was planning to do now, she was almost certain there would be no way on earth that she would be able to stop him anymore. Of course, that is provided if things escalated towards something that was more than just checking. However, knowing this god of seduction husband of hers, there was a very high chance that he would do more than just merely checking. More than likely was that checking he mentioned was just a pretext for him to initiate something more once the clothes came off.

"I know," he whispered as he jailed her between his strong arms. His eyes smouldered through the strands of his dark hair, like a pair of moonbeams peeking through the veil of the night. "But wounds aren't the only indication of you getting hurt. I need to be more than a hundred percent sure, my love. Or else, there would be no way I will be able to calm down."

"B-but…" Evie tried to protest weakly before getting cut off.

"Damn Evie…" his expression changed suddenly. His calm and collected facade disappeared in an instant. And then the next second he was resting his head on her shoulder and his voice came out in a harsh agonizing rasp. "I can't believe I came so close to losing you. Had I arrived just a little later… if I was even a second late… you don't know how scared I was… I still am just by thinking about what might have happened if… if…"

"Gavriel." Evie had swiftly caught his face with her hands and looked at him intently before planting soft and gentle kisses all over his face, hoping that by doing this it would calm and sooth him down a little. "I am so sorry I scared you," she whispered, coaxing him with all the love she could muster.

"What if the third time something like this happen to you and I can no longer make it in…" he trailed of snarling. "Heavens… I can't bear it, Evie. I can't…"

Seeing the fear in his bright eyes and feeling the tenseness in his muscles, Evie could not help but to just hug him tight and providing support. She had never seen him this emotionally vulnerable before. And she could not believe that just the very thought of losing her seemed to be his greatest fear. She could not imagine if something bad really end up happening to her… how would he react at that time? Her heart swelled to the point that she felt like it would burst from all the love he was showering her with, yet at the same time it her heart ached for him because she was causing him all this fear so intense that it could even make a man like him tremble.

"I know you would never let anything happen to me." She whispered as she caressed his back with all the gentleness in the world. "Even if something like this would happen again, I know you would definitely arrive in time to save me." She smiled. "You would do everything and anything… even to the extent of giving me the whole world, but nothing can stop you from saving me, right? I will always trust in you, Gavriel. You are my hero after all."

With those words, Gavriel's body finally uncoiled and relaxed as his arms gripped Evie even tighter against him as if he wanted to have her permanently stuck to him so as to be closer than what was physically possible.

He did not bother to speak anymore but just quietly embrace her, fully enjoying the way she felt being cuddled in his arms. But for Evie, it felt as though he was finally coming to terms with his inner demons and his fear was now slowly being thrown away. She smiled again at the feel of his taut muscles slowly relaxing as she continued caressing him. She felt so pleased that she could cause this powerful man to tremble and then calm him down.

Evie had the feeling of wanting to protect this man at all costs as well, even though he seemed to not need her protection at all.

When Gavriel finally pulled away, his expression was no longer looking like a drenched trembling wolf. He was back to his usual cool, calm and composed self. Looking at him, Evie was astonished at how fast he managed to gather himself from that emotionally messed up wreck back to a calmed and controlled. She wondered if he ever showed others the many expressions he had shown her a while ago. Was he always this good in acting all tough and unbreakable?

"But wife… I still want to check every part of your body, or else, I would keep worrying about you actually hiding injuries beneath that thick clothes of yours from me." He said as his hands were already skilfully pulling at the complicated ribbons tied behind her dress and Evie could only hang her mouth open in astonishment. Wait!