Crown Of Hearts-Chapter 83: Because you are mine, Eros.

That kept Gareth quiet for a while as Eros cleaned his bruised arms, careful not to apply too much pressure on his wounds.

His mate’s gentleness was not lost on him and Gareth sighed softly.

If only this man hadn’t been a royal, then he couldn’t have had to put up walls around his heart.

His new mate’s family had put him through hell and he was not about to forget how his first mate had been forcefully snatched from his arms and given to another dragon male.

Gareth watched on as his mate slowly applied a salve on his wounds.

It stung a little and his entire body trembled when the man’s breath blew over his skin to soothe the sting.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Gareth asked, his eyes cautious and specktical.

"Because you are my mate." Eros answered simply and Gareth’s eyes hardened as a thought crossed his mind.

"What if I was not and I was just another random dragon?" Gareth asked and Eros’ eyes steadily held his.

"If you had hurt and threatened my family, then I couldn’t have blinked an eye as you were taken to meet your death." Eros didn’t lie and Gareth strangely liked that about his new mate.

Honesty was a good trait.

"And if I was an innocent red dragon, imprisoned for just existing. What could you have done....?" He trailed off, not knowing his mate’s name.

"Eros. My name is Eros and I couldn’t have stood by and watched as an innocent person got punished for nothing. I am not as cruel as you think I am, Gareth." Eros replied and he saw something briefly shift in his mate’s eyes before he adorned his armor once again and looked at him with carefully practiced indifference.

Eros let him protect his heart, glad to see that he had made the smallest progress in winning his mate over.

The dragon was no longer glaring at him.

Eros prepared his things to leave once he was done making sure that his mate was not going to die from an infection.

"Eros, wait..." Gareth surprised himself as he called out to his mate who was almost at the door.

His mind was unsettled as he thought about Eros’ mysterious lover and that feeling grew as his mate turned and their eyes met.

His mate had the most mesmerizing chocolate brown eyes and he liked to think it was a coincidence that brown was his favorite color.

Eros patiently waited for his mate to say something.

"Are going to go back to your lover?" Gareth asked and Eros’ lips parted softly in disbelief.

His mate was simply the most persistent person he knew.

"I am your mate." Eros answered simply and Gareth’s mood darkened.

"I am well aware but as we have already established, we have not really warmed up to each other so kindly give me a direct answer, Eros." Gareth groaned and Eros tried to hide the smirk that was quickly forming on his lips.

His mate was clearly bothered by the fact that he was seeing someone and Eros was not feeling particularly kind that morning.

The man had so clearly told him he didn’t want him the day before but his words greatly contradicted the questions he was asking.

"Why are you so bothered? I thought you didn’t want me." Eros questioned and Gareth’s eyes darkened as thick red scales covered his forearms and he violently tugged at his chains, trying to snap them so that he could pounce onto his mate and keep him from going into someone else’s arms.

His possessiveness burned as he glared at Eros.

"Because you are mine, Eros. Mine!!!" He growled and Eros grimaced slightly, certain he could have had the exact same reaction if his mate had been out flirting and sleeping with another person.

’Yes, I am yours but until you admit that you want me as your mate, I am going to let you suffer a little for rejecting me.’

Eros smiled bitterly at his thoughts as he turned his back on his enraged mate and walked out.

"I will see you tomorrow, Gareth." His voice was calm as he walked down the corridor, his dragon feeling bad that he had left his mate caged and restrained by chains.

....

Valerion and Eamon arrived during breakfast and Eros watched as they blinked in disbelief when he told them of Gareth.

"I didn’t see this coming " Valerion admitted.

"Where is he, Gareth?" Eamon asked and Eros’ lips curled up into a sad smile.

"Locked up in the dungeons. It seems my mate is still hellbent on destroying my family." Eros explained and Eamon squeezed his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"I am sorry that you are going through this." Valerion consoled, well aware he could have been a wreck if it had been Eamon behind bars.

He was actually impressed with how Eros seemed to have it all together.

Eros smiled faintly, appreciating his family for being there for him and once he was done with breakfast, he spent the rest of the morning with Eamon and Tia.

Valerion and Eamon returned to the human kingdom that evening and Eros found himself looking for ways of getting his mate to warm up to him as he paced back and forth in his room, unable to sleep. freeweɓnøvel~com

One way he could melt a hole through Gareth’s defenses was to officially break things off with his lover and so, Eros headed into town the next morning.

"You found your mate? How lucky." The dragon that was half a decade younger than him congratulated him and Eros couldn’t help wishing that he had had more luck.

Most dragons were not mated to someone that hated them.

"We can’t continue seeing each other but I wish you all the best in finding your mate." Eros smiled and he was surprised when he got a hug from the man.

"Good bye, Kian." Eros whispered as he wrapped his arms around him, returning the hug.

"Good bye, Eros." The handsome blue eyed dragon said as he pulled away and Eros left, a new idea on how he could get Gareth to tell him what he wanted to hear swirling through his mind.

Before he been his challenge to conquer his mate’s heart, Eros decided that the dragon had to at least want him for a mate and making him jealous was the fastest way to achieve that.