SPELLBOUND

Evie was dumbfounded. Did Gav not said that only when she called out his name would he appear before her? He could actually come out at his own will?!

She could only stare at those sinfully smouldering blue orbs of his. And she realized that the two of them seemed to have been caught off guard. Did the switch happen out of the blue for him as well?

But before Evie could say a word, he had already reached out to seize her into his arms and gripped her hard, so hard, that she could feel his body trembling a little.

"Evie…" his voice was hoarse as he called out her name and Evie managed to return his embrace after recovering from her initial shock. She could not believe what was happening and she was not quite sure on how to react. But right now, all that she was feeling within her was just the most immense form of relief. She was so glad that he had not truly disappeared as what she really thought happened and that everything about him as Gavrael was still here and had not been lost forever.

"Gav…" she uttered his name and Gavrael tightened his embrace around her as his aura darkened. The all brooding air around him seeping out as he gritted his teeth, causing Evie to pull away and look up at him. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" he did not seem to be pleased for some reason. She could feel how volatile his emotions were at this point.

He looked away, his face as dark as a stormy night, but his arms were still holding her, nonetheless. "I just came out and now you're already calling for him…" he murmured darkly, there was pain in his voice too.

Swiftly, Evie caught his face. Her palms lightly slapping against both his cheeks – she had done that intentionally – and that caused him to widen his eyes a little as he looked down at her, shocked at that tiny sting on his cheeks.

"I called for Gav, didn't I? Or did you hear me say Gavriel!" she scolded him but her gentle tone belied her actions. "And from now on I am going to use only 'Gav'. I want you to stop talking like Gavriel and Gavrael are two different persons, do you understand?" Evie made sure her tone was firm when she mentioned this. It was not something that she would be willing to compromise on. There was no point in having both personalities being hurt by misunderstandings that could be easily clarified. All she wanted to do was to love him.

He blinked at her, looking surprised at her words.

"I can't believe you'll get all this broody and jealous the very instant you're back, you silly, childish man." Evie continued on lecturing, "if you have already forgotten about how you have made me bawl and cry that last time when you said goodbye, then I'm telling you, I still remember it so vividly. So don't you dare act like this when you have hurt me so much the last time you were out." Evie reminded him sharply.

Gavrael was rendered speechless. He looked as though he totally had not expected this, her, scolding him this way. But her words… it immediately melted whatever dark emotions that had risen within him. And the memory of that moment, when she told him that she loves him, whatever side of him as she cried for him, struck a gong within his heart that continued ringing for quite some time.

Quietly, Gavrael moved and buried his face into her shoulders, hugging her tight. He was so incredibly happy, so happy that he thought that he might die. He truly never would have thought that Gavriel would have allow him to come out voluntarily and without certain conditions. He thought that Gavriel would only allow him to take over only when he needed him again like always. It was always when Gavriel was in extreme danger and could not resolve the problems with his own vampiric strength that he would summon him out. But this time, he actually…

"I'm sorry for hurting you…" he whispered weakly, but still not loosening his grip. "Forgive me for making you cry. I'll do anything for you… only if you promise you'd forgive me. Punish me all you want if that is what you need to make you feel better…" Gav desperately asked, suddenly afraid that she would not forgive him.

Her mouth dropped open. And his last line just made her remember what she had promised that time before the war with Galleous. She remembered how she had been so mad at him for imprisoning her in Crescia behind all those barriers that she had sworn she would punish him the next time she sees him.

This would be the perfect chance for her now, right? But… Evie could still feel the fear and reluctance oozing from him and she could not help but soften her stance for him. She sighed softly and started to caress his hair. How could she punish him when he is behaving like this? He is like soft cinnamon roll right now who could do nothing wrong but cling stickily onto her like this!

Of course, she would not be forgetting anytime soon on what kind of ferocious beast he was when he was provoked. But… right now, she could tell that he was still in an emotional mess. He was still fearful and reluctant or probably having a hard time believing the reality that is before him right now. Perhaps it was just too good to be true for him that he had the impression that he might be hallucinating.

And suddenly, a sudden mischievous idea popped into her head that made her ears turned red. Good gods, Gav was such a naughty god of seduction who always, always loved teasing her, that she could not even have the chance to tease him at all. In fact, she was always so powerless against Gav's teasing that Evie thought that even if she tries to tease him, he will definitely just turn the tables on her without her even realizing it had happened and ends up teasing her again until she explodes.. She always thought that it was impossible to tease Gav, but this version of him… Hmm… she chuckled internally.