Markus's pov
I managed to stay away for three days in order to calm myself down. Eric never hid anything from me, yet now he had somehow come back from the dead and he was acting like it was no big deal. I tried to focus on my experiments, but my mind keeps going back to Eric's strangely defeated eyes when we last spoke. What could have made him act that way? That's it, I'm getting answers today. I set down my tools and straightened everything up before making my way to the main part of my lab where Eric was recovering, freezing as I took in the scene before me. Eric, a fully healed, fully dressed Eric, was tumbling around with our pups who yipped and chirped happily.
"How?"
Eric went still, his desperate gaze connecting with mine.
"Please don't ask anymore, Markus . . . I-I can't talk about it."
"Why? You've never hidden anything from me before."
"Do you love me?"
"Of course . . . what does_______?"
"If you really love me, don't question me about this anymore. I can't tell you for my own safety and for our pups."
I wasn't satisfied with his declaration, but Nolan warned me to let it go.
'What is it?'
'You don't feel it? Emmett is barely there anymore, he won't respond to me.'
'What are you saying? If Emmett didn't heal him, who did?'
'I don't know . . . something strange is involved in this.'
"What's wrong with your wolf, Eric? Who healed you?"
Shaking his head, Eric turned his attention to our pups.
"I will never leave you, Markus. I gave my word that I will stay by your side and submit myself to you, no matter what you do to hurt me. I will obey you without question when it comes to my body and our pups . . . that's my price and you never knowing the reason I'm alive and healed is the price you have to pay."
I could feel something happening that I didn't want . . . I was getting angry again. He actually felt like being with me was a price that he had to pay? After everything I've done for him, he believes that my love for him comes with a cost? A cold smile crossed my lips as I approached him and he jumped and jerked away when I grabbed his shoulder.
"Why are you trying to escape from me, Eric, didn't you say you're supposed to submit to me? Isn't that your price for being with me?"
Eric finally turned to me and I could see tears in his eyes, but he didn't respond and I decided to push him a little more.
"Just tell me one thing, how long has your submissiveness been a price . . . was it from the first time we kissed or the first time we made love? How about the first time you said you loved me, were you just submitting to me then? Have you just been pretending this whole time out of a sense of obligation?"
"And what if I was? I mean, you kidnapped me and erased all my memories so I would depend totally on you and then you experimented on me so I would bare your pups, what other reason would I want to be with someone like you?"
"You remember everything, huh? Then tell me why are you still here? Your oh so nobel obligation isn't enough of a reason for me to want you by my side . . . so I've decided to let you go, take our . . . your pups and run back to your pathetic little mate."
"Why are you doing this?! I-Isn't it enough that I'm here with you in spite of everything?! That I share your bed and gave you pups . . . why do you have to have everything your way?!"
