Promise you I'll never leave your side

'Cause I'm telling you you're all I need

Aiden was well aware of the effect his family could have upon others, of the very effect they had, in turn, had upon him the night he had finally met them all. Mira, it seemed, was one of the few souls undaunted by that power, wealth, and authority that radiated from each man within his familial unit. She was nothing short of certain that they were incapable of swaying her, at least not on this. In a way, it was almost endearing, that she was so steadfast in her feelings for him...for them...and yet....by the same token, so too was it utterly terrifying. The depths of that care she had would only serve to shatter her all the deeper when everything broke apart at the seams. How would she handle learning that he was not the man he'd led her to believe he was? When he so abruptly left her? When he inevitably tried to put that distance between them for her own safety. God, he shouldn't have even considered gifting her that official title of his lover! What had he been thinking? Thankfully, before his thoughts could venture too far down that dark and dismal path, Mira's voice jerked him back to the present moment.

The emerald of his irises turned towards her as he reclined comfortably upon the crook of his own arm, his shoulders shifted in a truly vague shrug. "Matteo can best me in moments if he truly tried,." Aiden admitted with an overwhelming sense of certainty. He knew, after all, of the battles the fae had fought, the likes of which would surely have surprised Mira. He knew of the rigorous training his father had been through time and time again, the men his father had killed at Alexander's side. His own hot fury paled in comparison to the pure centuries of experience the unlikely fairy held beneath his belt. If only that was enough to save him. As much as Aiden would have liked to simply...return to that complicated ploy of a relationship the pair had, he had already offered her the solidity of something far more...permanent and yet, he was certain she had little idea of what she had agreed to. It was that which prompted the Were-King to slowly allow his lips to part, his emerald gaze watching with a sort of despondency that echoed within the multifaceted hue of his gaze.

Her name was soft upon his lips as he insisted he would hardly be able to provide her what she surely deserved. Aiden would, by all accounts, at every single opportunity, utterly fail her as her boyfriend, regardless of whether or not he wanted to. It was that audible inquiry of why he so frequently pulled away from her that prompted that near notable shift within the man, the question alone dragging him back to that stoic indifference he so frequently presented the world with. Oh, how that singular observation could lead them down a path he hardly wished to tread! How did he even begin to explain the dark horrors that his life had consisted of? Would he even want to? It would forever alter the way Mira looked at him - that once strong and unyielding Alpha reduced to a very life of wretched servitude. How little happiness truly existed for him when everything and everyone he ever held some resemblance of care for was stripped from him time and time again. This, perhaps, the most he had ever been allowed to truly live.

He was oblivious of the thoughts his silence seemed to procure in her, contemplations that his reservations had to do with her rather than the woman that stalked the dark recesses of his nightmares. Her almost hesitant query, however, near-instantly melted that aloof demeanor. Aiden shifted to his side, his fingers reaching out to caress her cheek, his touch alone meant to guide her straying eyes back towards him. How utterly aware he was, at that moment, of the vulnerability she so offered him - and though he too recognized that her question of his feelings for her was surely beneficial in his quest to remain detached from her, Aiden struggled to let that sadness persist. A distinctly subtle simper toyed at the corner of his features as he softly uttered her name, the Were-King continuing only when he was certain he had her attention. That soft utterance that he had wanted her was nothing short of genuine, those words prompted those once defendant lips to break out into a grin, the girl eying him with a newfound sense of...comfort.

Aiden allowed her fingers to slowly intertwine within his own, her hand gingerly holding his against her fair features, and yet her declaration that things were simple prompted a soft snort from his nose. He hardly expanded upon his thoughts, however, even if Aiden was certain that his life and, in turn, his relationships were anything but simple. Aiden remained silent, however, the emerald of his irises simply watching her as another contemplation crossed her thoughts. This one, however, prompted ready laughter from the Alpha, the very idea of him seeing someone else was so unlike him that he could hardly help the amusement at the sheer consideration of it. He struggled as it was with Mira, taking another woman into his bed seemed....utterly exhausting, the Were-King entirely unlike the vagabond ways of his father. "No, Mira. I'm not seeing anyone else. Matteo will laugh when I tell him you thought that." A clearly bemused simper drifted upon his features as he leaned back against the comfortable mess of pillows behind him.

A small yawn crossed the Were-King's lips, that tiredness still weighing heavily upon him, and yet, he could detect movement from somewhere further in the home, the sounds of pots and pans altogether enticing. Matteo was making breakfast. It was Mira's feminine voice that drew his gaze back towards her as she insisted on understanding his decision to keep his family a secret. It was, it seemed, the liberal usage of his name that baffled her most. Ah...that. Admittedly, it was perhaps a distinctly childish wish, the desire to keep Risque from ever discovering it, and thus so too choosing not to allow it's utterance by most of the world. His tongue brushed over his bottom lip in vague consideration. "It's...the only thing I have of my mother. I just....wanted to keep it for myself, I guess." He responded, his brows furrowing ever so slightly. In reality, he abhorred the idea of Risque uttering it with the sam saccharine sweetness of his mother. Aiden was aware that the thought was not wholly logical and yet, he was prone to those irrationalities when it came to saving any tidbit of his family from the vile woman. He was silent before he shifted slightly beneath the warmth of the bedsheets. "Matteo's probably making breakfast....if your hungry?"