Regarding to the comfortable talk with Levi a few days ago, it had become a routine for Eren and his Alpha mate to get comfy on Levi's bedchamber for a tea-time and light conversations, not to forget the innocent peck on the cheek everytime they decide to call it a night.

Eren was still getting all shy and flustered with the new routines, but nonetheless, it also made the two getting closer each and every day.

And today was no different.

On a sunny afternoon, while the two were getting all comfortable at Levi's study room, Eren tugged Levi's sleeve while looking at the steel-blue eyes hesitantly, "So… Armin and Mikasa told me that they already stroll around the whole castle…"

"Let me guess, you want to stroll around the whole castle too?" Levi smirked, amused by the fact that his mate was so easy to read.

"Yes! Ugh, it's just so annoying. I feel like I'm being left behind by those two! They could've asked me if I wanted to tag along or not. But they always say that they don't want to interrupt my bonding time with you. Like, really?" Eren flailed his arms in the air irritatingly.

The dramatic attitude made Levi chuckle and got up from his seat, "Alright, shall we go stroll around, then?"

"Well, if you insist!" Eren smiled bashfully, which Levi replied with amused hum.

Levi grabbed onto Eren's wrist and gave it a little tug as a sign to follow the Alpha's lead. Eren easily complied, seeing as now he could handle this kind of touch without being nervous. In fact, it made him felt all funny inside; he got butterflies in his tummy and warmed by the touch. Eren loved it.

During the whole walk, Levi introduced Eren to the pack members that happened to passed them by as one of the survivors from the Armored Colossal Pack and soon-to-be the member of the Shadow Corps Pack, minus the knowledge about him being the Alpha's mate.

Eren didn't get to meet with everyone from the pack during the walked around the castle, because usually only the inner council and the ranked members that swarming around the area. It's rare for other members hanged around the main house without any particular reasons.

In the huge living room that connected with the dining area, Eren and Levi bumped into Jean and Connie, along with a girl that Eren hadn't met just yet. Her name was Sasha, one of the pack's Fighters with tall figure and brown hair in a ponytail. She was also the pack's cook and Connie's mate.

After they introduced themselves with each other, Sasha didn't forget to give Eren a knowing look when she saw him took a walk with Levi before they parted ways.

Next, Eren and Levi went into the library. There, they met with Petra who was teaching some of the teenage members about healing knowledge, with the help from Armin since he used to tutor the pack members.

And then of course, when Eren and Levi were strolling around the outdoor area, they met with Mikasa, Oluo, Erd, and Gunther who were teaching other teenage members about advance fighting movement.

Eren and Levi didn't know how Armin and Mikasa ended up helping the inner council and ranked members, but it was such a pleasant sight. The two fitted in really well, as if they were the members of the Shadow Corps Pack from the beginning.

Somehow, Eren glad that the three of them could get themselves busy while they stayed at the castle. That way, they could forget a little bit about the nightmare that haunted them every night; the memories of the night where the Wild Titan Pack had been destroyed by the Armored Colossal Pack.

"Eren?" Levi caressed Eren's arm when he saw the grim look on the brunette.

At the sudden touch, Eren came back from his dark thoughts and blinked rapidly at Levi, "Huh?"

"You zoned out a bit."

"Ah, sorry. I just—"

"Alpha!" A loud cheering made Eren cut his talk and turned his head to the source of the loudness.

There, at the other side of the outdoor area, gathered a bunch of children around seven and young-teens. The sight of a few of them were striking a pose with Jean, Connie, and Sasha, indicated that they were training hand-to-hand combat.

'Maybe today is teaching day. All I can see is people learning and training everywhere on the outdoor of main house,' Eren thought.

"Oi, what are you doing? Training? Don't slack off," Levi spoke with his Alpha tone.

"Yes, Alpha!" The children and the young-teens replied in unison along with the three Fighters and continuing their training.

Through that time, Eren eyed them with interest. It's been a while for him to trained or be trained.

Unconsciously, Eren was approaching one of the young-teens and beamed at the boy, "Hey, you're pretty good at the twisting and punching. I could show you a little trick for it."

The boy seemed hesitant at first. He didn't know who Eren was. But when the Alpha gave him a firm nod, he immediately gave Eren an okay.

Eren signalled the boy to watch him and focused not only his hands, but also on the legs.

Once he got the boy's attention, he spun around using the left foot, while the other stilled for balancing purpose. He then grabbed both of the boy's wrists with his left hand and pushed his right arm for a punch; aiming it to the boy's face with inhuman speed.

Just when his knuckles only a mere centimetre from the boy's face, Eren stopped and tuck his right foot back to the ground and rested both of his hands on his side.

Almost everyone stared at Eren in awe. Some of them even approached Eren and asked the brunette to repeat the movement, which Eren agreed completely.

Without even realising it, Eren showed them another movement and somehow, he joined Jean, Connie, and Sasha on teaching them.

Despite being watched by the Alpha, they enjoyed today's training, thanks to Eren and his easy-to-follow instructions. Even the three trainers glad that Eren get to help them. Obviously, teaching a bunch of children and young-teen wasn't an easy task.

Even before Eren and Levi left to continue their walk after the training had finished, the children and the young-teens still gathered around the brunette. Some were trying to talk with admiration, some even tried to get to know the brunette since it's the first time they saw him.

It made Eren flustered a bit, because most of them talked to him at once, and Eren didn't know how to react. One of the young-teens even bluntly asked about who Eren was and why he was with the Alpha.

Upon hearing the question, the Alpha cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, "Eren here is soon to be one of our pack members. And, well, because he's special, I want you to treat him nicely if you ever bump into him."

"Why Eren is special?" One of the children asked curiously.

"You will soon to find out later. Now, if you excuse us, I still need to give Eren a tour around the castle," Levi answered. He then put his hand onto Eren's back as to guide him to another area.

The children and the young-teens along with Sasha bid them goodbye. Meanwhile, Jean and Connie gave Eren a knowing look, making the brunette blushed as he was being led away by Levi.

When they continued their walk, they passed Farlan and a few subordinates at the patio; they were talking about rescheduling-duty on guarding the territory. The two stopped for a while to greet the subordinates, and again, Levi introduced Eren as soon to be one of the pack members.

While Eren and the subordinates introduced each other, Farlan gave the Alpha a polite nod followed with a knowing smile, which Levi replied with a scowl.

Eren talked a few minutes with the subordinates. He even leisurely told them about how Oluo bit his tongue when Eren first met him. That ended up as a joke and made the subordinates laughed.

At the sight in front of him, Levi gave himself a low approving hum. The response Eren got from the pack members up until now was beyond warm. He was getting along really well with almost everyone, mostly the children. They easily took a liking on the brunette and that made Levi somehow feeling happy.

When they parted ways, Eren continued strolling around the castle with Levi.

During the walk, the Alpha looked at Eren with admiration on his face, "You are great with children and teenagers. You'll be a good dad, or mom, for that matter. The adults also took a liking of you, it's like they already respect you despite your stuttering at the beginning."

"Uhm, thank you?"

Levi stopped on his track. The sudden halt made Eren followed the Alpha's suit.

Then, Levi took one of Eren's hands and put it on his cheek while caressing the tan fingers with his pale ones, "You know what? Screw Erwin. I'll introduce you as my mate once the welcoming ceremony held for you along with Mikasa and Armin in the next two weeks."

"Wait, two weeks?"

"I want the ceremony to be held sooner, but this week will be one hell of a busy week, so—"

"Wait, I'm not talking about the ceremony! Uh, you introduce me, are you sure, Levi? It's—"

Levi let go of Eren's hand and cupped his tan cheek, "The member of my pack, they are not only strong and loyal, but they are an open minded person. So, you don't have to worry your pretty head about us, an Alpha male and his male's mate."

"But, if you're going to introduce me as your mate that means—"

"I have to mark you before the ceremony. I know, and I hope you're ready. Not now, of course, but by the time we're nearing the ceremony time."

Eren blushed furiously, but he also can't help the shy smile that crept on his face, "Yeah. Then we got like, two more weeks to get to know each other even more and get all comfy before you mark me."

"You know we are doing that right now, right? Get to know each other and get all comfy while I give you tour around the castle."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, maybe because I haven't had my first shift yet, so I lack on the urge to mark you, or even mate with you…" Eren's expression turned bitter at the mention of him not having his first shift yet.

"Eren, I told you it's okay. As long as you're not rejecting me—"

Eren snapped his head toward Levi with determined look on his face, "I'm ready. Um, marking each other I mean. I'm ready, now or later."

"Eren," Levi warned him.

"No, seriously, I'm ready! It's been what? A week since we're getting comfy around each other? Normal mates would mark each other right then and there once they found out that they are mates," Eren protested.

"I know. But I can see that you're still not one hundred percent ready with us marking each other, and that's okay, I will wait until you are fully ready."

"Then touch me more," Eren mumbled shyly.

"What?"

"You should touch me more; we should touch each other more so by the time before the ceremony, I'll be ready."

What Eren had said didn't make any sense, Levi didn't get what he meant by that. But still, he caressed his mate lovingly on the cheek, making the brunette shuddered at the touch.

With fingers still hovered around Eren's cheek, Levi slowly asked, "When you said 'touch', does that mean in an innocent way or—"

"Whatever you wish, Alpha. Make me ready," Eren cut him off.

And that's enough for Levi to understand the meaning of it. He moved his hand from Eren's cheek to his chin while the other hand held onto the back of the tan neck as the Alpha captured his mate's plump lips.

It started as something innocent, nothing sexual. It was something soft and warm.

If someone asked Eren where did he have his first kiss, the brunette will proudly answered, 'Somewhere around the castle, in an empty hallway. Romantic isn't it?'

The kiss was mesmerising, Eren felt as if the butterflies would burst out from his stomach from the excitement.

Even when Levi let go of the kiss to let Eren breathe, the brunette immediately locked their lips again, the second after he filled his lung with air. Eren never want to let go of the kiss. He started to kiss Levi with more passion, which earned a satisfied hum from the Alpha.

They kept kissing for a few minutes, sometimes with a little tongue involved in the act on a few last kisses.

Levi was the first to let go, much to Eren's displeasure. It earned a low whine from the brunette, which made the Alpha chuckled, "I think it's enough with the tour and the kiss. You are barely able to stand with your own feet."

What Levi said was true. Had the Alpha's strong arms didn't wrapped around Eren's slim yet toned waist; his body would fall to the ground. The kiss turned Eren's feet into a lump of jelly. He didn't mind about it anyway, and neither did Levi.

Eren, who was now resting all his weight onto Levi, could only nod weakly, "Yeah, sure," He murmured with a smile.

That's how they ended up lazing around on the couch in Levi's bedchamber all day long, sharing a few little kisses here and there.

It was such a good day.

A week had passed since the tour around the castle with Levi and the first kiss with Levi. Everything went by so fast, just like any other day Eren and Levi had spent on them together.

But not now.

Not when Levi left the castle this morning to go to Erwin's territory for a day or two to discuss about the ceremony, and of course, to talk about future plan to take back Eren's homeland.

To be honest, they were blind about whatever that had happened there. Planning about the future attack plan with Erwin was probably only a waste of time as of right now.

Ymir, Levi's third in command that supposed to spy on Armored Colossal Pack can't even be contacted and hadn't gave any useful information just yet.

The Alpha put all his hope and faith on Ymir. But if by the next two weeks she hadn't come back to give any report, then Levi need other plan. Probably even a rescue plan in case Ymir had been caught by the enemy's pack.

Erwin even helped. He sent one of his Beta, Mike Zacharius, to went after Ymir and lend her a hand to help the exploration toward the Armored Colossal Pack's movement could be done faster.

While the Alpha fulfilled his duty, much to Eren dismay, the brunette felt something weird in him the very second he woke up. He felt restless, but he shrugged it off as a mere exhaustion.

That, or maybe Eren just missed Levi already.

Little did he know that none of them were the causes.

At night time, when everybody was either sleeping or guarding the area, Eren was wide awake in his room. His breath ragging uncontrollably, he was sweating all over, and every part of his body hurt. He couldn't sleep.

Eren wished Levi was here with him, to hold him and told him that everything would be okay, that Eren would be okay. Because as far as Eren knew, the presence of a mate will soothed the pain away, or at least it would make Eren felt better.

But Levi wasn't there to soothe the pain away. The Alpha chose to stay the night at Erwin's and came back to the castle tomorrow.

Just great.

Eren didn't know when it happened, but he was now sobbing. The pain became too much for him.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

The pain started to became unbearable.

At first, it was his hands; the finger bones started to snap. The second, he felt his ribs cracking. It continued everywhere in a matter of second, his bones kept breaking for no reason.

Eren screamed in agony, alerting the entire castle with his shrieking sound.

The brunette started to lost consciousness. He felt like his throat been ripped off from all the noises he made. He found it hard to breathe, probably from the pieces of broken ribs that stabbed his lungs. The pain was killing him.

'Levi. Levi. Levi. Levi. Levi.'

The name of his mate was what Eren chanting in his thought to keep himself stay conscious.

'Levi, what happen to me? Am I going to die?'


Chapter End Notes:

I just need to make a scene where Eren, Armin, and Mikasa trying to fit in. Boring, I know. But this needs to be mentioned. Otherwise, it won't make any sense if once they officially joining Levi's pack and the pack members who don't even know who they are will going to be like: "Who are you people?" Get what I mean? c: