Page 76 of The Alpha's Sold Pregnant Mate

“You…Are looking for trouble, my lady,” he said, walking over to her.

“Oh, yeah?” She gently spread her legs wider, exposing her panties even more.

Asher swallowed hard and reached down to hold her, but she rolled off the bed, laughing.

“Come on, that's not fair.” He lay on the bed and chuckled as he watched her pull up her spaghetti strap while standing over him.

“In my defense, I was only practicing something I read.”

“So, you used me as a lab rat?” he joked.

“If I wanted a lab rat, I'd just use Jerry.” She stole a glance at the squirrel's cage, and Jerry squeaked in disagreement. “Relax, I'm just kidding.”

“You know, I still don’t fully understand your connection to this animal.” Asher rested on his elbows as he stared at his wife, appreciating her beauty.

“Me neither,” she replied.“But he's my pet.”

Asher got off the bed and pulled her to himself.

“Ooh!” she gasped as he pressed her against his groin.

“These past few months have been the best of my life,” he said to her. “All thanks to you.” He kissed her lips.

“It should be me thanking you, Asher, for taking good care of me, loving me, and going out of your way to be more romantic for me.” She smiled.

“Hey… Now that we're on the same page and we're pregnant, don't you think that it's time you moved into my room?”

Her face brightened. “I thought you'd never ask.” She kissed him, and their tongues twirled passionately for a while until she pulled away after seeing a fire burning brightly in the woods through the window.

Asher traced her gaze and said. “That's where the wards that had kept us alive before you came are made. Would you like to see it?”

“Yes, please,” she replied. “I'd like to learn.”

“Alright, then. Get dressed.” He said to her,

Esme changed into a simple green gown and stepped out of the wardrobe.

“You look beautiful,” he said, admiring the hair she had just styled in ringlets around her head.

“Thank you,” she replied with a smile.

He held her by the hand, and they left the room.

The night was calm, with the stars twinkling in the celestial canvas above. A crescent moon was hanging somewhere in the sky, and a gentle wind blew across the town.

The closer they got to the woods, the more audible the chants became.

“We don't have witches in our Pack,” he said to her as they walked between towering trees. “That's before you came along, of course—but we do have our roots. You see, we hail from a bloodline of Shamans, which is why we can survive on this land.”

“So… Your people don't need a witch to make the charms and wards?” she asked.

“I wouldn't say we don't need a witch,” he replied. “But in the absence of any, my people had to depend on our Shamanistic roots. Our priests have the ability to connect to the spirit realm, to draw from the energy of the moon,” he said to her. “And that's what has been keeping us safe until the curse grew stronger.”

They reached the heart of the dense forest, and beneath the canopy of ancient trees, she saw some Elders clothed in their native attire: robes made of wolf fur with feathered hats on their heads. Their faces were painted red as they sat around a bonfire.

Esme watched as they chanted in unison, their voices rising and falling like the rhythm of the earth itself, as they prepared to craft wards to protect their sacred lands from malevolent spirits.

She couldn't really fathom why they still relied on their old ways when they now had her. But then, it was their culture, and she had to understand that.

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