Page 27 of The Alpha's Sold Pregnant Mate

“It's never happened before,” he continued. “Ideally, whatever effect this measure was to have on the curse was supposed to have started at least a couple of days after the consummation of the marriage ceremony.”

“Right. But here we are,” Asher replied. “So, you're saying this is the first time this has actually happened.”

They stopped under Apiana's tree, taking some time to marvel at the speed at which it was blossoming.

“Do you want to know what I think?” Elder William asked him, and he gave his attention.

“I think it wasn't by chance that you found Esme…I think it was fate.” He exhaled slowly, “Meeting her wasn't random, and I know that she's the remedy to our problems.”

Asher got off the chair, opened his window, and leaped off to the next window beside his room. From there, he jumped on the ledge of another and propelled himself up to the branch of a tree opposite Esme's room.

He squatted, balancing his feet on the branch as he lurked within the leaves with his glowing eyes. That particular tree had beendead barely twenty-four hours ago.

Esme was pacing to-and-fro in her room with a finger in her mouth. He could tell that she was deep in thought. She looked very beautiful in that white nightgown, and her wavy black hair fell loose on her shoulders.

She kept changing positions while thinking, going from the bed, to the table, to the door, and back to the bed again.

He knew this wasn't going to be easy for her, and he'd expected her to really think about it, even after accepting his proposal about two hours ago.

A smile lined a corner of his lips as he recalled his conversation with her.

She had called for him after eating, telling Hilda, one of the two women in charge of her well-being, to relay the message.

When he knocked on the door, she asked him to come inside, and her two companions excused themselves before dematerializing.

She had taken a shower and was smelling really nice. Hilda and Matilda had given her clean clothes to change into and had properly combed her long, wavy black hair.

Her once dry lips were now wet and glossy. Ashernoticed that her nails looked neater and well- trimmed. The pedicure and manicure made her look more like a woman than in her previous state.

She was glowing, radiating, and he could barely even recognize her. She looked like a goddess. Her slender figure was a physique that he found very attractive. Her round face, pale and soft skin, and infectious smile melted his heart.

They heard the door shut quietly after the women left the room, and Asher walked over to her.

“Hi.” He smiled.

“Hey.” She tried to shy away from his gaze, which was either making her uncomfortable or making her blush.

“You uh…” he suddenly went speechless, scratching the back of his head. “You asked for me?”

“I did,” she said, gesturing at a chair opposite the bed. He went over to sit.

“Have you considered my offer?”

With a sigh, she answered, “Yes. Yes, I have.”

His heart limped for a moment as he tried not to think about the possible reply he'd get. He stayed composed and asked, “And…?”

She hesitated, and he hated the unnecessary suspense. This was beyond the affairs of the Pack now; it was a more personal reason. He was beginning to like her—besides, what was there not to like?

She was beautiful, smart, kind, and also very strange. Of course, Asher wanted her to himself.

“I'll do it,” she announced to him.

Asher drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“Not that I'm ungrateful… But why?” he asked.

“Maybe because I can't sit back and watch an entire tribe get wiped out when there's something that I can do about it. Plus… I don't really have anywhere else to go.”

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