"You called for me, alpha?" She whispered into my ear.

"Eira, what do you think you’re doing?"

"I’m getting ready to please my alpha. I already know why you summoned me. There is only one thing you would want with the wife of your former alpha. You wish to show me how better you are than Roran, isn’t that right? I’m not as pathetic as to cry or beg, so I’m giving myself willingly." She whispered seductively while trailing her finger up my thigh.

"You misunderstand. I only wished to talk," I said, picking up her robe and draping it over her shoulders.

Her expression turned a bit serious.

"Huh? It can’t... what are you playing at?"

She stared at me as if she couldn’t believe a word I said.

Eira struck me as a bit of a willful woman. The kind of woman who doesn’t like to be tied down and told what to do. She was spoiled. Which made sense, seeing as before she married Roran, she used to be the daughter of an alpha.

Because of that, not even Roran could tame her. When he died, she didn’t even shed a tear. Even when her own son died, she barely had any reaction. What kind of life did she live that forced her to harden her heart to the world so much?

My status as primordial true alpha allowed me to understand those in my pack more than they understood themselves, so I was beginning to understand why she was like this.

"All anyone has ever wanted from me was my body. Even my own father sold me off to Roran without any consideration to how I felt. And you expect me to believe you’re any different from them?"

She looked angry, as if she was barely containing herself. She already put herself through the humiliation of offering her body to me, and now I was rejecting that offer. That is what she was thinking.

"All I want from you is your knowledge," I assured her. "I know how hard it is to be the wife of an alpha. All anyone expects you to do is bear his children and not have any opinion of your own. But with me, you get the freedom you’ve always desired."

"Y-You will give me freedom to do whatever I want?"

I lifted up her chin so she was staring directly in the eyes. The two of us were locked into each other’s eyes, and at that moment, our connection was stronger than ever. She probably felt as if I was the only person who truly saw her. That I alone could ever understand her.

As her alpha, she instinctually felt as if I was more important than anyone or anything. Even her own life. And now, the most important person to her was telling her how much he understood her.

"My alpha..."

"I know just how smart you are, Eira. When Roran died, the smart thing to do was to leave, but yet no one saw that. No one except you."

And now she was getting praised by that person.

I wasn’t lying. Eira was smarter than most, and I needed smart people the most. The fact that she came here ready to submit proved just how smart she was. Roran never gave her the chance to let her true talents shine, but I will! As the alpha, it is my duty to make sure that everyone in my pack reaches their full potential. Even a common stone can shine if polished well enough.

If these words were coming from someone else, she would’ve brushed it off as nothing. But since it was coming from me, her alpha, someone she shared a strong emotional connection with, she was reduced to tears in my arms.

She cried as if it was the first time she had ever shed a tear. To her, it felt as if she was at the safest place she could be. And all the years of accumulated stress came out all at once. Finally, someone understood her.

"I didn’t want to get married... I didn’t want children... I didn’t want any of this!"

I didn’t say anything, only held her as she let it all out. When she was finally done crying, she got dressed in her robe and apologized for the way she acted.

Now that the air had settled, she looked a bit more embarrassed by the whole ordeal. She seemed more self-conscious now whenever I looked at her. And that was how I knew she was tamed.

"It’s fine, you don’t have to worry," I assured her. "What I really wanted to talk to you about are witches."

"Witches?" She asked wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Yes, I was told that your former pack had a good relationship with them. I wanted to ask how I could get in contact with them."

Her face brightened up a bit.

"Oh yes! My father had built a good relationship with a coven of witches. They can be extremely useful, but they are quite expensive."

"I see."

"May I ask, what do you want from them exactly?"

"I want information and for them to take me somewhere. I also want them to create a barrier to keep unwanted monsters, humans, and supernatural creatures out of my territory."

"I see, that does sound expensive. They’ll probably charge an arm and a leg. I don’t see how we could possibly afford it."

"It’s best to get them at the table first before we start negotiating price," I said.

"Yes, you’re right." She nodded. "One moment..."

She bowed slightly before leaving. The moment she left the room, my sensitive hearing picked up the sound of giggling coming from behind the door, followed by ragged gasps. After that, she was gone. She finally returned a few minutes later, but this time she was appropriately dressed and sporting some rather expensive-looking jewelry.

"My alpha," she smiled and extended something to me. "This is all you’ll need."

It was a ring with a green crystal on it.

"Just rub the crystal three times and they’ll sense your intention."

I followed Eira’s instructions and took the ring from her palm and began rubbing the green crystal. It felt a bit strange, but before I could linger on that thought, the ring began to glow ominously, and soon the projection of a woman could be seen standing in front of us, clear as day.

I knew it was a projection instantly, simply because the woman had no presence. The woman looked to be in her early twenties and wore a long green dress. Under the right circumstances, you would mistake her for a nun.

She had long, free-flowing green hair and emerald-colored eyes. Her entire appearance seemed otherworldly. When she saw me, her pink plush lips curved up into a smile.

"Alpha Liam, it’s good to finally meet you."