Asher looked at her in silence for a long moment. His purple eyes remained fixed on her face as though trying to understand something, and then slowly, a small smile spread across his lips - soft, genuine, and warm.
"I know," he finally said, his deep voice carrying none of the earlier coldness he had directed toward Elixir. "I'm not trying to make things difficult for him because you chose him as your beast husband. I just..." He paused before letting out a quiet breath. "I have a tribe to protect. Hundreds of people depend on me. I can't afford to lower my guard simply because someone is important to me."
Before he could continue speaking, Aurora stepped forward once more. Both men immediately fell silent as she reached up and cupped Asher's face between her palms.
