The man was a person of few words, possessing a stoic, perhaps slightly cold exterior, but his actions spoke of a deep, grounding sense of responsibility. He had assets, a house, fertile land, and he possessed a skilled trade as a hunter, ensuring food on the table.
More importantly, his temperament was stable. He wasn't volatile. And, in a stroke of incredible luck, he had no living parents. There were no in-laws to serve, no elders to scrutinize or manage Ewan. It was a clean slate.
But the most significant variable in this equation was Ewan's own physiological response. He did not feel repulsion when Asher touched him. Even though his body retained the trauma of its original owner, an unconscious, ingrained rejection of Alphas due to past abuse, hadn't he accepted this man last night? Hadn't he melted into him?
