“I am not like other Alphas, Hua Ren,” he repeated, this time more gently. His grip softened. “I don’t want to tame you. I don’t want to clip your wings. In fact…” He let out a breath, a soft huff of helpless affection. “I love that you can fight. I love how incredibly strong you are and how you do not need to depend on anyone.”
Hua Ren blinked, startled.
Sheng Fei went on, “To be honest, I never even wanted to find my mate. I thought settling down would be a burden, something that would distract me from my mission. But when we fought that night and I felt your power, your fire, your strength, right then and there, I knew I wanted you. Not because you're my mate, but because you're you.”