Grimoire was aware of her lustful gaze; she had intended it. This male offered no indication that he noticed it. He was not squeamish, which told her he was confident in his stature. Being on unresponsive to it caused her to conclude that he was focused on the work, not on the reward. His brow arched in response to her inquiries. Grimoire shrugged her shoulders coquettishly. A girl had to ask; whatever conclusion he came to about her inquiries were locked in his head. When he graciously answered, however, Grimoire figured that he’d seen reason in her questioning. And oo that baritone. It was harmonic; she could have listened to it all day.

Ears stilled into attentive pinnacles as he spoke, listening for fluctuations of inner thoughts. Her eyes traced the lines of his face to detect expression and watch for intent. Grimoire considered his first statement. It showed her he was selfish and potentially egotistically; the two were often found in the same boat. It also informed her that he wasn’t actually a member of Diveen so much as a mercenary they’d procured because they had given him the sweetest deal.

She nodded in confirmation to his inquiry abut being able to offer him a reward, but she remained quiet; he had yet to answer her first question. Grimoire’s head titled to one side at his comment about mercenaries. It was fact. It was also a warning; she needed to reward him well because of his prior obligation. A smirk worked into her smile and her eyes narrowed into wicked swords. He played with words well. Then his name came. Dirge.

Stunning name. It rolled off the tongue, and it’s meaning hung heavily between them. Grimoire was startled to see his recation. He had been stoic earlier, masking every though that crossed his head. But on surged to the surface and shifted his gaze away. His brow tensed… and he turned. Each gesture was small, but also in such contrast to his earlier demeanor she noticed it as if cymbals crashed together and shaken the cave around them. Ashamed was the description her mind produced of his actions, of his hanging head, and his back turned to her. His last question have her the finally confirmation of her earlier observation; for him, it was about the work and less about his reward. What would a male like Dirge - selfish in nature - enjoy?

"Assignments will be finalized when I know the force with which I have to utilize. But for you, Dirge, I was thinking holding prisoners would suit. You are intimidating and, I would guess, unsympathetic toward those you would hold."

Grimoire stood and walked to his side. She touch her nose to his cheek briefly in attempt to draw his eyes back to her. Then, she raised her head and continued,

"I don’t know what Diveen has offered you, but I suspect it to be granting safe haven; a pack is the best place for such a thing, for at it’s core a pack is a home. Diveen is also the pack I plan to challenge for. Being as you already have a home there, I could guarantee as your alpha one of many things. A high standing position, meals, a slave, a place for exploration of questionable ethics or a place of splendid charity…"

Pink eyes shimmered with intrigue. He said he owed loyalty only to himself and now, she could test that statement and investigate how dark his soul might be. It gave her perverse pleasure to prod at others’ integrities. It always amused her how hypocritical honesty was. She, a bad seed by most standards, was irrefutably honest. However, she knew innocence who lied to protect those they loved: “good” wolves, as it were. Gray moral… it was a wonderful area of thought to navigate.