Lucien arched a brow as Marcus sat up straight. "Just to be clear," Marcus said, his tone flat, "I'll protect the huntress. "I'll handle her troubles. But I'm not touching anyone else's nonsense." He squinted, his voice dropping lower. "I'm not here to run errands or clean up your messes." If his huntress wouldn't sleep with him, he'd just crawl back into his ice coffin and nap. Lucien nodded easily. "That works for me." Family issues were family issues. He wasn't going to argue over details. Once Emma confirmed she was keeping him, Marcus stood, climbed back into his coffin, and waved lazily at Roshivo and the rest. "My huntress said yes. Leave the wedding gifts and go." Roshivo froze, his smile stiff. He didn't dare say a word.If Marcus changed his mind, they'd never get rid of him again. They'd been praying for years for someone to take him off their hands. Whatever he said about dying—let Emma deal with that. Frostveil had learned to tune it out. Roshivo stepped forward and gave Emma a polite bow. "Ms. Tibarn, these black boxes are made from Frostveil's unique shadowstone. All the gifts are sealed inside." So that was it—those creepy boxes were actually Frostveil's specialty. Emma nodded. Then she turned to Lucien. "Find someone to help their people check every box and record what's inside." When Emma called someone to help count the wedding gifts, Roshivo didn't even wait for them to start. He bowed low, his voice trembling with false cheer. "Ms. Emma Tibarn, since Prince Marcus has been safely delivered, I must take my leave. There are pressing matters back home. "Congratulations to you and Prince Marcus on your marriage." Before anyone could reply, he shoved one male forward to oversee the count and bolted with the rest of his people. They ran like their tails were on fire. Emma watched them go, her brows knitting tighter. Something about that was seriously wrong. She turned toward Marcus. He had climbed right back into his crystal coffin and—of all things—pulled the lid shut again. Lucien sighed, rubbing his temples. "We can't just leave him lying here like a corpse. I'll have someone move him to a room in the back." "Do that," Emma said quietly. If he was staying, she couldn't just leave him in the hall like an exhibit.Once Marcus was carried away, Emma finally turned her gaze to Drake, who was still standing there. Her tone was cool and polite. "Mr. Smith, is there something you need from me?" [Side Scene] Lucien leaned close and whispered, "Perfect. Free muscle." From the coffin, Marcus mumbled faintly, "Half-dead. Don't count on me." [End Scene] Drake's chest tightened when he saw how guarded Emma looked. She was colder now. Colder than ever. But last night… He swallowed hard and met her eyes. "I came to tell you something. I've decided I don't want to end our match."Lucien, Silas, and Edric all turned to him in unison, their eyes sharp and dangerous. Drake ignored them, his focus locked on Emma. "I want to be your mate." "No." Emma's refusal came out instantly. Drake froze. "Why not?" He looked completely blindsided. "You clearly felt something last night—" Emma cut him off, her tone firm. "Whatever happened last night isn't a reason for me to bond with you." Just because Lucien and Edric had beaten him senseless didn't mean he could show up acting like they had a future. He was out of his mind. She had no idea why Drake changed his mind and wanted to come back to her. However, she was not going to let that happen.Drake frowned. "I crossed a line. I have to take responsibility." Before Emma could respond, his lightcore lit up with a piercing tone. He ignored it at first. He wanted to talk to Emma more, but then Thero's lightcore went off too. Thero glanced at the display, and his face went pale. "Mr. Smith, Ashenfall and Thunderland are in crisis." Drake cursed under his breath. He didn't want to leave. Not now. But he had no choice. He looked at Emma, his voice low. "I have to go. Once I fix this, I'll come back for you." He turned and strode off with Thero. Edric watched him disappear, confusion flickering across his face. "That makes no sense. Ashenfall and Thunderland have been quiet ever since he conquered them. What could've gone wrong now?" Silas paused, then spoke in a low, thoughtful tone. "Marcus left Frostveil, and Drake's not in Aquadome. Two Rank 11s gone from the Four Domains at once. "The Chitinids probably caught the news and took their shot." His eyes narrowed. "And by the way Drake ran off, it's definitely bad." He glanced at Lucien. The Four Domains had always stood on their own. They didn't bow to the Empire's authority. But when one fell, the others trembled. If real trouble hit, the Empire couldn't just watch from afar. Lucien stayed calm as he poured tea, the soft clink of the porcelain echoing through the room. "Even if Marcus and Drake are gone, they're still the strongest out there," he said evenly.