Sister-in-law? Evie hadn't yet figured out why Aria was calling Emma that. She glared at the guards in front of her and snapped at Aria, "How dare you try to drive me away? I was invited by the queen of Aurelia herself! I'm a female saved by the Beast God's Divine Flame. You treat me like this, and you're not afraid of the Beast God's wrath?" Emma let out a cold laugh. "If the Beast God's angry, let him come and find me." Then, she turned to Marcus. "Marcus, toss them out." Marcus straightened slowly. His ability flared to life, forming icy ropes that shot out and instantly bound Evie, her mates, her followers, and even Kael, linking them together. With a flick of his fingers, he flung them out of Aurelia's territory. "So weak." Marcus' voice dripped with disdain. In a corner, Merlin watched everything with heated eyes, fixated on Emma. "This is the female I chose," he murmured, admiration and longing mixed in his tone. "She treats her matches so well." But these fools were in the way. A female like Emma could only be his. Merlin withdrew his gaze and asked his subordinate, "Everything ready?" He nodded. "All set. Nothing will go wrong." The garden for the banquet was enormous. Evie's drama hadn't drawn much attention. Without her, the air around Emma and Aria seemed noticeably lighter. Aria squeezed Emma's hand and shot her a knowing look. Then, she turned to her two mates behind her. "I'm taking Emma for a walk. You don't need to follow." Emma understood immediately. She turned to Edric and the others. "Edric, Corvin, take Marcus and let him rest a bit. He looks exhausted. Aria and I will go on our own." Corvin wanted to follow Emma as she left with Aria, but Edric blocked him. "Edric, why are you stopping me? I'm going to protect Ms. Tibarn." Edric pressed his lips together, watching Emma's retreating figure. "Can't you see? She doesn't want us following." "But… what if something happens to her?" Corvin fretted. Marcus, leaning lazily against a pillar, finally straightened. "Are you two robots or something? Just following orders? If Ms. Tibarn doesn't want us openly following, we can tail her secretly without her noticing, right?" With that, Marcus vanished in a flash, a streak of white light chasing after Emma. Edric instantly transformed into a small snake and slithered after them. "Wait for me!" Corvin called, morphing into his true form—but deliberately small, like a kitten, so Emma wouldn't notice. Still, he wasn't as fast as Marcus. It took him a while to catch up. Emma had no idea that a wolf, a cat, and a snake were hiding in the flowerbeds. She only noticed the young clan leader of the Emberfoxes standing not far away—Alaric. Her eyes widened. "It's him." "Emma, you've met him before?" Aria whispered curiously. Emma nodded. "Yes… but that was a long time ago." The man stood by the blooming wisteria, dressed in white that rivaled snow, the fabric billowing lightly in the breeze. His silver hair gleamed like moonlight, falling softly over his shoulders. His features were sculpted, delicate as a masterpiece, and his skin seemed carved from the finest porcelain. His clear eyes sparkled like a galaxy, yet carried a trace of distance, as if he belonged to a world far removed from ordinary folks. Aria sniffed the air for gossip and leaned closer to Emma, whispering, "Tell me! How do you know Alaric?" The Emberfoxes weren't part of the Empire or the Four Domains—they lived in Starhaven, closest to the Beast God. Emma had always lived on F-268. How could she have met Alaric?"I ran into him once while hunting beasts. Back then, he was only Rank 7." Now, he had reached level ten peak. "He must have deliberately suppressed his rank," Emma added. Aria couldn't understand why Alaric would hunt on F-268. A strong one like him should be in the outer battlefield, not there. But hearing he had been Rank 7 before, she realized he must have been holding back. Emma likely suspected the same. Corvin, still hidden in the flowers, watched Emma staring at the male intently. He whispered to Edric, "Who is that male? Why is he so ridiculously good-looking? Is he trying to lure Ms. Tibarn?" The snake hissed softly, "That's Alaric, the young clan leader of the Emberfoxes."