"Weren't you the one who said you wanted to talk?" Why is he walking away before we even started? Silas waved him off. "No need anymore." Marcus was speechless at his nonchalant reply. Why does it feel like Silas is also acting off? "Marcus!" Lucien hurried out of his room. When he spotted Marcus in the living room, he spoke quickly. "Tell Emma this for me. I just received an urgent assignment. I'll be gone for a few days. Let her know she doesn't need to worry. And you all, take good care of her." "Yeah, I got it." Marcus nodded and watched Lucien rush out. Minutes later, Emma descended the stairs, freshly washed and dressed. As soon as Marcus saw her, he passed along Lucien's message. Hearing that Lucien had been called out on a sudden mission and wouldn't be back for several days, a knot of worry tightened in her chest. But this was Lucien's job. No matter how unsettled she felt, she knew couldn't drag him back. Emma immediately pulled up her lightcore and sent him a message telling him to stay safe and look after himself. "Ms. Tibarn, breakfast is ready." Kieran called from the kitchen doorway. "Coming." Emma took Marcus with her toward the dining room. Drake emerged from the kitchen with their breakfast and set the dishes in front of her. "Emmy, I made all of this today. Try it. See if you like it?" Kieran nodded earnestly. "Ms. Tibarn, Mr. Smith prepared everything himself. He was very meticulous. I tasted it. The flavor is even better than mine." He'd accepted Drake's gift earlier; naturally, he had to speak on his behalf. Meeting Drake's hopeful eyes, Emma lifted her spoon and tasted the oatmeal. A smile curved her lips. She nodded. "It's really good." Drake lit up. "As long as you like it. I'll keep learning from Kieran. Whatever you want to eat, I'll make it for you." He didn't just want a good relationship with Lucien and the others. More importantly, he wanted Emma to accept him. And earning her acceptance meant doing more, and doing things that made her happy. "Drake, you don't need to do all this," Emma said gently. Drake wasn't her mate. And once his mental power stabilized, he'd likely return to the Aquadome. The more effort he poured into these things now, the more Emma feared he would regret them later. But Drake didn't see it that way. He looked at her seriously. "I want to do these things for you." At least then, I feel useful by your side. "Ms. Tibarn, he's got nothing else to do anyway. If he wants to help, let him," Marcus added as he set a cooled dish of beast-egg custard in front of her. Unlike Kieran, Marcus wasn't complimenting Drake out of obligation. He genuinely wanted Drake busy so he wouldn't have time to hover around Emma. "Marcus is right. Emmy, I like doing this. So let me." Before Emma could refuse, Drake added quickly, "You eat first. I'll call Silas, Edric, and Malrik down for breakfast." Then he spun around and jogged upstairs. He went to Edric first, gifting him the box he'd prepared. Edric blinked in surprise, accepting it. He rummaged through his storage band, looking for something suitable to give in return, but found nothing appropriate. "Drake, thank you. I don't have anything fitting on me right now. I'll return the favor to you another day." "There's no need, Edric." Drake waved it off. He wasn't gifting people just to receive gifts back. He delivered one to Malrik as well. Even if Malrik wasn't Emma's mate yet, Drake knew that it was only a matter of time. Finally, Drake went to Silas. Silas handed him a small box. Inside were a few delicate blossoms. "Thanks for the gift. I don't have anything special to give you. These are my flowers. You know their effects. Don't look down on them." Drake hadn't expected anything in return. He accepted the blossoms happily. "Thank you. If you ever need something, just tell me. I'll help however I can." Silas gave him a slow smile. "Don't worry. I won't hold back." Helping someone court his Emma, pretending he didn't already know Silas' identity, dodging questions—Silas was fairly sure Drake had already figured him out. Yet he keeps acting clueless. Is he being polite? Please. If I'm not Silas if I don't fleece him a little. They headed downstairs together. As they walked, Silas lowered his voice. "Drake, are you giving Lucien a gift too?" Drake nodded. "Yes. I want to thank all of you."Thank all of us? Sure. Silas smiled thinly. "I get your intention. And I know you want to become Emma's mate. But let me remind you. Lucien isn't like the rest of us. He's Emma's first mate. Whether you can become one of her mates doesn't depend only on her. Lucien has to agree as well."