"I'm certain he never swallowed those fruits." Dahlia had trialed that concoction more times than she could count. Whenever a male therian ingested it, the reaction always kicked in within an hour. Their minds would fog, reason would melt away, and they'd wander straight toward the one who'd slipped them the dose. At that moment, all you needed was a drop of their blood to touch the bone stone. The bone stone's power would clamp down on their spirit, and they'd move like puppets on strings. If her race weren't Chitinid—if bone stones could dominate Rank 11 and higher therians—if she actually had the option to bind a Rank 11 with it, she would've forged a bond with Lucien herself long ago, never leaving such a prize for Lily to grab. "So what are we supposed to do now?" The moment Dahlia confirmed Lucien hadn't taken a bite, Lily's nerves snapped. "If he won't touch the fruits, how am I ever going to form a bond with him?" Dahlia fixed her gaze on Lily's oblivious face, barely resisting the urge to slit her throat, and forced herself to answer, "If Lucien won't accept anything you offer him, it means he still doesn't trust you. "We have to win his trust first. As for slipping him the drug, that waits until he relaxes around you—then we move." Just as those words left Dahlia's mouth, the recovery pod door slid aside. She caught sight of the medic stepping in and shot Lily a sharp warning look: not a word about the potion. The medic walked over to them and disengaged the recovery pod's lock. He gave Lily and Dahlia a polite nod. "Ladies, your bodies are mostly mended now. You're allowed to get up and walk around a little." As he eased the hatch open, Lily sprang out at once, too impatient to sit still.She blurted, "Does that mean I can go wherever I want?" All she could think about was finding Lucien. The medic shook his head. "Ms. Lily, your wounds have only just closed, and your condition is still fragile. For the moment, your activity is limited to this medical section." Lily's expression frosted over in an instant. "But I need to see Lucien." She wanted to meet him quickly, win his trust quickly, then lock down a bond just as quickly. Watching her sulk, the medic kept his voice mild. "His Highness is attending a meeting at the moment. He isn't free to visit, but he did say that once it's finished, he'll stop by to see the two of you." "Seriously?" The thought of Lucien coming himself almost made Lily jump for joy. "Those were His Highness' exact words." The medic gave a firm nod.Then he turned toward Dahlia. "Ladies, please rest. I won't bother you further. "I'll be stationed just outside—summon me if anything comes up." With that, he pivoted on his heel and stepped out of the recovery pod. The instant the door closed behind him, Lily seized Dahlia's hand, practically vibrating. "Dahlia, this is perfect. Lucien's going to come see me himself." She yanked several outfits from her storage band in one sweep. "I have to look stunning when he walks in. Dahlia, help me choose—what makes me look the most amazing?" Inside the manor, Emma ended her holo-call with Marcus. Then she summoned Silas and Edric over to her room. She projected the notice from the Beastmate System for them to see. Silas scanned the text and immediately scowled."With bait like this? Emy, this feels like the Beast God is luring you into a giant trap." Nothing that generous ever comes without strings. The flashier the bonus, the nastier the catch tends to be. Pretty much like what happened with Marcus. Edric sided with Silas at once. "Emma, I'm on Silas' side here." Emma had already run through that possibility herself. "But this is two Beast God's Fruit, a level twelve beast core, and holy medicine we're talking about." Emma met both their gazes, calm yet unyielding. "They say the brave eat well and the cowards go hungry. With stakes like this? Even if the Beast God is pushing me into a pit, I'm still jumping in." If the match turned out terrible afterward, she could just request a dissolution.There was no universe where she'd watch that kind of treasure appear and then let it slip away. "You hopeless little coin-hoarder." Silas exhaled in defeat. "Fine. I'll bring Drake along and escort you to the Consort Pavilion. Edric, you stay here and keep watch over Malrik." "Yeah, Silas should be the one to go with you." Edric agreed with a nod. Out of the three of them, Silas had the sharpest instincts. He was the obvious choice. If anything about the match stank, Silas would catch it immediately. "Done. Silas and Drake will come along with me. It's already getting late, so let's pack up and move." Emma wasn't picky about who came as backup. The trip from the manor to the Consort Pavilion took a full two hours. It was already well past two in the afternoon. Any further delay and they might miss the time slot completely. Silas rushed off to swap outfits, while Edric went to track down Drake and fill him in. Ten minutes later, Emma stepped onto the airship with Silas and Drake at her side, headed straight for the Consort Pavilion. ... Two hours later, on the second floor of the Consort Pavilion's reception room.