Lucien thought to himself, I knew it. I knew that there'll be a catch when that d*mned Edric starts acting all nice! "Cheep-cheep!" Little female, I'm not really a bird! "Cheep-cheep…" I'm a therian. "Cheep-cheep!" Little female, you can't agree to this. You can't! Edric's attention immediately fell upon the seemingly excitable Coalball. He chuckled and gently stroked the feathers Emma had just glued onto Coalball's wing molds. Then, he said with a grin, "Look, Emma! Look at how happy he is. He's been chirping non-stop ever since I brought up getting him a mate." Coalball instantly fell dead silent. Alas, Edric wasn't done. "Well, no time like the present! I'll ask around right away. If we're lucky, Coalball could wave goodbye to his singlehood by tomorrow." Before anyone could say anything, Edric had already reached for his lightcore to call his subordinate. "Cheep!" No! Emma looked between Edric and the frantic-looking Coalball. Although she couldn't understand Coalball, she had to be blind if she couldn't tell that Coalball wasn't excited. If anything, he was vehemently protesting against this arrangement. Still, why was Edric so eager to find Coalball a mate? Years of solitude had made Emma cautious. So, she was used to looking underneath the surface whenever something was up. She was aware that Edric would never hurt her. However, she couldn't help but recall what had happened when she'd gone to change her clothes. Could it be that Edric had figured her out?He had to have, except he couldn't bring himself to ask her. So, he was using such a roundabout way to test her. Emma let out a sigh. By the time Edric was done with his call, Emma reached for the still-protesting Coalball from his hands and murmured softly, "Edric, I don't think Coalball wants a mate. Let's forget about it, okay? I'll be frank. I can't differentiate a therian's gender by scent." "Emma, I…" Edric's eyes widened. He didn't expect Emma to catch on so quickly, much less confess that outright. He looked flustered and shocked. Emma wasn't finished. "Honestly, you could've just asked. I didn't say anything because I didn't know how. I wasn't trying to keep it a secret." She smiled gently as she caressed his cheek. "I'm sorry, Emma," he blurted, a guilty look appearing on his face. "I didn't do this because I was suspicious of you, or anything. I assumed you didn't want to tell me, but I got so worried that you might be hurt or even sick. That's why I came up with that dumb plan." It seemed that he had his bases covered, except he'd forgotten that Emma was far from a fool. He nervously took her hand in his and asked, "Emma, were you hurt? Is that why you can't tell gender by scent?" Emma shook her head. "I—" Nevertheless, Edric already had a hunch. So, he cut her off by shutting down both their lightcores and activating all the shields and protection systems in the cabin. Then, he threw Coalball and Corvin right out of the room. Emma's muscles instinctively tensed at Edric's reaction. "Edric, I—" Alas, Edric stopped her short once more. "Emma, it's okay. You don't have to explain anything to me. Just answer me with a nod or with a shake of your head, okay?" She nodded obediently. He let out a shaky breath and asked, "Do you… have a genetic disorder?" Emma shook her head. It was as he suspected. He pursed his lips now that his suspicions were confirmed. After all, she wouldn't have been able to absorb the beast core energy so quickly if she were suffering from any genetic disorder. Besides, she'd absorbed beast cores that were at least five levels above her current level. He suddenly pulled her into a tight hug and whispered, "It's alright, Emma. I understand. Don't be afraid. I'll protect you. I swear I'll never let anyone find out your secret." The anxiety in his tone made her heart sink. His reaction told her enough—she had to keep her identity under wraps at all costs."Edric, are you going to be in trouble because of me?" Even though Emma had no idea what consequences she would have to face once the cat's out of the bag, Edric's reaction told her that it definitely wasn't going to be pretty. Edric looked at her straight in the eyes and said solemnly, "Emma, you're my mate. We may not have officially bonded, but I've already chosen you. This is for life. I don't care what the future holds. I'll stay by your side through thick and thin." Now that things were out in the open between them, he didn't bother keeping any secrets from her. He showed Emma the texts from the therian earlier. Although the therian had already recalled those texts, Edric had taken a screenshot of them before he could. Emma's pupils shrank when she read through those messages.According to the texts, her blood had the ability to increase a therian's rank. It could go up as far as Rank 13. At the moment, the strongest therians in the interstellar world were only at Rank 11. Even worse, the Empire hasn't seen an Etherian above Rank 12 in at least a millennium. With her identity as a human female, she was akin to the Holy Grail. They'd fight to the death just to get a drop of blood from her. Now she understood why Edric went to such lengths before having this discussion with her. "Thank God, I didn't breathe a word about this… and that I've always kept to myself," she muttered under her breath. If she'd bumped into someone as clever and sly as Edric, she'd probably be a pile of bones by now. "Emma, don't be afraid," Edric said firmly as he pulled her close once more.