Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 118

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**

**Chapter 118: The Bird**

“Don’t meddle in my stuff.” That was the message the little bird was trying to convey, loud and clear.

“Not another sound,” Corvin commanded, his voice firm yet laced with a hint of amusement.

He observed Coalball, who was puffed up like a tiny tempest, glaring defiantly at him with beady eyes. The sight was both comical and a bit alarming.

With a gentle but decisive tap on the bird’s head, he asserted his authority. “Huntress, you really need to rest. I’ll deal with this little brat.”

As Corvin cradled the feisty Coalball in his hands, Emma spun around swiftly to face Silas, her heart racing with concern.

“Are you alright? Did he peck you?” she inquired, her voice tinged with worry.

Silas chuckled softly, shaking his head with a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. He was just putting on a show, that’s all.”

He grasped her arm gently, guiding her back into the cozy confines of the rest cabin. Emma felt a wave of relief wash over her as she noticed he was indeed unscathed.

She settled onto the couch, her gaze unwaveringly fixed on him, her mind racing back to the peculiar behavior Coalball had displayed just moments ago.

“Silas, what were you trying to say earlier? Who were you about to introduce?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Silas blinked, his expression almost comically innocent, as if he was hiding a delightful secret. “I was going to tell you, but then he interrupted me. You saw that, didn’t you?”

“Who did? Coalball?” Emma pressed, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Silas remained silent, a mysterious smile playing on his lips, calm and enigmatic. “Emma, don’t push me. I gave my word. I can’t break it.”

That was all the confirmation she needed. It was Coalball.

“What’s the deal with him? What’s he to you? Isn’t he just a bird?” Emma leaned forward, her questions tumbling out in rapid succession. She remembered the day she had first picked up Coalball, checking him over with her own hands.

There hadn’t been a flicker of power radiating from him.

Still feeling uneasy, she had sought the opinions of Edric and Damian to take a second look. They had confirmed her suspicions: just a regular bird.

Smart, perhaps too clever for his own good, but harmless.

They had told her that in this vast galaxy, many birds could comprehend human speech, and some could even mimic it. So, she had never suspected a thing.

Silas grinned, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You’re too clever for your own good, Emma. Just one tiny clue, and you’ve already figured out he’s not your average bird. Since you’ve pieced that together, I bet you can guess who he really is.”

Emma’s eyes widened in realization. A gut feeling had been gnawing at her ever since she discovered Coalball was a therian. “It’s Lucien, isn’t it?”

Silas raised both hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I didn’t say anything. Not a single word.”

He had made a promise to Lucien to keep his lips sealed.

Emma had drawn the conclusion herself. That wasn’t Silas’s fault.

“I can’t wrap my head around it,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, laden with disbelief.

The notion that Lucien himself was encapsulated in that small, black bird felt utterly surreal.

“It’s not on you,” Silas said softly, his tone reassuring. “You and Edric never saw him as a child. The way he looks now, no one but his bloodline would recognize him.”

“If I hadn’t turned out like this too, I would’ve been just as clueless,” he added, his voice tinged with a hint of regret.

“When we found him, he didn’t have a single trace of energy,” Emma reflected quietly. “We all thought he was just a bird.”

Aria! Her eyes flew open wide. That woman must have recognized Coalball. The way she had acted proved it beyond a doubt.

And Coalball had clearly known her too.

That little deceiver. He had kept the truth from her all along.

But why? Was it because he now looked like this? Was he afraid she would find him repulsive?

As the warship descended upon the manor that Silas had purchased for her, the vine around her wrist stirred gently.

Moments later, Silas materialized before her. “Emma, we’ve arrived,” he said softly, his voice warm and inviting. “Let me help you.” He slipped an arm around her waist, steadying her as she stood.

Emma had already glimpsed the manor on the ship’s screen.

It stretched for miles, every inch radiating an ethereal glow, like something pulled from the pages of a fantastical dream.

A grand marble archway stood tall, inlaid with luminous energy stones that sparkled like starlight.

The dome of the main building shimmered with glass tiles that caught the sunset, fracturing it into a kaleidoscope of dazzling colors, reminiscent of a peacock’s feathers.

Rows of crystal windows mirrored the gentle ripples of a man-made lake shimmering in the distance.

Servant androids clad in immaculate uniforms descended the rose-patterned steps of pristine white marble, while heavily armored robots patrolled the grounds with unwavering vigilance.

An advanced defense field shimmered around the entire estate like a protective glass veil.

“Emma, do you like it?” Silas asked, his smile radiant as he guided her down the steps.

“I didn’t know what kind of male therians you preferred, so I didn’t choose any. I only had a set of battle droids stationed here for protection,” he explained, his tone light, yet she could sense the underlying thoughtfulness behind his words.