Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 16

**TITLE: When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**
**Chapter 16: Unexpected Match**

Emma took a deep breath, her mind swirling with thoughts as she nodded in response to Damian. She chose to ignore him entirely, her focus shifting to the kitchen where she needed to gather a few essentials before seeking out Laura. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the hallway, a stark contrast to the tension that lingered in the air.

Once she disappeared around the corner, Damian felt a wave of irritation wash over him. With a resigned sigh, he ascended the staircase to select a room on the second floor. The villa was a sprawling space, but the choices were limited. Drake had already laid claim to the largest room, leaving Damian to settle for one that was conveniently situated near the staircase leading up to the third floor.

As he pushed the door open, he couldn’t help but grimace at the starkness of the room. The walls were bare, the furniture minimalistic, devoid of any personal touches or warmth. He had to maintain the facade of being broke and useless, which meant no redecorating for him. The only silver lining was that the room was clean—an unremarkable detail, but one he would take for now. It would have to do.

His mind raced with more pressing matters. The priority was clear: he needed to bring all of Emma’s other male matches here as swiftly as possible. Each moment spent on this dismal planet felt like an eternity of suffering. The sooner he could scam them out of their star coins, the sooner he could escape back to Central Planet, where life was far more palatable.

After giving the room a cursory glance, he made his way to Drake’s bedroom. This was where Emma’s first match resided, and he was determined to extract a favor from him.

He knocked on the door, the sound echoing slightly in the quiet hallway.

Inside, Drake reclined lazily on his bed, soaking in the energy emanating from the Rank 8 beast core that lay beside him. The moment Damian set foot in the villa, Drake’s mental prowess had latched onto him, tracking his every movement with an almost predatory awareness. It was a testament to Drake’s strength and a reminder of the precarious situation Damian found himself in.

Few were privy to Damian’s true identity. He rarely made public appearances, cloaked in mystery as a lord of one of the three territories aligned with Nexus Prime Tech. Yet, Drake was not one of the uninformed; he had encountered Damian before.

Damian was the newly appointed star lord of the Ashenflame Fox from Central Planet—the financial powerhouse of the Interstellar Empire. And now, unexpectedly, he found himself tangled in the web of Emma’s romantic matches.

Creak!

The door swung open of its own accord, and Damian’s mouth opened to speak, but he froze mid-sentence. There lay Drake, sprawled across the massive beast core bed, his presence both imposing and casual. Damian’s heart raced as he processed the situation; here was another match for Emma. The realization sent a chill down his spine, and his voice faltered.

“Didn’t expect you to be a match for Emma as well. What an interesting coincidence,” Damian remarked, leaning against the doorframe, his posture cautious. The atmosphere had just grown more complicated. Drake was aware of who he was—if he were to reveal that information to Emma, she would never agree to sever their match.

Drake scrutinized Damian, his annoyance palpable as he noted the forced smile. He had little patience for deceitful schemers; he valued strength above all else.

“Cut the flattery. Just tell me what you want,” he said, his voice dripping with cold impatience.

Damian had dealt with Drake before and knew he needed to tread carefully. He inhaled deeply, steeling himself before speaking earnestly. “Mr. Smith, let’s strike a deal. Besides you and me, there are seven other matches for Emma who haven’t arrived yet.”

“I understand Drakonids are fiercely possessive, especially you. With your strength, you could dominate the entire interstellar realm. I can only assume you wouldn’t want to share your mate with other males.”

Drakonids were not merely possessive; they were insatiable in their desires. There had even been instances where a Drakonid had eliminated other matches to keep their mate exclusively for themselves. The stakes were high, and the tension in the room was palpable.