Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 234

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley 234**
**Chapter 234: The Art of Holding Back**

“Marcus, if you’re truly feeling uncomfortable, I—”

Emma’s words trailed off, abruptly halted by Marcus’s firm interjection. “Ms. Tibarn, I assure you, I’m fine.”

As soon as he uttered those words, a brilliant flash of white light erupted around him, momentarily blinding Emma. The next moment, a small silver-white wolf shot past her, leaping gracefully onto the couch.

With a quick flick of its tail, it sent the sulking Cotton Candy scuttling from his corner, forcing him to vacate the space.

The wolf claimed the spot as its own, an unspoken declaration that it could endure whatever discomfort lay ahead.

Emma stood there, utterly dumbfounded.

Edric, observing the scene with a knowing glance at Marcus, turned to Emma and explained, “Emma, when males are in heat, shifting into their beast form helps them cope with the intensity.”

Marcus nodded in agreement, his expression resolute. “Ms. Tibarn, Edric is correct. Believe me, I can handle this.”

He reassured himself that it would only be for a few days, a brief trial he could weather.

But as Emma looked at Marcus, she felt a pang of disappointment. He would rather transform into a wolf than forge a connection with her.

Silence enveloped her; the weight of his choice hung heavily in the air.

He made it sound as if she were the one clinging desperately to the idea of bonding. If he found some twisted pleasure in holding back, then so be it. “If you think you’re fine,” she remarked coolly, “then go ahead and tough it out.”

With that, she turned her back on Marcus, returning to her task of packing cookies, her mind swirling with emotions.

Edric shot Marcus a bewildered look, struggling to comprehend his friend’s thought process. This was the perfect opportunity to connect with Emma, yet Marcus was pushing it away.

Malrik, too, was baffled. Keeping Marcus around Ms. Tibarn felt like a waste of potential. He couldn’t understand why he didn’t just switch places with him! After all, he was too afraid to reveal his true identity, let alone dream of forming a bond.

But when Marcus outright rejected Emma, Malrik’s patience snapped. In a flash of anger, he lunged at Marcus, delivering a sharp kick right to his face.

This big-tailed wolf had groped him in the past, restrained him the night before, and had the audacity to reject Emma?

Old grudges resurfaced, fueling Malrik’s kick with unrestrained fury.

No one anticipated Cotton Candy’s sudden assault on Marcus.

Emma froze, her mind racing as she struggled to process the unexpected turn of events.

Even Edric stood in stunned silence, unable to believe his eyes.

Marcus, caught off guard, hadn’t seen this coming at all. This rabbit had some serious guts. “Screee!”

Malrik blinked in confusion. He had kicked Marcus squarely in the face, so why was it his own face that throbbed with pain?

It felt just like last time.

What kind of trick was this big-tailed wolf pulling?

Malrik refused to accept it. They were both Rank 11; there was no way he couldn’t inflict pain on Marcus.

When one kick failed, he twisted his body and sank his teeth into Marcus’s neck, determined to make an impact.

Edric took one last glance at Marcus. Seeing that he wasn’t trying to harm Cotton Candy, he followed Emma, eager to help her finish packing.

In the living room, as soon as Cotton Candy noticed Emma’s departure, he unleashed his full fury. His tiny paws struck at Marcus with a rapid-fire intensity.

Malrik finally realized something was amiss.

Every time he inflicted pain on Marcus, the pain rebounded onto himself, twice as fierce.

He had already committed to the fight; if he backed down now, wouldn’t that make him look like a coward?

There was no way he would allow that to happen.

The sounds of their battle echoed through the house, the intensity palpable. Just listening to it made one’s bones ache with anticipation.

Edric glanced at Emma, who remained calm as she continued packing cookies, then quietly joined her, the two working in sync.

For a while, the living room’s loud, rhythmic chaos and the dining room’s peaceful domesticity formed a strange yet oddly harmonious tableau.

By the time Emma sealed the last bag, dusted her hands with satisfaction, and stood tall, the cacophony outside had finally come to an end.

She lifted a fresh glass of lemon water, strolling out of the dining room with a sense of accomplishment.

In the living room, Cotton Candy, still adorned in his little gown that gave him an air of a princess, lay pitifully on the floor, resembling a disheveled, grimy puff of fur.

The once-beautiful dress hung in tatters, and one of his ears drooped limply, a testament to the chaos that had just unfolded.