Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 459

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

**Chapter 459: Go Get Me Those Beast Cores**

Emma felt a storm of emotions brewing inside her, a tempest that had been building for far too long. The weight of the moment pressed down on her, and she could no longer bear the tension that hung between them.

With a decisive snap, she flicked off Lucien’s lightcore, the sudden darkness amplifying the gravity of their conversation. She raised her gaze to meet his, her heart racing as she took in his averted eyes, the way he seemed to shrink away from her.

Lucien’s voice came out in a low murmur, almost a whisper, as he attempted to articulate his fears. “When I first started to change, I lost control of my emotions constantly. It was overwhelming.”

He kept his head bowed, as if the weight of his words was too much to bear. “The Aurelians, they looked at me like I was something grotesque. They wouldn’t come near. Some even advised my mother to burn me alive because of the black plumage mark on my forehead.”

Emma’s heart clenched at his confession, the pain in his voice cutting through her like a knife. “Mom couldn’t do it. She stood up for me, telling everyone that I was merely sick.”

He paused, his voice trembling as he continued, “She and Dad discovered some kind of secret ritual that could mask my true appearance so I could pass for normal again.”

Lucien’s eyes finally flickered up to meet hers, filled with a mixture of fear and vulnerability. “I didn’t keep this from you intentionally. I was terrified… terrified that you’d look at me and see a monster, just like they did.”

That night, when he had awoken in Emma’s bed and caught sight of the transformation he had undergone, panic had surged through him like wildfire. He felt lost, a stranger in his own skin, and the thought of Emma recoiling in horror was unbearable.

A phoenix, by its very nature, should never be black.

It felt like a curse—a mark of freakishness that branded him as different. He longed desperately to revert to his former self, but every attempt had been futile, leaving him feeling helpless.

“Emma, I’m so sorry…”

The softness in Lucien’s voice was laced with a tremor, his eyes glued to the floor as if it held the answers to his torment. He was afraid to meet her gaze, fearing the same disgust he had encountered from the members of the Aurelian clan.

Emma’s heart ached as she observed him, her chest constricting as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart. She couldn’t endure the sight of him suffering any longer. Without a second thought, she yanked on the chain that connected them, pulling Lucien closer, and rose up on her toes to envelop him in a fierce embrace.

“Do you not believe me?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion, almost breaking. “Why would I ever think you’re a freak?”

She playfully punched his chest, her resolve strengthening as she spoke.

Then, burying her face against his chest, she murmured, her voice muffled yet firm, “I don’t care if you’re red or black. You’re Lucien. You’re my Lucien… and to me, you look… even better than before.”

With a tenderness that felt electric, Emma reached up, her fingers brushing against the black plumage mark on his forehead.

“This mark is beautiful,” she declared, her eyes shining with sincerity. “I really do like it. Honestly!”

Her unwavering gaze pierced through the clouds of confusion that shrouded Lucien’s heart, illuminating the dark corners with a warmth he had almost forgotten existed.

His body, once rigid with tension, began to tremble as he processed her words.

Moments later, Lucien grasped Emma’s hand, still resting on his forehead, and gently pulled it away, his eyes reflecting a storm of emotions.

He lowered his head, pressing a reverent kiss to her fingertips, each touch sending ripples of warmth through her.

Emma’s fingers instinctively curled at the cool, soft sensation, and she looked up, meeting his intense gaze.

“Emma… say it again,” he urged, his voice thick with longing.

“Say what?” she replied, genuinely puzzled.

“Say you like…”

Lucien hesitated, the words hanging in the air like fragile glass. “Say you like how I look now.”

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