Nine Hot Therians and Their Only One Queen novel Chapter 85

**When She Opened the Door to the Life She Was Afraid to Live by Nora Vale Kingsley**
**The Snake’s Guilt**

With a radiant smile lighting up her face, Emma aimed her camera toward the cozy living room, where Corvin lay sprawled out on the couch, blissfully exhausted after an energetic play session with Coalball. “Look, look!” she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement. “I’ve been feeding Corvin so well these past few days that he’s put on a whole layer of thutt! And Coalball has grown too! I think.”

After eagerly showcasing her two beloved companions to Edric, she dashed into the bedroom, her heart racing as she switched the camera’s view to the Crescent Divine Tree. “Edric, look! I placed a layer of beast cores under the roots, and it’s already sprouted its second leaf!”

Just a few days prior, during one of their video calls, Emma had shared the intriguing tale of the mysterious branch with Edric. However, she had carefully omitted the part about nourishing it with her own blood—she didn’t want him to fret over her well-being. Instead, she had spun a story about how she had accidentally dropped some beast cores into the pot, and the branch had absorbed their energy, transforming as a result.

A single drop of blood each day was harmless, so Edric remained blissfully unaware of her secret.

Her smile was tender, and her eyes sparkled with affection as she gazed at the man she longed for every single day. “I did some research,” she continued, her voice filled with hope. “It says that for every six leaves the Divine Tree grows, it will eventually bloom a flower.”

As Emma animatedly shared her news, Edric felt a warmth swell in his chest. Her love for him radiated so clearly, so genuinely, it wrapped around him like the sun’s warm embrace, filling him with joy and longing.

“Edric, when it blooms its first flower, I’ll pick it and send it to you,” she declared, her eyes shining with determination. Although she had never seen what the flower looked like, she already envisioned the moment of sending it to him. “I wonder what the flower will look like?”

“Emma… I’m sorry.”

The suddenness of his apology caught her off guard. His voice was low, laced with an unmistakable weight of guilt.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her heart racing with concern. “Did something happen? Are you hurt?”

“No, no, I’m fine.” Realizing that she had misinterpreted his words, Edric rushed to clarify, fearing that she would become anxious. “I just… I feel like I haven’t done enough for you. I can’t be by your side all the time, and now you can’t even leave the Alliance freely.”

Bitter thoughts crept into his mind. Other females could roam wherever they pleased once they had a mate, he mused. But my Emma—she lost her freedom the moment she chose to be with me.

Emma almost laughed in relief at his words, her heart settling. For a fleeting moment, she had feared something dire had occurred.

But as she observed the self-reproach etched on his face, she quickly realized her poor little snake was tangled in a web of guilt. When someone found themselves ensnared in their own thoughts, mere comforting words seldom sufficed. The best remedy was distraction—redirecting those swirling emotions to something else entirely.

With determination, Emma pinched her thigh hard beneath the table. Ow—d*mn, that hurts!

“Since you swore, I’ll believe you this once,” she murmured softly, wiping away her tears. “But I’m still mad at you. You don’t get forgiven that easily.”

In that moment, any remnants of guilt that had lingered in Edric’s mind vanished. Now, all he could focus on was how to earn her forgiveness.

“Emma,” he said gently, almost pleading, “what do I need to do for you to forgive me?”

When someone is ensnared in guilt, the last thing you want to do is leave them idle, Emma thought. I have to give him something to do—something safe and harmless, and also distracting.

Her gaze flickered toward Coalball, who had just waddled into the room, and suddenly a spark of inspiration ignited in her mind.

“You mentioned before that you wanted to find Coalball a female, didn’t you? Well, that’s your punishment. You’re going to find him a beautiful and intelligent female.”

“Chirp!” Coalball squeaked in protest, but Emma swiftly pinched his tiny mouth shut before he could voice any further objections.

Turning back to the projection of Edric, she continued, “And you’d better finish up whatever you’re working on soon and come back. There are so many things I want to eat, but I don’t feel like cooking them myself. You’ll have to come home and learn to cook with me—so that next time, you can whip up whatever I’m craving.”