Spoiled By My Nine Beast Husbands (Emma Tibarn) novel Chapter 32

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

**Chapter 32: Rougher Than a Male**

Damian stood resolutely beside Emma, a glimmer of determination in his eyes as he lightly hooked her fingertip with his own. “Ms. Tibarn, I promise I’ll protect you as well,” he declared, his voice steady and reassuring.

As a Rank 8 male, he had sworn an oath to never let his huntress suffer even the slightest harm. The weight of that promise hung heavily in the air between them.

Emma, witnessing the resolve returning to his demeanor, offered a faint smile and nodded, her heart swelling with trust. “I trust you,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, but it resonated with conviction.

In this moment, there was no room for doubt or hesitation from any teammate. If anyone faltered, it would be Emma who would bear the consequences, and she was not willing to let that happen.

Before long, another team arrived—a trio of male Etherians, two of them resting at mid Rank 7 and the third boasting a late Rank 7 status. They were familiar faces, acquaintances of Laura’s mate, and proud members of the Interstellar Hunter Alliance.

Evie, ever the one driven by her obsession with strength, immediately recognized them. With an enthusiastic tug, she pulled her mate along, eager to engage in conversation. Her excitement was palpable, and it was infectious.

Five minutes later, everyone settled into their respective Gravicar, engines humming with anticipation as they prepared to embark on their mission.

Damian’s gaze fell on the battered Gravicar that Emma had summoned, and he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Ms. Tibarn, are you truly driving this ancient contraption?” he asked, a hint of disbelief coloring his tone.

Hadn’t this relic been retired ages ago in the interstellar zones?

Emma merely nodded, a flicker of pride in her eyes. “Relax. I’ve made some modifications. The speed is perfectly fine,” she assured him, though the vehicle’s erratic bouncing told another story.

Damian chose silence, but internally he was grappling with the absurdity of the situation. Fine, he thought. Considering she had shielded him earlier, he resolved that once they returned from this beast hunt, he would buy her a new Gravicar from Nexus Prime Tech—the kind that could rival the performance of a warship.

His huntress was a low-tier Etherian, and for her safety, he ought to secure some advanced tactical mechs as well. After the mission, he’d swing by Corvin’s place; that guy always had the crème de la crème of equipment.

Once Damian buckled in, the Gravicar shot forward with a burst of speed, leaving a thick plume of white smoke in its wake.

As expected, it was fast, but the ride felt more like a roller coaster designed for toddlers, jostling them at every turn.

“Ms. Tibarn… s-slow down…” Damian gasped, clutching his stomach as the relentless shaking threatened to make him lose his lunch.

Emma glanced over, her expression softening a little as she tossed him a vial of motion-sickness healing potion. “Drink this. You’ll feel better,” she advised, her voice laced with concern.

Damian eyed the cheap potion in his hand, his mouth twitching in distaste. He was accustomed to traveling by his private starrail, where he had never experienced carsickness, and thus had never carried any medication for it.

With no other option, he swallowed the potion, grimacing at the awful taste. To his surprise, it worked—his nausea began to subside.

As they came to a halt, Emma and Damian stepped out of the Gravicar. After securely storing it away, she retrieved two detox potions from her pack, handing one to him. “I’ve been here before. There are a lot of poisonous herbs inside. Drink this before we venture in,” she instructed, her tone firm yet caring.

Damian accepted the potion, aware that with his Rank 8 strength, normal toxins posed little threat to him. However, recognizing Emma’s genuine concern, he downed it anyway, grimacing at the bitter taste.

Once he finished, Emma handed him a pair of night-vision glasses. “Some areas ahead can distort your vision. You’ll need these to see clearly,” she explained.

Before them lay a forest cloaked in darkness, an eerie silence enveloping the air.

Damian complied, slipping on the glasses as the world shifted into a clearer view.

A few minutes prior, Laura and her team had arrived and were already on high alert, scanning for nearby beast packs.

As Emma and Damian approached, Laura’s mate had just completed calibrating their device, ready for action.

Evie shot Emma a disdainful glance, keeping her distance. For Laura’s sake, she held her tongue, but there was no way she would cover for this seemingly useless female.

Emma, undeterred by Evie’s contempt, led Damian toward Laura’s side. “Laura, did you bring the detox potions and night-vision glasses?” she inquired, her tone businesslike.

Laura smiled warmly and nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ve got everything you need.”