chapter 2

Three days later, Emma strolled out of her training room, grinning like she'd just hit the jackpot. She had just broken through to Rank 4. She practically skipped to her room, grabbed a quick shower, threw on clean clothes, and sprinted to her Gravicar.

The timing couldn't have been sweeter.

Right after she broke through, her lightcore buzzed with a system alert.

'Dear Ms. Emma Tibarn, this is a system notice. You've turned twenty-three today. Please report to the Imperial Female Consort Pavilion in F-268 before 5 p.m. for mate matching. Please be advised that late arrivals will result in a fine of 10,000 star coins, which will be automatically deducted from your account.'

Emma smirked, thinking this was perfect. She decided to level up first and celebrate her birthday afterward. It couldn't have been more perfect. Losing 10,000 star coins? Not a chance.

...

Ten minutes later, her Gravicar rolled to a stop outside the Imperial Female Consort Pavilion. She slipped it into her storage band, adjusted her jacket, and marched in.

She kept three storage bands: one packed with beast materials, one for valuables, and one dedicated to her Gravicar. Priorities mattered.

Inside, a staffer greeted her. "Ms. Emma Tibarn, your identity and rank have been verified. We'll need a drop of blood. Please place your finger here."

They held out a sleek scanner. Emma pressed her finger down, waited three seconds, and it was done—no pain, not even a mark.

"Congratulations, Ms. Tibarn," the staffer stated. "You are now officially a Rank 4 Etherian. The Beastmate System will assign you nine mates. Typically, they will fall between Rank 5 and Rank 7. In rare cases, you could be matched with Rank 8, 9, or even 10. Is this clear to you?"

Emma's jaw dropped. "Wait. Rank 9 or 10? Is that possible?"

The staffer gave a smile. "Rare, but yes."

Her heart raced. High rank means hotter, right? That part I like. What if I can't handle them, though?

"What happens if I can't comfort a male that strong?" she asked, worry slipping into her tone.

"Don't be concerned," the staffer explained. "After matching, you and your matches have three months to adjust. If either side chooses not to continue, you can file for dissolution. It's designed to be fair."

Emma's lips twitched. A three-month trial with a get-out-of-jail card? Cute. I've been so busy chopping monsters, extracting their cores, and leveling up just to survive that I don't have time to read the Empire's love manual.

She nodded. "Got it."

The staffer continued, "If you do succeed in three months, you'll receive the Beast God's blessing. That means one million star coins transferred directly to you, along with your mate's assets."

Emma's eyes almost bulged. Hold up. If one of them's loaded, I'm basically winning the lottery overnight.

She forced her expression into something calm. "Understood."

The staffer wasn't done. "Once bonded, you will hold full authority over your mates. They will depend on your mental comfort and gain strength from the effort you invest in their advancement.

"In return, your mates are bound to remain loyal and assist you in reaching higher ranks. Should they betray you, all you need to do is break their beast mark, and the Beast God will deliver punishment."

Emma nodded along. She knew the rules but figured this was part of the formal spiel.

The staffer smiled. "We will process your matches now. Results will be delivered to your lightcore within five minutes. All suitors assigned by the Beastmate System have clean records. For the first three months, you and your suitors will only see each other's names, ages, and contact information. Everything else will unlock once the bond is confirmed."

Emma almost laughed. So that's all I get? No job titles, no background, no hint of how rich they are—just a name and an age. Honestly, it feels like opening a mystery box. A little risky, sure, but also kind of exciting.

Ding. Her lightcore chimed. Emma flipped it open and scanned the new message.

'Dear Ms. Emma Tibarn, your nine mates have been successfully matched. Their contacts have been added to your lightcore.'

She huffed. So the system just friended them for me?

Up until now, she'd only had five contacts—four merchants she bought gear from and sold beast cores to, plus one neighbor who was ten years older than her and bragged about having twelve partners.

Nine new names showed up one after another, each with a blank avatar. Emma squinted. Really? Not even a profile picture? This is starting to feel like a mystery box dating app.

She pulled up the profiles in the lounge.

Damian Voss, twenty-eight; Edric Lachman, thirty-two; Lucien Veynar, thirty-one; Silas Hamblin, twenty-nine; Malrik Ashen, also twenty-nine; Corvin Draemont, twenty-six; Kael Auris, thirty; Marcus Crowe, thirty-three; and finally Drake Smith, thirty-five.

That was it—just names, ages, and lightcore ID.

Her eyes stayed on the last one: Drake Smith. He was thirty-five, twelve years her senior. Yet, given their lifespan of over a century, that age difference was hardly significant.

According to the staff, these nine males would show up one at a time over the next three months. She could either wait or start chatting with them online.

...

Meanwhile, over at Cloudspire Medical Center, Kael, the blond male, sat upright in bed.

His golden eyes filled with impatience as Adam Johnson, his assistant, just entered the room.

"Well? Did you find her?" Kael asked sharply.

Adam shook his head. "Mr. Auris, F-268 is enormous, housing over 20 billion therians. While Rank 3 females are rare, thousands still exist. Without a name or ID, finding her in a day is nearly impossible."

Since Kael woke up that morning, he had been searching for Emma, the one who took him to the hospital three days before.

He rubbed his temples, frustration hammering behind his eyes. Why didn't I ask her name? Why didn't I get her lightcore ID?

Three d*mn days, and she's still all I see. That tiny frame, fearless, ripping through a beast like it was nothing. Plus, that scent... It's haunting me, poisoning every thought, clinging to me like a curse. I can't shake it. I don't even want to.

I have to find her and ask if she already has a mate. If she does, I'll take whatever I can get. I'll be her follower, her shadow, whatever it takes.

"Keep looking," Kael ordered firmly. "We have to find her."

In their world, females could take followers. If a follower swore a blood pact and stayed by her side for five years, he could become her mate. Five years was nothing for an Etherian lifespan.

Kael would wait fifty if he had to.

Ding. His lightcore chimed. He glanced down at the notification.

'Dear Mr. Kael Auris, the Beastmate System has matched you with a female Etherian at 4:35 p.m. today. Her info has been sent to your lightcore. You must visit her within three months. Failure will result in a five-million-star coin fine and a ban from matchmaking for one hundred years. Voluntary dissolution carries the same penalty.'

Kael's jaw tightened. "Why now?"

"Mr. Auris, what happened?" Adam asked, looking surprised with stormy eyes. Internally, he couldn't shake the thought. Mr. Auris really got played this time. He's not only badly injured but also dropped to Rank 4... That's a humiliation he'll never swallow easily.

"The system matched me," Kael muttered.

He pulled up the info. His golden eyes flickered as he read.

'Emma Tibarn, 23, Rank 4 female Etherian.'

The name meant nothing to him. Whoever she was, he didn't care. The only one he wanted was the young female who had dragged him out of the forest.

Therians were simple that way. Once they fell for someone, that was it. No backups or replacements; not even death could alter their feeling.

Adam's eyes went wide, then lit up. "That's amazing! You're injured, and your mental power is a mess. With her mental comfort, you'll heal twice as fast."

"I already have someone I want," Kael replied coldly. His decision was made. He forwarded Emma's address to Adam. "Go find her. Ask what she wants to dissolve the match."