Maxver opened his eyes to a patch of white fur three inches from his nose. A small fox lay curled on the pillow beside him, nine tails fanned out across the blanket like a silver crown. Its tiny chest rose and fell with soft breathing.He reached out without thinking and scratched behind its ear. "Where did this little thing come from? Did the butler let a pet in?"The fox opened one golden eye. Then the other. The expression on its small furry face was the most deeply offended look Maxver had ever seen on any creature, human or otherwise. Its ears went flat and its tails stiffened with the pure indignation of a woman who had just been called a stray.It took him a full minute. The fog of sleep lifted in layers, and memory came back in pieces. The purification. The tail petting. Falling asleep with a fox in his arms."Autumn?" His voice cracked.The fox stared at him with golden eyes that could have cut glass.Maxver grabbed his blanket and pulled it up to his chin. "What are you doin

Maxver turned to Sienna and kept his voice easy. "Give me twenty minutes with this one. Wait in the lounge and I'll call you back when I'm done."Sienna looked at Zoe, then at Maxver, then nodded without argument. She picked up her tray of macarons and walked out through the side door, leaving behind only the faint scent of vanilla and the quiet click of her heels on the polished floor.Zoe watched her go with wide red eyes. The blue hair. The composed walk. The effortless elegance of a woman who belonged in expensive rooms and knew it. Her sister's ex husband had not just moved on. He had upgraded so far beyond Scarlett that the comparison was almost cruel."That woman is your new Beast Wife?" Zoe's voice was small."One of them." Maxver gestured to the purification table. "Lie down. Let's get your contamination handled."Zoe climbed onto the table and lay back, her crimson hair spreading across the pillow. Maxver placed his hands above her and let the green light flow.Her contamina

Maxver sat very still. Healing and supporting were expected for a wood type. But attacking and controlling meant something else entirely. It meant he was not just a purifier sitting in a clean room.It meant he could fight. It meant he could defend himself on the battlefield without relying entirely on his Beast Wives."I'm absorbing beast cores and insect cores tonight." He stood up from the chair. "Every single one that Sienna gave me. I'm building this ability up starting today."[The system is thrilled. The system also notes that host made a very specific promise regarding Autumn and Sienna approximately thirty seconds ago.]"I said I might consider it. Might."[The system has recorded the exact phrasing and will reference it at the earliest available opportunity.]The clean room door opened and Sienna walked in, her blue hair catching the overhead light. She crossed the room and stopped in front of him, then reached out and took his hand in hers. Her fingers were warm and her gri

ehind them, shrinking in the rearview display, Scarlett watched the flying car lift into the aerial lane and disappear into the silver skyline. Her red eyes followed it until it was a dot, then nothing.She turned and walked toward her own car. Halfway there, she passed a roadside bin and stopped. Inside it, tossed casually on top of a food wrapper, was the bouquet of white lilies she had delivered to Wyatt Jansen's staff less than an hour ago. One of his Beast Wives had apparently thrown it out without even removing the card.Scarlett stared at the crumpled flowers for five full seconds. Then she straightened her back, lifted her chin, and walked to her car."Next time I'll send chocolates." She said it to nobody. "Flowers were the wrong approach."Back at the villa, Sienna moved through the kitchen with purpose while Maxver settled onto the living room sofa. Before she started cooking, she brought him a plate of sliced fruit and a small bowl of roasted nuts, setting them on the side

Maxver pushed through the dark glass door of Men's Paradise and took exactly three steps inside before his brain caught up with his eyes.The shelves were stocked from floor to ceiling with items he recognized immediately. Leather goods of the kind that did not belong on belts. Devices with curves and straps that served purposes no instruction manual needed to explain. An entire wall dedicated to oils, candles, and accessories that made the Purification Center's restraint equipment look like children's toys.His face turned the color of a ripe tomato."Nope." He pivoted on his heel and headed straight back toward the door. "Absolutely not. Wrong shop. Completely wrong shop."[Host, stop. Do not leave.]"System, I am not buying anything from this place."[The system is not suggesting what host thinks the system is suggesting.]"I'm not buying anything." He repeated it louder, as if volume would make it more true. "I don't need any of this. I have never needed any of this. I will never