Idir knew exactly what Odian and the others intended to do—and he had no intention of avoiding it.

Silently, he opened the door and followed them outside.

Before long, the sounds of fighting rang out near the residence.

In truth, it was less a fight and more a one-sided beating.

The mates had been harboring resentment for days; now that they had an outlet, they showed no mercy. It didn’t take long before Idir was covered in injuries.

Off to the side, Ridan and the others watched like spectators.

"Tch... he’s been so arrogant lately. Looks like he’s finally getting what he deserves," Ridan clicked his tongue.

"He had it coming," Viann said angrily. "How dare he abduct Lady Nina? A beating is letting him off easy."

"Exactly. With a crime like that, he should be beaten to death," Pado added, equally indignant.

"Lady Nina is far too kind—she didn’t even punish him. The mates should teach him a proper lesson in her place," Ridan snorted coldly.

"Agreed."

The other males nodded in agreement, not a shred of sympathy among them.

When they’d heard that Nina had been taken, they had been both furious and terrified.

Even now, though she had returned unharmed, their anger hadn’t faded.

That damned serpent had gone too far.

If this wasn’t punished, what would stop other males who fancied Nina from doing the same?

They didn’t know the full story. All they knew was that Idir had taken her.

To them, it seemed obvious—he must have been too domineering, wanting her all to himself.

The sounds of fighting dragged on for a long while before finally subsiding.

By the end, Idir was barely recognizable.

Though his natural defenses were formidable, Odian and the others were far from weak.

They cast him one last cold glance before turning and heading back inside.

Idir slowly pushed himself up from the ground, staggering as he made his way back to his room.

At dinner, Nina noticed that Idir and Yanai’s group were nowhere to be seen.

"Where’s Idir?" she asked. "Why didn’t he come to eat? And where are Yanai and the others?"

They were usually present at meals.

Her mates exchanged brief, subtle glances but didn’t answer immediately.

"Nina, if he doesn’t come to eat, you don’t need to worry about him," Odian replied.

Nina sensed something was off.

She decided she would check on Idir later.

"Nina," Aron said, "Yanai went out searching for you last night. I’ve already told him you’re back—he should return soon."

Nina nodded.

The lion tribe males quickly added, "Lady Nina, our city lord also went out to look for you last night. He should be back soon as well."

They felt it necessary to emphasize just how much their city lord cared.

Truthfully, they were a bit exasperated.

Hadn’t their lord once sworn he would never fall for Nina?

And now?

He was practically chasing after her every day.

If he had acted sooner, he wouldn’t have wasted so much time. Now there were more and more powerful, handsome males by her side—who knew if their lord still had a chance?

They sighed inwardly.

Their city lord... wasn’t exactly the smoothest when it came to these things.

They even remembered that he had once thrown Nina.

Hopefully, she didn’t hold it against him.

Their gazes drifted to the little prince nearby.

If their lord failed...

Well, then their adorable young prince might never come to be.

Come on, my lord, they thought silently. Step it up. Become Lady Nina’s mate already—at least then we won’t always be overshadowed by Ridan’s group.

Nina was slightly surprised. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Setan had gone to look for her too?

She glanced toward the doorway, hoping they would return safely soon.

***

After dinner, Nina stood and made her way to Idir’s room.

Though her mates were somewhat displeased, none of them dared to stop her.

Why was she still so concerned about that damned snake?

Stopping outside his door, Nina knocked lightly.

"Idir... may I come in?"

When he heard Nina’s voice, he froze.

Why was she here?

He had planned to wait until his injuries healed before showing himself, but he hadn’t expected her to come looking for him so soon.

In this state... how was he supposed to face her?

And yet, if she had come, how could he shut her out?

His gaze swept the room. For a fleeting moment, he even considered hiding—anything to keep her from seeing him like this.

But in the end, he forced himself to move.

He walked to the door and opened it.

The moment it swung open, he instinctively turned his face aside, unwilling to let her see how battered he looked.

Those males had been ruthless—aiming for his face again and again. Though he had tried to shield himself, the damage was still severe.

Nina stared, stunned.

His face was bruised and swollen, marked with harsh, uneven injuries.

...They’d gone too far.

Her eyes shifted toward her mates. One by one, they looked away.

She let out a quiet sigh, then stepped inside. "Sit down on the bed. I’ll treat you."

It seemed the resentment they’d been holding onto had finally burst out.

And she couldn’t bring herself to blame them. They had endured a lot these past days, too.

Idir’s room was small and bare—almost stark. There was little more than a bed and a small table.

He obediently sat on the edge of the bed, his head lowered the entire time.

Nina walked over and sat beside him, then began to treat his injuries.

Warm energy flowed from her hands, easing the bruises, mending the damage bit by bit.

By the time she finished, most of the swelling had subsided.

She took out a small bottle and handed it to him. "Apply this yourself. It’ll heal faster."

A faint warmth spread through his chest.

He accepted it with care. "Thank you, Nina."

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "There should still be food in the kitchen."

Idir shook his head. "I... I’m not hungry."

He hesitated, then asked softly, "Did you come to see me for something?"

"No," Nina said. "I just wanted to check on you."

For a brief moment, something bright flickered in his heart, only to dim again just as quickly.

After a pause, he asked, almost cautiously, "Nina... have you decided how you’ll punish me?"

Even though he didn’t want to leave... He knew he had to.

He was too dangerous. The sooner he distanced himself, the better.