Nina gave a helpless little smile. "I won’t punish you anymore. My mates have already done that for me—let’s just consider this matter settled. Don’t dwell on it."

"But..." Idir hesitated, his voice low. "That punishment is far too light. You should... punish me again."

To him, this was getting off too easily. For a mistake of this magnitude, such a consequence felt wholly insufficient.

"It wasn’t entirely your fault," Nina said gently. "Let’s leave it at that."

After all, he had been out of control—and her mates had already vented their anger.

Idir lowered his gaze. "...Alright."

He shouldn’t cling any longer.

Leaving her... would be the greatest punishment of all.

A deep reluctance welled up inside him.

Was he really about to lose her so soon?

"Then... get some rest. I’ll go back first."

Nina stood and walked toward the door.

Idir watched her retreating figure in silence, his eyes filled with longing.

The moment the door closed, he shut his eyes, pain tightening in his chest.

Back in her room, Nina looked at her mates. "You were the ones who beat him, weren’t you?"

They nodded without hesitation. "We were."

She sighed softly. "You’ve let out your anger. From now on, don’t hit him again. He didn’t do it on purpose."

"We understand," they replied.

Odian stepped forward slightly. "Nina... who will you sleep with tonight?"

All eyes turned to her, filled with quiet anticipation.

Because of Yanai and Idir, it had been quite some time since any of them had shared a night with her. Each of them hoped she would choose him.

Wolves and snakes alike—both had been nothing but trouble lately. At least now, things had settled down.

Nina glanced at them one by one, her lips curving faintly. "I’ll choose..."

Their gazes grew even more intent, practically pleading.

Pick me.

A soft laugh slipped from her lips.

"How about... all of you, tonight?"

After all, she intended to rest tonight.

Her gaze drifted to the bed and suddenly, she understood why the beds in beastfolk females’ rooms were always so large.

Her mates showed faint traces of disappointment... but accepted it all the same.

And so, that night, Nina slept surrounded by all of them beneath one set of covers.

***

The next morning, Idir was already up early, busy in the kitchen.

He had wrestled with himself all night. In the end, he decided to stay a couple more days before leaving. He simply couldn’t bring himself to go just yet.

At least... in these last days, he wanted to do something for her.

It was his first time cooking properly. By the time he was done, he was covered in soot, looking thoroughly disheveled.

He carefully recalled how Odian and the others usually prepared meals, following each step with meticulous attention.

When Odian and the others entered the kitchen and saw him, their expressions weren’t particularly friendly—but they said nothing, each returning to their own tasks.

After waking, Nina carried the children with her and came to eat breakfast.

She took a seat at the table as her mates placed neatly prepared dishes in front of her—each one fragrant, beautifully presented, and tempting.

Idir glanced at their food, then at his own. In comparison... his seemed embarrassingly plain.

For a moment, he hesitated, not daring to step forward.

But then he remembered—he would be leaving soon. Summoning his courage, he finally approached her.

"Nina... this is... breakfast I made. Would you... like to try it?"

There was both uncertainty and quiet hope in his voice.

Nina blinked, puzzled. If he truly felt nothing for her... why go through the trouble of making her breakfast?

But seeing the expectation in his eyes, she found it hard to refuse.

Maybe... this was his way of making amends.

Her gaze softened as she looked at what he held. "I was just in the mood for some egg pancakes. Thank you."

Relief and happiness flickered across his face as he set the dish down. "It’s my first time making them... they might not be very good. I hope you won’t mind."

Nina took a bite, then smiled. "It’s actually quite good."

A small smile curved his lips. "As long as you don’t dislike it..."

Not long after breakfast, Yanai and Setan finally returned.

The moment they saw Nina safe and unharmed, the tension they’d been carrying finally eased.

Seeing them return safely, Nina finally relaxed. After breakfast, she went out with her mates to inspect the progress of the city’s reconstruction.

In a couple of days, once things in the city had mostly settled, she planned to set out for Sea Blue City.

Idir followed quietly a short distance behind them, keeping his distance, never approaching her.

Yanai glanced at him. It seemed the curse had been suppressed.

From Aron and Mino, he had already learned that Idir’s earlier behavior had been due to a flare-up of the curse.

Setan, too, had pieced things together.

Now that the serpent had regained control, he was far more restrained, but still a formidable rival.

Thinking back to how close Idir had been with Nina, Setan felt a twinge of jealousy.

That damned wolf, that damned snake—both had already grown close to her.

And him?

He hadn’t made any progress at all. He hadn’t even gotten close to her.

No... that wouldn’t do.

He needed to find a way to get closer.

After finishing the inspection, Nina returned to the residence.

Yanai and Setan tried several times to approach her, but each attempt was intercepted by her mates.

They already had too many rivals among themselves. There was no room for these outsiders.

Frustrated, the two of them finally walked off.

We’ll find a chance, they both thought.

That evening, Yanai and Setan headed to the kitchen, intending to help heat water for Nina’s bath.

But Kith and Finch were already there, waiting.

"We’ve already prepared Nina’s bathwater tonight," Finch said calmly. "You can head back."

The two men clenched their teeth, forced to leave.

Kith and Finch exchanged a knowing smile.

These outsiders... they had to keep a close watch on them.

After washing up, Nina tucked the children into bed.

Once they were asleep, her mates lingered, none of them leaving.

Odian glanced at Finch.

With a resigned sigh, Finch gathered the children and stepped out, leaving the space to them.

Odian leaned close, brushing a soft kiss against Nina’s ear, his breath warm against her skin. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Nina... how about tonight, we all stay with you?"