Nytherael’s eyes filled with unspeakable emotion. The heated scene around him only elevated those feelings.

He stood between his mates, the adrenaline from saving the beastworld still coursing through his veins. And added to it was the glamorous front row view of his snake in action.

Watching Sseraphis’ scheming brightened smile made his heart race. His blood burnt, his chest moved up and down slowly as he struggled to contain his desires.

His fox ears twitched. The golden undertone on his skin darkened, turning red with blush.

He licked his dry lips and tried to calm his beating heart. The more he struggled, the harder it was to breathe next to him.

Aeltharion placed a hand on his back, gave him a single caress, and whispered, firm and stern. "Not the time or the place, control yourself!"

Nytherael pressed his lips together, his cheeks bulging out as he held back the heat, hitting him at being caught red-handed.

He glanced up at the dragon, his apologetic eyes barely held an apology in them. But Aeltharion wasn’t looking at him, his eyes were set on Hadrian. He didn’t want to give the beast a chance to catch them unprepared again.

Nytherael gripped his robes and went back to staring at Sseraphis. One glance and his whole being became hot again.

His heart yearned for the moment to pass so he could have some alone time with his mates. It was more than called for at that point.

Every inch of him was going crazy for the scheming snake and stable dragon. To be held between them and loved in more ways than he can fathom were everything he wanted.

His beating heart wad a sign that the two beasts held more parts of him that they realized. The longer he was around them and caught a glimpse of the depths of their heroism and darkness, he knew he was a goner and would happily give them anything as long they ask.

Even the broken parts of him were already theirs in every way possible. Nytherael gulped. The realization added to his excitement and made him fall deeper into love and lost for the two beasts.

Even Sseraphis couldn’t ignore his heated gaze. It distracted him from his evil shining moment that he had no choice but to look away from Hadrian’s bleeding figure and glance at him.

He blinked. One, two, three... and his own heart came alive, beating so loudly it was overshadowing his desire for chaos.

Sseraphis broke the eye contact with force. He looked away and immediately fanned his face with his hand.

"Don’t ruin this moment for me or else!" He warned, however, with his voice husky and slightly turned on, it wad hard for Nytherael to take him seriously.

Nytherael found himself dizzily wrapping his hand on Sseraphis shoulder, since Sseraphis was shorter than him, he had to lean down a bit, but he didn’t mind. The contact forced Sseraphis to look at him again.

He licked his lips, staring deeply at Sseraphis’ lips, and said, "Shine away. I don’t mind being your number one fan."

Ba-thump! Ba-thump!

Sseraphis found his heart growing chaotic at the suggestive gaze, the closeness of Nytherael’s face to his that the fox’s warm breath was caressing his cold skin and the intimate way that Nytherael spoke and licked his lips.

Cough...cough... he coughed to cover up how affected he was by Nytherael.

"Constant, take him before I hurt him," he struggled to sound intimidating.

Aeltharion smiled. For a moment, he forgot about the enemies present, the pressing matter at hand, and Sseraphis’ schemes, which hadn’t been explained yet.

He watched the two of them with affectionate eyes that spoke a lot about how happy he was thar they were getting back to the way things used to be. He sighed softly. His eyes sparkled with a fondness and affection that couldn’t be put to words.

"No, I’m going to sit this one out," he claimed.

"You..." Sseraphis bit his lip. It wasn’t the time for him to be all hot and bothered. It wad a victorious moment for him where he gets back at Hadrian for toying with him, proves to Zarathia that he had everything under control and show all the beasts present that he wasn’t to be messed with.

All of which were impossible to do with Nytherael attached to him, acting like a lovestruck fox in heat.

"Get. Off!" He spoke through his tightly clenched teeth.

Nytherael found the sound of his voice charming to his smitten heart. He couldn’t help but be floored further. His skim literally burnt. His mismatched eyes glowed, only holding Sseraphis in them.

He lowered his hands from Sseraphis’ shoulders, moving lower and lower through the lines of his chest that were visible on his robes because his robes were tight fitting. His fingers traced every line.

Sseraphis drew in a sharp breath and held it. His lashes trembled, and his eyes narrowed. Surprised and taken aback by Nytherael’s boldness.

It took a few spans for him to catch his breath. He gripped Nytherael’s hand and stopped it from moving.

The fox shifted his head on his shoulder, bringing his face close to Sseraphis’ neck and butterfly kissing against the snake’s skin.

"I can’t explain why, but the idea of you ruining lives brings my heart to life..."

Sseraphis pressed his finger firmly on his lips to stop him from taking. He couldn’t control himself listening to such words, at such close proximity.

He sighed. The evil moment was ruined. He glanced over at Fairy Zarathia, "I’ll give you an explanation another time. Handle this for me," he said, wrapping his hands around Nytherael’s waist.

He turned around to Aeltharion. "Let’s leave first before I murder this lustrous fox," he said.

"Wh... where do you think... think you are going?" Hadrian questioned. He lifted his body. Blood trickled down his mouth, and he clasped a hand on a nearby tree to keep himself from falling weakly to the ground.

His tail snapped into the air, aiming for Sseraphis’ turned back. Aeltharion noticed and instantly reacted. He hardened his tail and sent it flying to meet Hadrian’s.

BOOM!

The two tails met with equal force and sent a violent shake through the area. Beasts held firm to the ground to keep from falling, Nytherael and Sseraphis were shielded behind Aeltharion and barely felt the impact.

"Don’t think you’ll strike at my family twice!" Aeltharion warned.

The impact of his strike had sent the weakened Hadrian flying across the courtyard until he hit the wall of the house and caused it to crack.

"How is he so weak?"

Zarathia wondered. Even if Sseraphis poisoned Hadrian’s body, Hadrian’s body was still over a thousand years old. It shouldn’t fall so weak that a mid-twenties nine-horned dragon could send him flying.

She has a feeling that Sseraphis did more than just poison Hadrian. Her earlier anger at being used lessened, and his impression of Sseraphis grew.

Aeltharion was thankful that his strength was returning. That meant that he would no longer sit on the sidelines and had the power to protect his family from harm. He was thankful for his scheming mate.

He turned around, hugged both his mates, and vanished from the grounds.

Fairy Zarathia moved at the speed of lightning, grabbed Hadrian, and disappeared to her assigned chambers.

The other beasts remained behind, confused on what to do next. In the end, they retired to their rooms except for Fior, who lingered and Ssirel, who kept watching him.

’Sseraphis found a way to save himself and his mates from the death thar slipped into their bond. I told you that you should’ve used him to break the bond and not Nytherael, but you... do you ever listen?’ A voice sounded in his head.

A dark glint flashed in his golden eyes. ’If I had known that snake and his knowledge of medicine and poison would ruin my plans...’ his reply paused. ’But how could I have used him? He didn’t have an ex-love or a crush on anyone. In fact, before Aeltharion and Nytherael, he was closed off to the rest of the world.’

He clenched his fists, angry.

’What now?’

’New plan, obviously!’

Ssirel watched him with silent amusement. The darkness behind those golden eyes, he’d seen it once before, and it was at that time that he had fallen for the devil in angelic clothes.

He was tempted to peel off the fake skin and figure out the sins laying beneath the perfectly crafted and maintained angelic facade. ’I bet it’s more beautiful than Noxveil darkness,’ he smiled.

Like Nytherael, his heart too was drawn to darkness than light. Evil got his heart racing more than light did.