With a victorious smile on her lips, Mirabelle worked with the tailor to choose the right material for the underskirt.

She settled on a white, silk-like fabric.

Then Tara had to measure her again.

Apparently, she had lost weight.

Even though her ribs were no longer as visible as they had been yesterday.

The ram man took notes diligently. Then he bowed and made his way to leave her chambers. But before he could close the door behind him, she stopped him.

"One more thing. I’d like pockets in the underskirt. Here." She gestured to both sides to show what she meant.

That alone might have been her most radical idea yet. She was proud of herself.

The ram simply nodded and closed the door fast— likely out of fear she might come up with another outrageous idea.

Inside, Tara watched Mirabelle silently, who was now back in trousers and a shirt.

Then she shook her head.

"What is going on with you?"

Mirabelle was just about to fire back a cheeky response when her stomach growled.

"Probably just hungry."

"That’s something we should fix immediately."

Tara padded toward the door.

Then she added quietly,

"Before you decide to overthrow the royals."

______

Mirabelle had missed breakfast.

Still, she found Kaelith and Silas in the small winter garden.

This was where the nobles of Luchsenstein usually ate when there was no formal occasion. Each of the beast husbands had different duties, which meant they ate at different times.

Silently, the lynx female stood in the doorway as the presences of the two males clashed in front of her.

It felt as if she had just stepped into the middle of a power struggle.

The beastmen immediately withdrew their auras, but two distinct dynamics still lingered in the air.

One was dense, dark, and lurking.

The other sharp, restless, and cunning.

’Men.’

She had no patience for alpha posturing.

So she did not grant them another glance and took her seat at the head of the table.

Tara, who had been standing behind her and had not sensed the auras, called for servants to bring food.

Unbothered, Mirabelle began to eat, while the discomfort between the two males visibly grew.

"In Schloss Luchsenstein, we control our aura."

The female’s voice cut through the tension in the room.

The hyena and the panther visibly flinched.

Then both lowered their heads slightly and flattened their ears.

It was the first time they had been reprimanded by a female other than their own mothers.

A clear sign that they already regarded Mirabelle as a potential mate.

She, however, was unaware of that.

She didn’t try to take control — she simply did.

Yet, her attention remained firmly on the food rather than the two males.

"Don’t just stand there. You’re ruining my appetite. Sit down — or leave."

Honestly, they were impossible...

It felt almost inevitable that they settled on either side of her.

Annoyed she decided to test them further.

"To be honest, I don’t even know why I should choose a mate at all."

That left the males speechless.

Never once had they considered that a female might not choose a partner.

"Partners are essential for survival. The ferals—"

Mirabelle cut Kaelith off:

"Luchsenstein has more than enough beastmen to protect me. I have soldiers. There hasn’t been a feral pack since my grandmother’s time. And even that could barely be called a real threat."

"Mates provide their female with food... They anticipate her every need."

The lynx female made a broad gesture around the room. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Look around. I don’t just have soldiers — I have servants, hunters, cooks."

"You need a partner to produce an heir for Luchsenstein."

Silas’ response was more measured than Kaelith’s. His arguments were valid — but they did not fully apply to noble females.

"And mates can support you in ruling."

Mirabelle took her time answering, finishing her bite first.

"There are solutions for that as well. Maybe my mother will have another daughter. Or I could choose a beastman who has lost his female... as a bed companion."

The suggestion was scandalous. The hyena beast sucked in a sharp breath, shocked.

But Silas analyzed her answer objectively. And technically, she was not wrong. Even if it went against everything their ancestors had taught them.

"And for the territory... I can find capable beastmen to support me without having to share a bed with them or bear their children."

She shot them a triumphant look and took another hearty bite of meat. Juice ran down her chin, and Silas followed the movement with his eyes.

But Kaelith, who had recovered, leaned forward and brushed his finger along her chin.

Then he licked it clean, holding her gaze.

"And where’s the fun in that?"

Something deep in Mirabelle’s stomach stirred — a familiar, pleasant pull. Heat pooled low in her center

’Don’t you dare.’

She sent a warning thought toward her core.

’Damn... that was sexy.’

Silas, who immediately noticed the subtle shift in the lynx female’s scent, was not about to give the hyena beast any ground.

A/N: Alright... be honest — are you team Silas or team Kaelith?

Thank you for the power stones. It means a lot to me and really motivates me to keep writing ♡