Ares's fury told Elena he was back to his senses.

Who flips out the moment they regain their mind? Elena thought.

Her mission was complete. She didn't fear him anymore. A female's mental power could soothe a male, not fight-but the mark she had left ensured he could not harm her.

The marking meant he was now bonded to her as her mate. Once bonded, any male who attacked his Matriarch would suffer double damage, whether physical or ability-based.

Elena sat up carefully, wrapping the shredded remnants of her clothes around herself.

"You went into heat suddenly," she explained. "If I hadn't marked you, you would've lost control. You could have killed me or yourself. This saves both of us."

She spoke casually, as if discussing the weather, but her words slapped Ares hard.

"Break the bond." Ares commanded coldly.

"No..." a hoarse voice pleaded in his mind. "I like her scent. I want her to stay..."

"Kael!" Ares roared at his wolf internally. "Get a grip!"

"She was gentle..." Kael's voice filled with yearning. "I want to have many cubs with her... want to protect her..."

Ares knew Kael had already accepted this woman as their mate because of the marking.

"She just took advantage when we lost control!" Ares argued furiously. "Just like every other female who's been chasing us!"

In this world, females were rare, and one female could claim several mates. Pack law was clear-if an Alpha male bonded with a chosen mate first, he couldn't ditch her for his fated mate later. Rejecting her could kill her.

Alphas could only sense their fated mate before being marked. Ares had waited years for his fated mate, turned down every other female, and now? Some stranger marked him while he was out of his mind. His chance at finding his fated mate? Gone.

"But she saved us..." Kael whined.

"She ruined us!" Ares snarled. "Now I'll never find my fated mate!"

Right then, Elena accidentally brushed his sensitive wolf tail. The moan that escaped him was absolutely mortifying.

"Mmm..."

Did I just-

Ares yanked his tail away like it was on fire. This was all the mark's fault.

Once I break the bond, I'll be back to normal.

Ares thought grimly.

"I will do it," Elena said, standing up. "But we'll have to wait until we're back in the Imperial Capital."

Breaking the bond wasn't risk-free. Even if the female broke the bond gently, the male's power level would drop.

Worse, if he had another mental breakdown later, there was a good chance he'd reject any other female's mental power. Which meant death by uncontrolled rage.

Elena knew the rules inside and out. If Ares wanted to risk it, that was his funeral. But they were stuck in the middle of nowhere right now. Even with reduced abilities, he could still squash her like a bug after the mate bond was broken. She wasn't stupid.

Ares caught on immediately-she was using the mate bond as insurance. His fists clenched. The mate bond was locked in place. Years of waiting, all for nothing.

That was when they heard noise from the cave entrance.

A magpie beastman swooped in and shifted into a woman.

"General Ares!" Vera's voice was pure sugar. "Her Majesty sensed your mental power stabilizing, so I rushed right over!"

"You look even more gorgeous now that you're sane again."

Vera kept gushing until she noticed the other female in the cave. Her face went stiff.

"Why aren't you dead?"

Elena gave her a cold glance.

"I completed the mental comfort mission and saved his life. Problem?"

Vera's face darkened. She had planned to offer tender care while Ares was vulnerable and mark him in the process. Now someone had beaten her to it.

When she spotted the leopard-cat mark on Ares's neck, she nearly had a stroke.

"How dare you mark General Ares?!"

Vera shifted to her bird form and dive-bombed Elena, wings flapping like she wanted to shred her alive.

Elena saw it coming a mile away. She swiftly shifted to her leopard-cat form, dodged the attack, and swatted the annoying magpie out of the air with one paw.

Vera hit the ground hard, shrieking as she shifted back to human form with several deep claw marks across her face.

Pathetic.

Elena thought, then turned to Ares.

"I didn't know you had feelings for her. Don't worry. I won't play the third party. The mate bond will be broken."

Ares was puzzled. To him, Vera and Elena were both females seeking him. Yet Elena was rational, restrained, even offering to break the bond.

In this female-dominated world, most females were spoiled rotten and had males falling over themselves to please them.

Apologizing? Some would torture their marked males' minds just for kicks, breaking them for fun.

But this woman was different. Everything she did had a purpose.

"I'll do it as promised," Elena said, not looking at Vera. "Before then, I suggest you consider the consequences carefully."

Hearing about this, Vera perked up like someone had offered her a winning lottery ticket.

Perfect! When Ares needs mental comfort later, I can handle it.

Vera calculated silently.

Once a marked male broke the bond, his power would drop. If Ares fell to 3S, he would be the same rank as her. Surely then he wouldn't look down on her.

As for the risks of switching Matriarch? She didn't care. Ares was a handsome 4S general. That was enough.

"Ares, we can finally be together," Vera said softly, eyes full of longing. "Even if you've been marked before, I'm still willing to give you the position of first mate."

Ares looked at her with disgust.

"You think I don't know what you're planning?" he said coldly. "When I lost control, the Empire sent females for mental comfort. You weren't among them."

"You knew my level was too high. Anyone attempting mental comfort might die. So you stayed far away."

"Now that I'm stable, you rush over pretending devotion? Even dreaming of becoming my mate after she breaks the bond?"

He let out a short, mocking laugh.

"How ridiculous."

Compared with the risks of losing power and suffering another mental collapse, keeping Elena as his Matriarch was the better choice.

Besides, Kael clearly favored her.

She couldn't possibly be his fated mate. Later, he would draft an agreement-paying Elena for mental comfort, nothing more.

Ares turned to Elena.

"Don't break the bond. I have no relationship with Vera. You will continue as my Matriarch."

Elena quietly let out a breath. At least she wouldn't be the other woman.

Vera's eyes instantly reddened with rage.

"Ares, you'd choose her over me?" she snapped.

"My fertility rating is B-class! With me, you'd have a chance at offspring! She has no fertility value at all!"

In this interstellar world, even advanced technology couldn't improve fertility. Cubs were becoming rarer every year.

"You think I'd want cubs with a female who ran away when I needed her most?" Ares sneered. "I'd rather have none than take a coward who profits from someone else's misfortune."

Just then, the low hum of a hover vehicle sounded outside the cave, followed by approaching footsteps.

Elena glanced toward the entrance.

A silver-haired man stepped inside first, dressed in a long black coat trimmed with gold at the collar and cuffs. His deep, magnetic voice echoed through the cave.

"Welcome back, Ares."

At that moment, the System's voice rang in Elena's mind.

[New mission target detected. Preparing to issue new mission.]

[Main mission issued: Bond with the Silver Fox Prince-successfully mark Prince Caelir Moore and win his true heart. Mission completion will unlock 20% system progress.]

Elena froze. Marking she could understand, but winning his true heart? What did that mean?

"What do you mean by 'winning his true heart'?" she asked mentally.

"Host must make the target truly fall in love with you, not just develop physiological dependence from marking."

Elena frowned. This was way harder than simple marking.

Ares bowed his head slightly. "Your Highness, I'm sorry to worry you."

Caelir helped Ares up, but his gaze fell on Elena. "She's the female who brought you back to your senses?"

Those red eyes held a playful glint, as if studying an interesting piece of art.

The moment their eyes met, Elena saw Caelir's face clearly. She was stunned.

Sharp, sculpted features. Straight nose. Thin lips with slightly upturned corners. Handsome, beautiful-he radiated an elegant yet seductive aura.

About six-foot-three, lean but solid. Broad shoulders, tight waist, defined muscles that weren't overdone. Clearly someone who trained regularly.

She could sense his natural charm and confidence in his gaze.

Unlike Ares's rugged, rough masculinity, Caelir was a man who knew exactly how attractive he was and how to use it.

System information unfolded in her mind:

[Crown Prince Caelir of the Noel Empire, beast form: silver fox. The Silver Fox Dynasty traditionally passes the throne to females. The current Empress lost fertility after bearing only two male heirs. With no female heir available, she designated Caelir as Crown Prince. Male rulers face major risks-if marked by scheming females, the empire could be indirectly controlled. Therefore, Prince Caelir remains unmated.]

"No wonder the system wants me to win his heart," Elena mused. "A prince afraid of female control wouldn't fall in love easily."

Elena had just processed the prince's information when she heard Ares answer somewhat awkwardly."Yes, Your Highness. I plan to take her to my estate."

Caelir chuckled softly. "Good, but you'll both come with me to the Royal Hospital first, then to the palace."

The prince's words were a notification, not a request.

After speaking, Caelir ignored Ares and Elena, turning to Vera nearby. His tone turned instantly cold. "Secretary, you eavesdropped on classified meeting content, violating Imperial Law Article 17. You're hereby dismissed for privacy invasion and detained for one month."

Hearing about detention, Vera's legs gave out. She collapsed.

She had indeed broken the law and couldn't argue back. She didn't dare argue with a prince who never gave females special treatment based on gender.

Vera's heart filled with hatred. A detention record meant her descendants could never work for the royal family again. And it was all Elena's fault!

Elena felt nothing hearing Vera's punishment. To her, Vera was a stranger. Besides, she had more important missions to complete.

Ares, however, deliberately observed Elena's reaction.

He was surprised she didn't gloat. Some females would smirk when other females suffered misfortune.

"Maybe she's different?" Kael suggested tentatively.

"Impossible. All females are the same-spoiled, selfish, love making males compete for them."

"But she..."

"She's just better at pretending," Ares cut Kael off.

Seeing Elena show no joy, Ares lowered his eyes to hide his confusion. This female was truly strange.

Soon, in the luxury hover vehicle heading to the capital, Ares discovered another odd thing about Elena.

The petite female could really eat. Gulp after gulp, she drank ten nutrition tubes in a row!

"My god, she's still drinking!" Kael said happily. "Is it because she's carrying our cub and needs nutrition?"

"Maybe she's just hungry!" Ares replied mentally. He didn't believe this F-class female could get pregnant by him so quickly.

"No female can eat this much," Kael's hope made Ares inexplicably irritated. He cut off communication with Kael, not letting its emotions affect him.

Ares's staring made Elena uncomfortable.

Nutrition fluid was the only food in this world, synthesized from various minerals. Regular females felt full after half a tube, splitting one tube between two meals.

She didn't know why she needed ten tubes, or why she vaguely felt she could handle another.

But Elena was too embarrassed to ask for more. Flavored nutrition fluid cost 1000 star coins per tube. Expensive.

Elena pretended to watch the scenery, avoiding the two males' gazes.

Seeing Elena turn to the window, Caelir couldn't help chuckling teasingly. "Looks like you'll need several more males to support your Matriarch, Ares. Ten thousand star coins per meal-your general's salary might not cover her appetite."

His tone was casual, but his eyes glinted mischievously. Obviously teasing Ares on purpose.

Ares fell silent. He wouldn't tell anyone he planned to sign a contract marriage with Elena. Since it was fake, he naturally didn't need to drain his savings supporting Elena.

As for Elena finding other male mates... whatever. As long as it didn't affect their planned agreement, Elena could find a hundred for all he cared.

Thinking this, Ares said flatly. "Taking mates is her freedom. I won't interfere."

Hearing this answer, obvious interest flashed in Caelir's red pupils.

He leaned forward slightly, voice curious.

"Really? Ares Hayes, the iron-hearted werewolf who believes in fated mate and hates multi-mate systems, now says he doesn't mind his Matriarch taking other males?"

As a close friend, Caelir knew Ares's personality too well. But now Ares had not only been marked by a female, he was saying he didn't care if his Matriarch took more mates.

Caelir turned his attention to Elena. She had a unique scent-sweet like peaches, making him want to get closer. The more he looked, the more charming every part of Elena seemed.

Remembering what his mother said in the online meeting, Caelir's eyes showed shrewd calculation.

Anyone who could restore a berserk 4S beastman to normal must have undergone rare secondary awakening, reaching 4S level mental power. No 4S-level female had ever appeared in the galaxy. If the Noel Empire possessed such a female, their galactic influence would definitely increase.

If Elena's supposed infertility was also a misdiagnosis, he might be ordered by his mother to share a Matriarch with Ares.

With him and Ares, his mother would probably restrict Elena from mating with other males, or the Silver Fox royal status could be threatened.

Soon, the hover vehicle stopped outside the Royal Hospital .

Having heard Caelir say they came for testing, Elena wasn't resistant at all.

At least I'll know my real strength. she thought.

Though females' mental power in this world couldn't attack, higher levels brought more life benefits.

"System, the test won't expose your existence, right?" Elena asked mentally.

"No. The system has disguised abilities as secondary awakening phenomena."

Elena relaxed, placing her hand on the testing stone. Information about the stone surfaced in her mind.

Legend said the testing stone was bestowed by the Beast God when beastmen were still in ancient times. Later, beastmen gradually evolved, entering the interstellar age after ten thousand years. The testing stone had been improved many times.

Now when females placed their hands on it, the stone emitted light while directly displaying S, A, B, C, D, E, F grades.

Additionally, after test results were confirmed, the female's data would be published on the Imperial Mating Bureau's Beast Mate System, allowing single males nationwide to submit mate applications.

Thinking about this, Elena felt nervous. Whatever the result, her life would change completely.

Suddenly she heard a male medical worker exclaim. "My god, white light, infinity symbol! Beast God, has the Beast God descended?"

Elena stared at the testing stone.

The display showed both her mental power and fertility rating as ∞-the infinity symbol.

While she was still processing these results, the murmurs from the surrounding males grew increasingly loud.

"This beautiful female must be the most precious one in the galaxy! I don't care, I want to be her mate-even if I'm the thousandth in line!"

"Damn it, do the single males in our nation have nothing better to do? Her mate applications on the mating platform already exceed 1,000!"

The frenzied reaction from the empire's single males wasn't surprising. Males vastly outnumbered females in this society, and female fertility rates continued to decline. Some females possessed 3S-level mental power yet lacked fertility altogether. Any normal male would desire a female with superior ratings in both categories. After all, a female's mental power level determined not only her ability to provide mental comfort to males but also set the upper limit for her offspring's abilities.

The combination of infinite mental power and fertility meant that anyone who formed a bond with Elena would be guaranteed exceptional offspring!

While the males stared at Elena with burning gazes, Ares, who had been observing her closely, allowed a mocking smile to cross his lips.

"Now she'll show her true colors," Ares thought. "All females are the same-once they realize their advantage, they become arrogant and start selecting males."

But contrary to Ares's expectations, Elena didn't appear happy at all. Instead, her brows furrowed as she pressed her lips together in evident worry.

Ares froze. "That's impossible," he thought. "What female wouldn't be excited about such extraordinary ratings? What game is she playing?"

In his mind, Kael's excited voice rang out. "Infinite fertility! Ares, she could give us so many cubs!"

"Shut up, Kael."

"But she-"

"She's no different from other females. Just wait-she'll reveal her greedy nature any moment now."

While Ares was lost in his thoughts, he failed to realize that Elena wasn't just worried-she was terrified.

"System, isn't this too attention-grabbing?" Elena asked mentally.

"This is a necessary condition for completing the mission, host."

"But now everyone's staring at me. That's dangerous."

Elena understood that high mental power and fertility were beneficial and would earn her special treatment. But ratings that reached infinity would bring trouble. Although females were protected by law, some males would stop at nothing to form a bond with a valuable female. Not to mention interstellar pirates who regularly abducted high-fertility females.

These thoughts made Elena instinctively look toward Ares, seeking the security their mate bond provided.

When Ares caught Elena's gaze, he suddenly recalled how she'd looked in the cave. His body responded involuntarily. He almost extended his tail to wrap around her.

The sensation made Ares clench his jaw as he forced himself to look away. "Have I lost my mind? What am I thinking about in public? Is the mate bond's influence this strong?"

Seeing Ares turn away, Elena pressed her lips together. She'd nearly forgotten that Ares had been marked against his will. Yet here she was, influenced by the bond, instinctively seeking security from him.

"This won't do," she reminded herself. Still, the feeling of rejection left her dejected.

Noticing Elena's downcast expression, Ares clenched his fists, fighting the urge to comfort her. "Females don't deserve sympathy!" he told himself, just as he noticed Crown Prince Caelir approaching Elena.

Elena sensed someone approaching and looked up to see the silver-haired male offering her a warm smile.

"Don't be afraid, miss. The Noel Empire will protect you with all its resources. No harm will come to you."

While other males were planning how many children they would have with her, Caelir had keenly perceived her fear. Elena gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Caelir's crimson eyes brightened slightly.

Interesting, Caelir thought. After such brief contact, I'm already feeling possessive. This feeling is... unexpectedly pleasant.

Caelir's tone grew even gentler. "Miss Elena, let me take you to meet my mother. You'll see how serious the Noel Empire is about protecting you."

With that, Caelir elegantly bent his arm, inviting Elena to hold onto him-both a protective gesture and a warning to surrounding males to mind their behavior.

The males' voices indeed quieted, though conversations still filtered through.

"Does the Crown Prince want to be the Sacred Female's mate too? Well, she is the Sacred Female after all."

"Did you notice? General Ares has a leopard cat mark on his neck, and the Sacred Female's beast form is a leopard cat. Has she already marked him?"

"Have the Sacred Female and the General already mated? Beast God, I envy the General."

"Will the Crown Prince be jealous of the General? The General's rank is high, but the Prince is the heir."

Hearing people discuss her relationship with Ares and Caelir's apparent interest, Elena glanced at the prince.

The system says I need to mark him, she considered. From his reaction, he does seem attracted to me. This task might be easier than I thought. But making a man like him truly fall in love with me?

Elena had learned to remain rational after her betrayal in her previous life. A man's words couldn't be fully trusted. She needed to use his attraction to complete her mission, not actually fall for him.

Caelir noticed Elena's contemplative expression.

"This little female is more intriguing than I expected. Not the type to blush at the first compliment."

As a renowned playboy, Caelir had encountered countless females. Most were either overly forward or pretending to be shy. But Elena was different-her eyes held a mature wariness that only heightened his interest.

Caelir smiled lightly and guided Elena out of the hospital.

Ares followed behind them, frowning deeply as he stared at Elena's arm linked through Caelir's. Just before arriving at the hospital, that same hand had been on him, and now it rested in another male's embrace.

"Females truly are fickle!" Ares's eyes filled with disgust. He was about to turn away when Caelir called out to him. "Ares, what are you thinking? The car is this way. Mother is urging us to hurry to the palace."

Since it was the Empress's order, Ares couldn't refuse. Reluctantly, he boarded the hover vehicle, only to discover Elena sitting beside Caelir. His insides burned with inexplicable anger.

In his mind, Kael grumbled unhappily. "Why is she sitting next to that silver fox? She should be beside us!"

"Because she's a social climber," Ares sneered, not hiding his contempt. "To her, a Crown Prince has more value than a General."