The World of Beasts: She's Got Their Hearts

Scott quietly gathered the soiled sheets and clothes, then slipped out of the room without a word.

He glanced at the table where Finlay had carefully plated the food, then looked toward the kitchen. A strange surge of competitiveness stirred in him.

Without thinking, Scott stepped into the kitchen, pulled out a slab of beef, and asked the housekeeper to help clean and marinate it. He was determined to cook a perfectly seared steak for Analise.

Ten minutes later, the kitchen caught fire. The cleaning bot was speechless.

Scott was forced to face reality. He calmed his competitive heart and went back to silently washing sheets and dirty clothes.

The villa's doorbell rang. The housekeeper promptly went to check, though he didn't open the door immediately.

Outside stood a tall male with a massive set of horns. They were thick, and so was he, with muscular arms, broad shoulders, and a lean waist. He was easily six feet taller than Finlay.

"Hello, is Commander Hopkins or Ms. Chambers available?" the male said, pulling a business card from his coat. "I'm Jay Arnold from Ironhorn Alliance. I'm here to request Ms. Chambers' help."noveldrama

"Please wait here. I'll fetch Ms. Chambers and Mr. Hopkins." The housekeeper gave a polite nod, taking the card.

"Mr. Hopkins, there's a male at the door. Says he's from Ironhorn Alliance and wants to speak with Ms. Chambers," the housekeeper informed Scott, who was doing the laundry.

Scott paused. "Ironhorn Alliance is technically neutral, though they've been under pressure lately. As for helping them, that's up to Ana. Let him in. Have him wait in the living room, then go ask Analise if she's willing. I'll finish up here."

Scott continued to wash the clothes.

Once the bloodstained clothes were washed, Scott tossed them in the machine and instructed the cleaning bot to hang them out when they were done.

"Ironhorn Alliance is asking for my help?" Analise looked up from where she was playing with the wolf pup-Finlay. She considered it for a moment. "Alright. I'll go meet him."

She gave Finlay's wolf a pat, signaling him to get up, then changed into something simple and followed the housekeeper and Finlay downstairs.

"Ms. Chambers," Jay said, rising the moment she entered. "I'm Jay Arnold from Ironhorn Alliance. You're even more stunning in person than in the Cosmoseek videos."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Arnold," Analise said with a soft smile. "Please, have a seat."

No sooner had she sat down than Scott entered the room as well.

Jay stood again and greeted him. "I've seen you before at the Interstellar Alliance's Apex Tournament. You were impressive. A shame that injury kept you out of the top 20."

Scott shook his hand with his usual calm, collected demeanor.

Analise had read about the Apex Tournament in the library archives. Males were to battle without mind essence or any enhancements, just raw strength and wit. The goal was to knock your opponent out of the ring. It was designed to spotlight males who were the best of the best.

"Ms. Chambers, Commander Hopkins, I'll get straight to the point," Jay said, wasting no time. "Our city's Young Lord, Karl, was ambushed by his own people recently-set up and wounded by the Vexoths. He's infected with Vexoth venom.

"From the outside, Ironhorn Alliance looks neutral. But the truth is, we're full of internal conflict. If it weren't for Lord Hansen holding things. together, half our faction would've already pledged themselves to Colossus Alliance.

"To seize power, they orchestrated this ambush. And now, without a female to stabilize him, Karl's mental state is spiraling. Lord Hansen's too weak to intervene, so we've been keeping everything under wraps."

Jay's expression was grim. "But the pressure's building. That's why I'm here. I'm asking Ms. Chambers to help soothe Karl."

He exhaled, turning to look at Scott. "If Ms. Chambers agrees, Ironhorn Alliance will formally ally with Stormclaw Alliance and offer 30,000 Astral Ambers as a gesture of goodwill."

"30,000 Astral Ambers isn't a small offer," Analise and Scott said at the same time.