"His majesty is inside, my lady. He's waiting for you." A maid, a squirrel Therian, bowed to you and left you in front of the doors that connected the balcony.

You let out a sigh and composed yourself. It's just that a marriage arrangement had been made with you, the daughter of a Count and the emperor of the Therian Empire.

Therians: they are humanoid beings with animal traits and instincts and can shift from human to animal form and vice versa.

Like you. You were 24 and a black panther Therian who could shift from your human form to your respective animal form.

The Therian Empire lived in a completely separate life from humans, yet one of the richest and most glorious empires in the world.

And the emperor of the kingdom was a Tiger Therian, Lee Minho. He was a divine Therian at that.

Divine Therians are a sacred bloodline found only within the Imperial House. Descended from divine beasts, they possess superior strength, senses, longevity, and instincts. Their animal forms are far larger than those of ordinary Therians. As bearers of the gods' blood, only Divine Therians of the direct imperial line may inherit and rule the Imperial Throne.

And you were the bride-to-be of the said divine Therian. You were in a midnight blue gown and your hair styled in a bun.

It was almost around midnight. You were supposed to meet His Majesty today during the day, but he was busy. So nighttime it was. Plus, you were to live in the imperial palace from today until the wedding day, which would take place in two months from now. Until then, you would stay in the palace as his fiancée.

You were chosen as his bride cause you were a feline Therian, just like him. And only a feline Therian would be needed to be his mate and empress rather than any other species.

Finally, after a long pause, you knocked on the door before gently pushing it open.

And there he was. Under the moonlight, sitting on its paws and limbs, in his divine tiger beast form was Minho.

In its animal form, a Divine Therian Tiger dwarfed ordinary tigers in both size and presence. Its massive frame stood as tall as a warhorse at the shoulder, muscles rippling beneath a coat of lustrous white fur. Dark stripes flowed across its body like strokes of ink, while its piercing ice-blue eyes burned with intelligence and authority, with broad shoulders and immense paws.

Ahh. You did hear Minho loved lying under the moon and basking in the moonlight's presence in his divine beast form, being a white tiger divine Therian. No wonder the balconies of this imperial palace was huge in space.

The humongous tiger, after sensing your presence through your pheromones, finally turned its massive head towards you, its blue eyes blinking down at you before standing up on its paws, now standing even more huge, almost over 15 feet tall.

You bowed your head as the tiger padded closer towards you and lowered its massive head down at you.

After a few seconds, he began to shift. You instinctively turned your head away, since when any Therian shifts from their animal to human form, they come out naked.

After a few seconds, a deep velvety chuckle came from in front of you.

You turned your head back and there he was by the balcony railing. In his human form, now wearing a white silk robe to cover his body, instead of his royal attire.

He’s got a sharp, sculpted shaven jawline and intense, icy blue eyes with a magnetic stare. His skin is flawless and porcelain-smooth under the moonlight, giving him a mysterious vibe. He had soft, voluminous white hair that falls naturally over his forehead.

He was lean and tall—around 185 cm—but strong—built with toned arms and subtle abs and biceps hidden under tailored clothes and now his robe. It’s an effortlessly cool, elegant, and striking look.

"You're turning your head away from your husband-to-be already, my lady?" Minho grinned as he leaned down, took your hand in his, and raised it to press a kiss on your knuckles. "How are we to spend our wedding night if you can't see me without attire?"