The Villainess Winning Back Her Beast Husbands-Chapter 85: Another Snake Clan Tribe

"The Stannar Tribe?" Evangeline was taken aback. Tribes rarely accepted outsiders, let alone gave them territory. It was a recipe for disputes and conflict.

Especially since resources were scarce during the rainy season, any conflicts would be even more intense.

Thorne, who had been lounging lazily against the stone wall, froze at her words. He slowly straightened his tall, slender frame.

His dark green eyes narrowed, a rare hint of surprise in his voice. "The entire Stannar Tribe is here?"

Elias Moretti shot him a sideways glance, an inscrutable glint in his eyes. "Follow me."

With that, he stepped into the curtain of rain without another look at Evangeline.

Thorne’s brow furrowed. He looked at Evangeline and lowered his voice. "I’ll be right back."

Evangeline gave a slight nod.

As Thorne turned to leave, he didn’t forget to instruct Caden Albright, "Guard her well."

Through the curtain of rain, Evangeline watched Thorne’s departing figure, lost in thought.

’Since his mother’s tribe has come seeking refuge, this is a tie that can’t be severed.’

’Since Elias Moretti has already tacitly agreed as the leader, I, an outsider, have no place to say anything. I just hope this doesn’t lead to any inter-tribal disputes. I need to give birth to my cubs in peace.’

The moment Thorne left, Caden Albright stroked Evangeline’s stomach and asked softly, "Are you hungry?"

Evangeline’s eyes lit up after a moment’s thought. She leaned close to Caden Albright’s ear, her warm breath grazing his skin, her tone lilting. "How about you let me cook for you today?"

Caden Albright froze, and before he could respond, Evangeline had already slipped nimbly off the stone bed.

With a flick of her fingertip, an array of ingredients appeared on the stone table: choice ribs still wrapped in plastic, dewy bundles of crisp green vegetables, and a piece of pork belly with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat.

"I’ll make some rice and a stir-fry. You can be my sous chef!" She rolled up her sleeves, turned to Caden Albright, and winked. "But this will just be a taste. Knowing your appetite, it definitely won’t be enough to fill you up."

Caden Albright watched her fluid, graceful movements, his gaze darkening slightly.

Even though he had long known she possessed the Illusion Realm, witnessing her ability to conjure things from thin air still sent a tremor through him.

’A Witch truly is the being most favored by the Beast God. Her every move possesses a miraculous quality that ordinary beastmen can’t even begin to fathom.’

Caden Albright’s crimson lips tightened into a line as he gazed at Evangeline, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

’It wasn’t envy that filled his heart, but worry.’ 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

’The stronger and more dazzling she became, the more distant she seemed. She was like the unattainable moon in the sky; when he reached for her, he couldn’t even touch a sliver of its cold, brilliant light.’

’He wasn’t afraid of her leaving him behind, but that he wouldn’t even be worthy of following her.’

’Perhaps only by becoming a beastman with a nine-star pattern could he close the gap between them.’

"Caden Albright?" Evangeline’s enchanting voice suddenly broke through, scattering his chaotic thoughts.

Caden Albright snapped back to reality, meeting her gaze as she tilted her head at him.

"What are you thinking about?" She shook the leafy greens in her hand, flicking cool droplets of water onto his face.

She wrinkled her nose. "I’m telling you, if you don’t come help, you’re not getting any of this."

A dazed look flickered across Caden Albright’s captivating face as he took the damp leaves from her hand.

He looked at Evangeline and reached out to gently wipe her cheek, but only ended up smearing more water across it.

"Hey!" Evangeline pushed his hand away with a look of mock disgust. "What are you doing!"

Caden Albright suddenly chuckled, his lips curving into a handsome smile.

’In this moment, she wasn’t the all-powerful Witch who could turn the world on its head, but simply his female.’

"Leave it, I’ll wash them," he heard himself say, his voice a little huskier than he expected.

*

Meanwhile, Thorne followed Elias Moretti through the rain to the entrance of the Grymdale Tribe.

In an open area on the tribe’s outskirts, dozens of large, colorful snakes lay coiled.

Some carried females and young on their backs, while others had dead prey wrapped in their tails. They would occasionally raise their scale-covered, rounded heads and let out low hisses toward the tribe’s entrance.

These Snake Beastmen had slender, graceful bodies, a stark contrast to the burly norm. They were the distinctive Snake Beastmen of the Stannar Tribe.

They were vastly different from the Snake Beastmen of the Grymdale Tribe. The Stannar Tribe’s snakes were slender and brilliantly colored, but were relatively docile and non-venomous. In contrast, the Grymdale snakes were fiercely venomous, with dark, sinister coloring and fangs that hid a lethal poison. Their extreme aggression was what had cemented the Grymdale Tribe’s dominance in Norfell.

A complex emotion flashed in Thorne’s dark green eyes when he saw the Snake Beastmen of the Stannar Tribe.

’His own mother had been a docile female from the Stannar Tribe. Her misfortune was meeting Morgan Moretti.’

’Morgan Moretti was a venomous python from the Grymdale Tribe and was already contracted to another female. And yet, his mother had still unhesitatingly taken a fatal blow for him. The irony was bitter.’

The people of the Stannar Tribe grew restless the moment they saw Thorne.

The coiled snakes reared up, their scales gleaming coldly as the rain washed over them.

"It’s Thorne! It’s really him! Elias Moretti wasn’t lying!"

"His Beast Crystal... he’s really healed!"

"This is wonderful! With Thorne here, we finally have hope for the future!"

"..."

The members of the Stannar Tribe all began talking at once, their faces a mixture of disbelief and ecstatic joy.

Elias Moretti stood behind Thorne, his scarlet eyes coldly sweeping over the restless crowd of snakes before finally settling on a female standing in a corner. A flicker of keen interest crossed his face.

The female’s fingers were twisted tightly together. Pale green scales dotted her cheeks. She wasn’t conventionally beautiful, but she exuded a gentle aura, like a mountain stream, that drew the eye.

Right now, she was gazing in Thorne’s direction with a complex expression.

"The western side of the territory is empty. You can handle the rest," Elias Moretti said, withdrawing his gaze. He glanced at Thorne and turned to walk back into the tribe’s lands.

Thorne remained where he was, watching Elias’s retreating back with a pensive look.

’Elias Moretti has no connection to the Stannar Tribe. Now that he’s the leader, why would he agree to take them in just for my sake?’

’Elias Moretti is not a kind beastman.’

’He couldn’t care less if the Stannar Tribe lives or dies.’

Just then, the crowd stirred, and someone gave a furtive push.

Skyla stumbled forward half a step, forced out of the crowd. She unconsciously clenched the beast skin of her clothes.

She kept her eyes downcast, not daring to meet Thorne’s gaze.

As she drew near, her throat felt constricted. Her voice was so soft it was nearly lost to the wind. "Thorne... Brother Thorne." She paused, then forced herself to add, "It’s... it’s really good that you’ve recovered."

Her voice trembled at the end, as if hiding an unspeakable bitterness.

Thorne merely gave a faint nod before his gaze shifted back to the rest of the Stannar Tribe. "Follow me," he said, his voice low and detached.

Without any further pleasantries, Thorne strode into the Grymdale Tribe’s territory, his tall figure upright and distant.

The beastmen of the Stannar Tribe exchanged glances, sighed, and followed him in silence.

Skyla remained where she was, biting her lip, not moving for a long time.

The Monitor Lizard clan’s venomous schemes had caused the Grymdale Tribe to suffer heavy losses.

As they walked, empty caves dotted the cliff walls, some still stained with blood that had yet to dry.

Thorne led the Stannar Tribe through the Grymdale territory to the western side. Looking at the vacant caves, his expression was grim and his voice devoid of emotion. "You can choose from these caves. I’m heading back."