"A wandering... slave?" A slight curve touched Evangeline’s lips, but her tone was ice-cold.

The Iridian Youth’s pupils contracted sharply. He opened his mouth to reply, but a fluorescent light was already pressing against the space between his brows. His body swayed, his mind felt as if it had been cast into the clouds, and his consciousness instantly fragmented.

The glow of the Enchanting Spell still lingered on Evangeline’s fingertip. Her eyes were glacial. "Where is Drake?"

The Iridian Youth’s gaze was vacant. He spoke as if in a dream. "In the Goldeagle Tribe."

Evangeline’s eyes narrowed, a sharp glint flashing within them. "Drake’s birth clan?"

The Iridian Youth’s expression was wooden. His neck moved in a stiff nod, as though he were a puppet on strings.

By the time his senses returned, the beautiful woman was nowhere to be seen.

The Iridian Youth dug his nails deep into his palm. He glanced around, but there was only silence and emptiness. He tapped his temples, his head still feeling heavy and dull. If not for the thick, sweet fragrance that still saturated the air, he would have dismissed the whole encounter as a dream.

*

Evangeline didn’t go to the Goldeagle Tribe. Instead, she turned back toward Blackwater Swamp.

For one, the Goldeagle Tribe’s settlement was a great distance from Blackwater Swamp; the round trip would be too time-consuming.

Two, even if she went now, Drake’s rigid, stubborn personality meant he would never agree to leave with her.

Three, there were several people waiting for her back at Blackwater Swamp. If she didn’t return soon, she feared chaos would erupt.

And finally, the most important reason: the searing, all-consuming heat of her estrus. Even she could barely suppress it. If she couldn’t get through this period safely, she was afraid she’d lose control.

’I have no desire to attract a few more Beast Husbands for no reason. The ones I have now are troublesome enough.’

’Instead of overthinking it, I’ll just wait for the rainy season to end and rescue him at the tribal trade meet. The "damsel saving the hero" routine never fails. It’s the perfect chance to make a good impression on Drake.’

’Drake... In my memories, he seems like a very prim, fatherly type of man.’

The original Evangeline’s first encounter with Drake hadn’t been nearly so convoluted.

Although Drake’s temperament was as unyielding as stone, he was exceptionally handsome. More uniquely, he was an anomaly in the Goldeagle Clan. While his kin were cloaked in golden feathers, his were the color of red gold. Under the sun, they blazed like a burning fire, so brilliant it was almost blinding.

And as fate would have it, that was how he caught the original Evangeline’s eye.

Evangeline sighed to herself. ’I have no idea what kind of dumb luck that girl had. Every single one she met was an absolute masterpiece.’

What happened next was completely predictable.

The original "Evangeline" was, after all, Norfell’s most beautiful female. Seducing a male, if she truly set her mind to it, took almost no effort. All it took was a little act—a delicate beauty in peril—to trigger Drake’s damnable protective instincts.

Afterward, he not only entered into a contract with her but also lost his most cherished Red Gold Wings in the process.

For avian Beastmen, their feathers were their greatest source of pride.

Their Feather Wings not only allowed them to fight in the open sky but were also their primary tools for hunting.

But Drake, having lost his wings, was like a man with a broken spine, plummeting from the clouds into the dust.

He could no longer be a lord of the sky, nor could he become a proper Terrestrial Beastman.

With his Star Pattern shattered and his ability to soar gone, he lost all dignity in the eyes of his clan—a disgrace, neither one thing nor the other, utterly debased.

*

It was evening when Evangeline returned to Blackwater Swamp.

The tide of heat in her body began to surge once more, searing her cheeks with an alluring crimson flush. With every breath she exhaled, the thick, sweet fragrance intensified, and the surrounding forest filled with the overlapping roars of Wild Beasts.

Hearing the sharp CRUNCH of claws crushing dry branches all around her, a cold glint flashed in Evangeline’s eyes.

Just as she was about to teach these witless Wild Beasts a lesson, something suddenly tightened around her waist.

A familiar vine had coiled silently around her. She hadn’t seen it in days, and now, even the fine, sharp serrations along its length seemed to have tempered their ferocity. It rubbed against her waist gently, almost as if trying to curry favor.

Evangeline’s gaze flowed toward the woods, where Nix was emerging from the trees.

His figure was long and lean, almost one with the shadows. The downpour lashed against him, yet it couldn’t wash away the faint, dark scent that clung to him—a fragrance so crisp and bewitching it made one’s heart stir.

Evangeline’s eyes danced as she extended an arm toward Nix, her voice soft and bewitching. "What are you doing here?"

Hearing that voice, so sweet it seemed to drip honey, the icy chill in Nix’s violet eyes melted into a swirling mist.

He lunged forward, pulling Evangeline into his embrace. His powerful arms constricted around her until she could barely breathe. His hot breath ghosted across her ear as he spoke, his voice low and raspy. "I thought you weren’t coming back."

A faint smile played on Evangeline’s red lips. Her slender, nimble fingers restlessly toyed with the collar of Nix’s shirt, pulling it open as she pressed her scorching cheek against his ice-cold chest. The moment their skin touched, the refreshing coolness immediately soothed the roiling heat within her.

Evangeline couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. "If I didn’t come back... where else would I go?"

The end of her sentence lifted, laced with a teasing lilt.

Nix swept Evangeline up into his arms. He gazed down at her crimson face, his long brows furrowing slightly. He lowered his head, pressing his forehead against her cheek. His curly purple hair tumbled forward, brushing between them in a suggestive arc.

"Your estrus is hitting too hard. You are not to go out again during this time."

Nix’s voice was deep and husky, laced with an authority that permitted no argument.

Evangeline nuzzled against his neck like a coddled kitten, soft whimpers escaping her throat as if she wished to drink in every bit of coolness from his skin.

"Don’t be afraid." Nix tightened his arms around her. His steps were firm and steady as he carried her through Blackwater Swamp. The outline of the bamboo house grew clearer, and the Bone Bells hanging from the eaves of Lachlan’s home chimed as they were struck by the rain.

Evangeline leaned lazily against Nix’s shoulder, the corner of her eye sweeping over the bamboo house.

In just a few short days, the bamboo house looked brand new.

The Moonlight Flowers hadn’t bloomed, but other wildflowers, like wild roses, had been planted by the corner of the house. Even under the assault of the downpour, they bloomed with defiant abandon. The bamboo huts had also been repaired and reinforced, making them look much sturdier.

There were also two new side rooms built next to it; she had no idea what they were for.

The moment Nix returned carrying Evangeline, her cloyingly sweet scent alerted everyone inside the house.

"Eva!"

Caden Albright, his silver-white hair like a waterfall, flashed before them in an instant. His amber eyes contracted sharply. His long fingers hovered in the air, wanting to touch Evangeline yet not daring to. "Her estrus..."

Thorne’s face went pale, his dark green eyes filled with remorse.

He was the one who had taken her out, and now she had returned in this miserable state.

Lachlan’s brow was deeply furrowed, his gray-brown eyes filled with concern. His clear, ethereal voice was laced with urgency. "We’ll deal with everything else later. A female’s estrus is like being consumed by fire. We have to help her first!"

Without a word, Nix carried Evangeline and stepped directly into the bamboo house.

Caden Albright’s silver hair whipped about in the damp night wind, dark currents swirling in his amber eyes.

Lachlan’s expression was cool and detached, his gray-brown eyes as if veiled by a layer of mist.

Black scales materialized on Thorne’s neck, and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists.

Though their expressions differed, the men all tacitly cleared a path.

A solemn expression settled on Caden Albright’s stunning face. "For the next few days, we will take turns caring for Eva. We must ensure she gets through her estrus safely. Anything else can wait until after the rainy season."

Just as they were about to disperse, the door to the bamboo house was suddenly thrown open with brute force, letting out a piercing CREAK.

Nix stood in the doorway, exuding a suffocating aura of pressure.

His expression was grim, a destructive tide churning in his violet eyes, as if he were about to incinerate the world. His voice was terrifyingly low and raspy as he spoke, enunciating each word. "Something’s wrong. Get in here. All of you."