Hearing this, Evangeline’s fox-like eyes lifted slightly. Her red lips curved into a lazy smile as she nodded readily. "It’s true."

Drake didn’t pull away from her hand. His golden-red eyes remained stubbornly fixed on her, like a docile bird of prey.

He looked up and asked, "Why?"

Evangeline’s hand gently caressed his face, brushing over his unhealed scars. Her bewitching features softened as she whispered, "If I told you the person who did that wasn’t me, would you believe me?"

’At this point, she no longer wanted to bear the burden of the original owner’s misdeeds.’

’The original owner had broken Drake’s Feather Wings and used the feathers to make a golden-red feather blanket. At first, she’d adored it, but unfortunately, she tired of new things all too quickly. After the Cold Season, she had someone from the tribe take it to the trade meet to exchange for supplies.’

’Trying to find it now would be nearly impossible.’

’Fortunately, Drake’s Feather Wings could regenerate. It just required some strong medicine to stimulate the growth of Bone Wings—a process as agonizing as having one’s bones scraped and marrow gouged.’

’Still, compared to what had happened to Danton, Thorne, and Lachlan, Drake’s wings weren’t the most difficult problem to solve.’

’Danton’s scales had to be found. They had been forcibly scraped off, destroying the Scale Bag and making regeneration impossible. She couldn’t very well break his leg just to force his tail scales to regrow.’

’Thorne’s Beast Crystal and Lachlan’s eyes were both irreplaceable and nearly impossible to regenerate.’

’But as for Drake, if his Feather Wings were broken, he could reform his Bone Wings, and the feathers would grow back.’

Drake gazed silently at Evangeline for a moment, his golden-red eyes as deep as molten gold. "I believe you," he said, his voice low.

His voice was exceptionally deep and rich, its mellow, magnetic tone like wine aged for many years.

Evangeline’s lips curved into a faint smile as she met his gaze. "I’ll heal you. I’m just missing a few herbs. You focus on recovering. Once you’re better, I’ll be back with the medicine. Then, you’ll be able to soar through the heavens again."

Seeing her earnest expression, Drake’s thin lips finally curved into the faintest of smiles.

After a long moment, he replied softly, "Okay."

Suddenly, Drake raised his hand, his fingertip gently touching the blooming Beast Spirit Flower on Evangeline’s forehead. "What is this?" he asked softly.

Evangeline looked up into his clear gaze. His expression was one of curiosity, tinged with a raw reverence and a desire to understand.

’He doesn’t remember anything.’

A gentle smile touched Evangeline’s lips as she explained patiently, "This is the mark of the Beast Spirit Flower."

"When a female is carrying a life, the Star Pattern on her forehead transforms into a blooming Beast Spirit Flower. It only changes back to a Star Pattern after the cub is born." Her voice was soft, as if she were recounting an ancient legend.

"Beast Spirit Flower?" Drake’s golden-red pupils constricted, and his gaze fell to Evangeline’s slightly rounded belly.

Though it was only a slight curve, it was still clear that she was a female carrying a cub.

Drake hesitantly reached out. His long fingers hovered in the air for a long moment before he carefully placed his hand on her belly.

Beneath his palm, he felt the faint but vivid pulse of life, which sent a slight tremor through his fingertips. A look of wonder crossed his face, and his voice became incredibly soft as he whispered, "In the future... can I have a cub, too?"

Evangeline was taken aback for a second, then answered with a light laugh, "Of course."

’This is exactly what I want.’

*

While Evangeline was inside the bamboo house focused on winning Drake over, an undercurrent of tension was surging outside. It was far from peaceful.

Danton stood in a corner, holding a cub that had just woken up in his arms.

The little one opened its eyes, revealing a pair of magnificent, iridescent, seven-colored pupils.

Caden Albright was leaning against the bamboo pillar beside Danton, his eyes fixed on the cub’s eyes and the winding, colorful butterfly pattern on its cheek.

After a moment, his fingertip brushed the butterfly pattern on the cub’s cheek. "He’s the spitting image of The Everwake," he murmured. "He’s sure to become a rare Warrior for the tribe one day."

Before Danton could reply, Caden Albright’s lips curved into a decadent smile. "Tell me, what kind of expression do you think he’ll have when he finds out he has a cub? Heh. The female gives birth while the male is nowhere to be found, and the cub ends up being raised by other males."

"When this little one gets a bit older and starts chasing us around, calling us ’Father,’ just what kind of spectacular expression will appear on The Everwake’s high-and-mighty face?" Caden Albright rested his knuckles on his chin and chuckled, suddenly looking forward to it.

He knew The Everwake’s temperament all too well: proud, arrogant, and violent. The thought of his own cub being raised by other males—and calling them Father—was simply too amusing to pass up.

Danton glanced up at him, easily detecting the amusement in Caden Albright’s voice.

He, on the other hand, hadn’t been personally wronged by The Everwake, so his affection for the cub was unconditional.

"They... they aren’t going to cause trouble, are they?" Danton’s brow furrowed as he looked over Caden Albright’s shoulder at the aggressive Thorne and the grim-faced Julian, who looked ready to lash out at any second.

Caden Albright crossed his arms and lazily lifted his amber eyes, glancing at the two men facing off. "On the Beastman Continent, the courtship process is always full of twists and turns when males compete for a female’s affection, isn’t it?"

His languid, drawling voice rose slightly, tinged with a playful tone.

Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Danton’s light blue eyes. "Courting? You mean Julian is..."

Caden Albright shrugged nonchalantly, his silver-white hair catching in the breeze. "Who knows?"

Meanwhile, Thorne was staring coldly at Julian. His dark green, vertical pupils gleamed with a cold light as his gaze swept critically over Julian’s golden hair and eyes, finally landing on his spirited face. Compared to his calm and reserved Brother, Drake, Julian still carried a youthful air about him, despite being the tribe’s leader. His entire being radiated an untempered edge and flamboyance.

A sneer tugged at Thorne’s lips, his voice low and dangerous. "I’d advise you not to let your eyes wander where they don’t belong."

Julian had been exceptionally talented since childhood, and now, as a prodigy bearing the Seven-star Pattern, he was adored by countless females. He was naturally displeased to be confronted so aggressively just for glancing at Evangeline.

A dark undercurrent swirled in his gilded-gold eyes, and his lips curved into a sharp smile. His voice was laced with mockery. "Since when does a female need a male’s permission to choose her partner?"

A cold hostility rose between Thorne’s handsome brows. He sneered, "I’m just reminding you that some lines shouldn’t be crossed."

"Lines?" Julian let out a low laugh. His golden ponytail whipped up in the wind, making his features look all the more audacious.

He scoffed. "On the Beastman Continent, the strong have always been revered. What if she chooses me?"

A cold glint flashed in Thorne’s eyes. "Then by all means, give it a try. See if she’ll choose you for Drake’s sake."

The air suddenly froze as killing intent spread silently between them.

At those words, Julian’s pupils contracted sharply, as if he’d been stung. In that instant, he realized he had subconsciously cast himself in the role of a suitor. The thought struck him as absurd.

’Him? And Evangeline?’

’Utterly ridiculous.’

’Although the incident last night had left him with a strange feeling, it wasn’t enough to shake his deeply ingrained beliefs. Females meant trouble. They were a restraint. He had never once considered forming a Contract with anyone.’

With this in mind, Julian turned away. His gilded-gold eyes gazed into the distance, and his voice turned exceptionally cold and distant. "Drop your ridiculous vigilance. I don’t have the slightest interest in Evangeline, and I certainly wouldn’t choose a female who’s responsible for my Brother’s current state."

Thorne’s long brows arched slightly, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes. He nodded, pleased. "You’d best remember what you said today."