"He’s gone?" Evangeline raised a delicate eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She glanced at Drake’s profile, but could see no ripple of emotion. After a moment of thought, she said softly, "That makes sense. Julian is a tribe leader, after all. He has plenty of matters to attend to and can’t stay away from his nest for long."

Evangeline moved closer, sitting down beside Drake. She took his hand, placing her palm against his calloused one.

She laced her fingers through his and said softly, "Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you. The day your Star Pattern is restored and your feathers bloom anew, if you wish to return to your nest, I’ll personally see you off. How does that sound?"

Drake suddenly tightened his grip, his hand clamping around her fingers with enough force to nearly crush her bones.

His golden-red pupils contracted into thin slits as he looked up at Evangeline, his gaze seemingly enveloping her whole being.

And in her eyes, at that moment, only his reflection could be seen.

Drake pursed his lips. His voice was hoarse, his eyes suppressing a storm of emotion. "You... you don’t know why Julian left?"

Evangeline raised a delicate eyebrow, giving Drake a thoughtful look. "What are you trying to say? That it was a matter of unspoken, unrequited love?"

She had worked in the "romance department," after all. While she couldn’t claim to grasp a man’s heart a hundred percent of the time, ninety percent was no issue. Julian’s dazed looks, his evasive eyes, the reddened tips of his ears, the moments he hesitated to speak—it was all steeped in affection.

If she claimed to know nothing, she would just be playing coy.

Besides, the mission came first. No matter how handsome Julian was, he wasn’t her target.

Drake’s brow bone cast a sharp shadow in the moonlight, his lips tightening. "You knew."

Evangeline leaned back languidly, propping herself up on the bamboo bed with a delicate hand. As she shifted her leg, her thin, crimson robe slid down, revealing a stretch of creamy white skin, making the sight all the more tempting.

She paid it no mind, looking at Drake with a faint smile playing on her lips. "Are you blaming me for not giving him a chance?"

Drake shook his head, his gaze deep and restrained. "A Contract should be initiated by the male’s courtship. Since he said nothing, I certainly have nothing to say. It’s just... for him to leave like that, you don’t seem to think..."

Evangeline’s toes dangled and swung. Hearing his words, she let out a sudden, soft laugh. "My dear, I’m a very busy woman."

Drake froze, his Adam’s apple bobbing uncontrollably. When he looked down at her, his gaze was dark and unreadable.

Evangeline chuckled softly and raised her hand, her fingertips gently twirling a loose lock of Drake’s golden-red ponytail.

"You see, my wish is to have nests full of little fluffballs with my beloved Beast Husbands and live a life steeped in honey. Right now, I’ve only just had a taste of that sweetness, and there’s still so much left to do."

She suddenly flipped over, pinning Drake to the bamboo couch as her crimson robe fanned out like a sunset cloud. "So, tell me, if I went and stirred up trouble with someone else right now, wouldn’t I just be making things difficult for myself?"

"I’m the type of person who enjoys rising to a challenge, but I’m not one to go out of my way to create them. Knowing when to quit while you’re ahead is very important. So, I don’t care that Julian left. In fact, I’m relieved, if anything."

Evangeline’s long, narrow eyes curved, a breathtaking smile dancing across her stunning features.

She suddenly leaned down and pressed her red lips to his fever-hot brow.

Drake stared at her, unblinking, his golden-red Beast Eyes glittering. The next instant, he shot out a hand, cupped the nape of her neck, and bit down hard on those clever, unyielding red lips.

In the midst of their deep kiss, he suddenly froze, his gaze darting outside the bamboo house.

He shot to his feet, his golden-red ponytail carving a sharp arc through the air as he strode toward the door. However, aside from a cool breeze, the dancing bamboo shadows revealed nothing.

Evangeline’s expression was nonchalant. She rose leisurely, straightened her slightly rumpled collar, and took Drake’s arm. "Let’s go. Everyone is waiting, and the food will get cold."

"Just now..." Drake’s brows were knitted together, his eyes still scanning the surroundings.

’Even though my Star Pattern is shattered, my keen senses from The Goldeagle Clan haven’t faded. That fleeting flutter of Feather Wings...’

Evangeline glanced at him sideways and said calmly, "Drake, that’s not important."

Drake paused, then allowed Evangeline to lead him away.

The bamboo leaves rustled. From deep within the grove, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged.

His Feather Wings were spread wide, catching the moonlight in a soft halo, making him seem as if he were draped in golden light. The silver ornaments he wore chimed with each step, a clear, crisp TINKLE.

Julian’s gilded eyes stared fixedly at the two departing figures. He suddenly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

’Not important. Hah.’

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil inside him. Just as he was about to turn, he heard the faint quiver of a silver bell in his hair.

"Tch..." Julian let out a cold sneer that shattered the forest’s silence.

He suddenly reached up and tore off his elaborate robes. His gaze fell upon the discarded garments, his eyes filled with detached coldness. He walked deeper into the bamboo forest. A moment later, with a sound of Feather Wings tearing through the air, a great, entirely gilded bird shot into the sky under the moonlight.

Its brilliant feathers refracted the light, seeming even more dazzling than the midday sun.

*

The night was tranquil as still water. Evangeline, bathed in moonlight, arrived at Caden Albright’s bamboo house.

Bunny had eagerly volunteered to sleep with his younger brother, Genesis, promising he could take care of him.

Danton held Genesis in one arm and Bunny by the hand with the other, his movements as gentle as if he were carrying fragile treasures.

Evangeline stood by the door, watching Danton hold Genesis in one arm and lead Bunny by the hand, his movements as gentle as if he were handling fragile treasures. She, on the other hand, with her slightly rounded belly carrying his cub, was held gently in Caden Albright’s embrace.

The moonlight bathed the tranquil scene, further cementing her reputation as a "player."

Danton had a gentle disposition. As the night breeze stirred his long, azure hair, it seemed to fill the air with the scent of the ocean tide.

"They’re long gone. Haven’t you had your fill of watching, Eva?"

Caden Albright’s fond voice rang out, the end of his words lilting upwards, laced with a hint of hurt and complaint.

Evangeline raised an eyebrow and turned, her gaze falling into his amber eyes. They were deep and viscous, like true peach-resin amber, and she was a tiny insect trapped within, feeling as if she could drown in them at any moment.

The small mole under Caden Albright’s eye was bewitching. His thin lips curved as he asked in a seductive voice, "Or am I not as nice to look at?"

He leaned in slightly, his waterfall of silver hair cascading forward. A few strands brushed his cheeks, making his lips seem all the more vibrant and luscious. He was like a soul-stealing demon, a life-luring specter.

Evangeline’s eyelashes trembled. Before she could react, she was suddenly swept off her feet.

Caden Albright had scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the bamboo house.

The bamboo bed creaked softly. The mattress dipped on either side of her head as Caden Albright’s long, slender body loomed over her. His silver hair fell like a waterfall, mingling with her own dark locks, and she was instantly enveloped in his crisp, clean scent.

"Eva..." Caden Albright murmured, pulling her fully into his embrace. A warm kiss landed on her eyelid, then, like a spreading wildfire, his kisses trailed from her cheek to the side of her neck, lingered at her collarbone, and then journeyed down to the curves of her chest.

"Nn..." A soft moan escaped Evangeline’s throat. The arches of her feet tensed, and her toes curled involuntarily.

An irrefutable, sensual energy filled the bamboo house.

Caden Albright was an expert at pleasing his female.

His light kisses landed on her slightly rounded belly, gentle and lingering, sending a delicate shiver across her skin.

As his warm breath continued its descent, Evangeline suddenly clenched her fists in his silky, silver hair. "Don’t..."

Caden Albright looked up, his long, fox-like eyes beautiful and bewitching, as if rimmed in gold. Tinged with lust, he had reached the very pinnacle of decadent beauty.

His long fingers gently parted her creamy skin, and his crimson lips descended without a moment’s hesitation.

The way Caden Albright lowered his head was like a devotee making a sacrifice. Amid the broken gasps, only the room’s flickering shadows remained.