Evangeline was resting with her eyes closed when she suddenly heard a SPLASH from the water, followed immediately by a frantic thrashing sound.

Lazily, she lifted her eyelids. On the bank of the stream, a glistening, silver-scaled fish was desperately flopping about. Its tail splashed muddy water everywhere as it struggled, leaping high into the air.

Evangeline propped up her chin, watching for a moment before her gaze drifted to the deep pool of the stream. Ripples were slowly spreading out in circles.

She rose, walked to the stream’s edge, and kicked the fish back into the water.

A moment later, Evangeline turned and built a fire. She took fresh beast meat from her space, seasoned it, and propped it over the flames. The chunk of meat rotated slowly above the fire, gradually beginning to glisten with rendered fat.

Julian awoke from the depths of unconsciousness, the first thing to reach him the rich aroma of roasting meat.

His eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes. Through his blurry vision, he could see a cluster of dancing flames.

But his full attention was captured by the slender figure sitting before the fire.

She was wrapped in an unusual beast skin, which, much like her, was unique and unconventional.

As Evangeline lowered her gaze to sprinkle seasoning on the meat, her movements were clean and efficient. She was supposedly a coddled treasure of the tribe, yet she performed every task with a practiced ease that suggested she’d done it a thousand times before. It was strange, yet it made one irresistibly curious to know more.

The firelight made her features all the more breathtaking. She was glamorous and enchanting, but not in a gaudy way. Her skin was fairer than snow, but her most captivating feature was her eyes—long, narrow fox-like eyes that could be lively one moment, tranquil the next, then sly, then languid.

Yet, whenever those beautiful eyes looked at him, they remained perfectly calm, as if he were no more than a rock, a tree, or a pool of water. She wouldn’t spare him even a sliver of emotion.

His most vivid memory was of her arrival at the tribe in search of Lachlan.

She had been standing in the mist, and when she spoke to him, the corners of her eyes were tilted up, a cold sneer was on her lips, and her whole expression was laced with frost.

In fact, he had seen Evangeline before Drake had undergone the Contract.

Back then, she was the most dazzling pearl of the Oasis Tribe. She was The little maiden born from the union of the leader and the Witch, and her very birth had been a remarkable event. Her appearance hadn’t changed much, but her disposition was so different she seemed like another person entirely.

Previously, he had only heard rumors about her, and through his Brother’s ordeal, he had become convinced that she was a cruel and vicious female.

But now, in the short span of a month, he had seen the real her. He had seen her bloom with the brightest of smiles for the male she loved. He had seen her defy more than ten tribes for the sake of her Fallen Beastman, her Beast Husband, just to keep one person safe. He had seen her risk her life, venturing out alone to rescue her male. The light emanating from her seemed to shine upon everyone.

’I don’t understand what changed her, but there’s no doubt I’m captivated by the Evangeline of today.’

At this moment, her eyes were lazily half-lidded, radiating a casual weariness.

Amid the shifting light and shadows, she absently turned the roasting meat. Sparks CRACKLED from the fire, illuminating her profile in flickering bursts.

Julian was momentarily stunned, unable to tell if he was dreaming or awake.

Evangeline looked up at Julian, who was staring at her in a daze. "Since you’re awake, come get something to eat."

Her voice was as calm as if she were discussing the weather, holding none of the joy or excitement one might feel upon finding an acquaintance in a strange land.

Julian’s throat bobbed. He propped himself up on his arms and rose slowly. The searing pain in his body had subsided, but each step felt like he was walking on cotton.

He shuffled over to Evangeline’s side and collapsed, breathing in hoarse gasps. "You saved me?"

"Who else?" Evangeline shot him a glance.

"Listen, buddy. You’re a Beastman, not one of those mindless Wild Beasts that only know how to kill. Don’t you know your own limits? You almost kicked the bucket playing hero to go meet The Beast God. You think that’s something to be proud of?"

Julian froze, his pale lips trembling. He turned to look at Evangeline, his gilded eyes shimmering with unspoken emotions, but he didn’t know how to explain. "I... I was just..."

Evangeline handed him the roasted meat. "Just trying to protect me," she said flatly, finishing his sentence.

Her words precisely exposed the feelings Julian was desperately trying to hide. His face grew even paler as he slowly accepted the meat. His muscles tensed, and his lips parted as if to speak, but his throat was painfully dry, and he couldn’t form the words.

In the silence, broken only by the CRACKLING of the campfire, Evangeline held a cup of warm water and took a small sip. ’Have to stay healthy, even while pregnant.’

"Why do you like me?" she asked suddenly, her voice as soft as falling snow.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Julian. He was poised on the cusp of youth and manhood.

He was exceptionally handsome, with sharp, well-defined brows, long and narrow phoenix eyes, a high-bridged nose, and a clean jawline. His features were striking, and his brilliant golden hair seemed to glow even in the dimness of the night, like crushed sunlight.

More striking still was his innate air of pride, as if he were born to stand above all others.

’A young man like that shouldn’t be the type to fall for just any female so easily.’

’Evangeline thought it over. During their time in the Blackwater Swamp, she and Julian had barely interacted. They had hardly exchanged more than a few words. He fell for me just like that? Enough to risk his life for me?’

’If she wanted to make someone fall for her, she had plenty of ways to do it. The problem was, she hadn’t done a thing!’

’She was genuinely curious.’

Julian’s back went rigid at Evangeline’s blunt question, and the burning pain from his wound seemed to intensify with her words.

He opened his mouth to deny it, but when he met Evangeline’s long, beautiful eyes, any and all denials died in his throat.

Evangeline shrugged and shook her head. "Forget it. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine."

She stood and started walking toward the entrance of the cave in the cliff face. Julian struggled to follow, but her voice reached him from her retreating figure. "Go back to the tribe. Once I find the medicine and heal Drake, I’ll make sure he returns. You don’t need to follow me."

Julian froze, his clenched fists trembling slightly. He couldn’t tell if it was from the pain or something else.

As he watched her slender figure grow more distant, an unprecedented wave of panic washed over Julian.

His gilded pupils contracted violently. A powerful premonition seized his heart. ’If I don’t say what’s on my mind now, I’ll never get another chance.’

’What am I even hesitating for?’ Julian’s lips twisted into a self-mocking smile.

’Beastman courtship is direct, never coy. When did I become like this?’

With that thought, Julian abruptly pushed himself to his feet, his tall, slender frame swaying in the firelight.

The wound on his back screamed with tearing pain as his body tensed, but he ignored it. Barely steadying himself, he shouted after her, "Evangeline! I like you!"

"I like that you’re decisive, not like other females!"

"I like that even though you’re powerful, you still cherish every male!"

"I like your courage to protect your mate, even if it means making an enemy of the entire continent!"

The night wind lifted Julian’s golden hair as he staggered a few steps forward.

He panted heavily, his eyes fixed on Evangeline. "And I like... the sounds you make when you’re passionate."

Under the moonlight, the young man stubbornly straightened his spine. Though his wounds throbbed with pain and his vision blackened at the edges, he stared straight ahead, his eyes holding nothing but the image of Evangeline. This was a Beastman’s most direct form of courtship: frank, open, and utterly sincere.