A gentle smile crinkled the corners of Evangeline’s eyes as she took Genesis from Danton.
The little one was bare. His arms and legs were chubby and dimpled, fair and supple. Every plump curve was a testant to his ticulous feeding and care—he was clearly a cherished and well-loved cub.
The mont he was in his mother’s arms, Genesis imdiately wrapped his soft little arms around Evangeline’s neck.
He tilted his head and gazed at her profile for a long ti, his rainbow-colored eyes fixed solely on his mother. After a mont, he broke into a sweet smile. His rosy little lips, as if coated in honey, pressed against her cheek with a loud SMOOCH, leaving a slobbery kiss behind.
Thorne eyed Genesis’s clinginess and couldn’t help but snort. With a sweep of his long arm, he scooped the boy into his own embrace.
"Little one, your mother is carrying a cub right now. She can’t handle you wriggling around like that. Best if Father holds you." Thorne raised a long eyebrow, his dark green eyes full of playful mischief as he casually hoisted the heavy cub a little higher.
Genesis wasn’t afraid of him. He just-nestled in Thorne’s arms, his shimring, colorful eyes still gazing wistfully at his mother. His small, pink lips were pursed in a slight pout, showing little enthusiasm for Thorne.
Evangeline turned, looking at Thorne with a hint of surprise. She couldn’t help but repeat, "Father?"
’She distinctly rembered Thorne’s intense dissatisfaction with The Everwake, which bordered on loathing. By extension, he had always treated Genesis with an air of impatience. Now, only two months later, his attitude had shifted so drastically. He was impossible to figure out.’
Thorne cradled Genesis in one arm, using his free hand to give the boy’s soft, supple cheek a squeeze, which made the little one squirm in protest.
A playful smirk touched his lips. "Danton is about to have a child of his own. He can’t be occupied by this little one forever. Wouldn’t it be better if I beca his father?"
As he spoke, Thorne’s long fingers brushed over the butterfly-shaped mark on Genesis’s cheek, a flicker of so unreadable emotion flashing in his dark green eyes.
Caden Albright’s amber eyes narrowed slightly. He shot Thorne a look that was half-smile, half-smirk, but didn’t say anything to expose him.
’Thorne wasn’t being that kind, of course. He just wanted to get under The Everwake’s skin.’
’Just imagine The Everwake’s face when he sees his own cub calling Thorne ’Father.’ Heh.’
Evangeline shot Thorne a look, seeing right through his little sche. She shook her head in resignation. ’These n,’ she thought, ’no matter how old they get, they’ll always have the immaturity and competitive spirit of teenage boys at heart.’
She reached out to take Genesis back. The little one’s face imdiately relaxed, a sweet smile lighting up his rainbow eyes. He was like a completely different child from the sullen boy who’d been in Thorne’s arms.
Holding Genesis, Evangeline’s gaze fell upon a faintly shimring pool of water.
"Is that seawater?" Though phrased as a question, her tone was certain.
’Just monts ago, she’d assud the damp, salty sll of the sea ca from the decorations. Now she understood: Danton had actually carved a channel through the barrier separating Blackwater Swamp from the ocean, bringing this vast pool of azure water here.’
’A project of that scale was tantamount to moving mountains and filling seas. She couldn’t imagine how much effort it must have cost him.’
Danton murmured his assent, smoothly taking Genesis back into his arms.
He gently stroked the boy’s back, but his gaze lingered on Evangeline’s swollen belly, worried that she might be getting tired.
"It was Caden Albright’s suggestion. r Clan cubs must be born in seawater. To prevent any accidents, we thought of creating a waterway to the ocean. Thanks to the help of my clansn, we’re not far from the coast, so it only took so ti to break through. In the future, the cubs can play in here, and they can also use it to learn how to hunt Sea Beasts. It’s very convenient."
At this, Danton turned his head to Caden Albright and gave him a nod, his eyes conveying his sincere gratitude.
The corners of Caden Albright’s long, narrow eyes lifted in a sly curve. "We’re all Eva’s mates. It’s only right."
Evangeline clicked her tongue and turned to survey her surroundings.
The once gloomy and damp Blackwater Swamp, a forr haven for wandering Beastn, had been utterly transford.
Artfully arranged bamboo houses now stood on the land, surrounded by thorny fences. A clear stream and the azure seawater converged here. Though not heavily populated, it already had the scale of a tribe and was an auspicious place for Beastn to live.
’In the future, even if I’m not here, the males and the cubs will be able to live on just fine.’
"When is Eva due?" Thorne asked, his gaze fixed on her impossibly large belly, his voice laced with a subtle unease.
Danton glanced down as well, a mixture of anticipation and worry in his light blue eyes. "It should be any day now," he said softly. "But the Cold Season is approaching, and the seawater is already getting colder. I just hope the cub can be born before the first snow."
As soon as he finished speaking, all the males fell silent.
Evangeline, however, remained serene. She gently stroked her belly. "They’ll co when they’re ready. There’s no need to rush. The hunting season is almost over. We should be focusing on our preparations."
With that, her gaze shifted to Lachlan and Thorne. "The Cold Season is coming. Will you two be returning to your tribes to check on them?"
’Among the males, only Lachlan and Thorne had left their tribes to follow her. Now, with the Cold Season on its way—a ti just as perilous as the rainy season—they should be returning to their people to help stock up on prey.’
’Danton was the Clan Leader of the r Clan, but with his cub about to be born, he obviously couldn’t leave.’
’Besides, now that Blackwater Swamp was connected to the sea, it wasn’t difficult for his clansn to travel back and forth.’
Hearing Evangeline’s question, Lachlan stiffened slightly. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he gazed deeply at her with his grey-brown eyes.
’He had left his tribe to search for Evangeline after she fell into the mudslide, hoping to atone for his mistake. So much ti had passed; he hadn’t even returned during the rainy season. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t worried. His people were there... and so was his mother.’
A faint smile played on Evangeline’s lips as she gave Lachlan a gentle wink.
In an instant, a smile surfaced in Lachlan’s eyes. The frost in his gaze lted away, like a thousand pear trees bursting into bloom.
He said softly, "I should go back and check on them. But I will be back before the first snow."
Evangeline nodded, a smile gracing her lips.
"And you?" Evangeline turned to Thorne, who was standing quietly to one side.
’They had left during the rainy season because Caden Albright’s identity as a Fallen Beastman had been exposed, leading to a dispute with the tribe. It had also coincided with people from Thorne’s maternal clan arriving at the Grymdale Tribe to seek asylum. So much had changed since then; she had no idea what the situation in the tribe was like now.’
Thorne lazily lifted his gaze, his dark green eyes full of indifference.
He leaned against a bamboo pillar and shook his head. "The Snake Clan is cold-hearted by nature. Since I’ve already left the tribe, there’s no need to go back."
Evangeline studied his calm expression, and seeing no sign of reluctance, she said softly, "Very well."
Not far away, Rask watched them quietly. Listening to Evangeline thoughtfully making plans for her mates, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness. ’When will I get to be her mate?’
As he brooded, his thoughts suddenly turned to Julian, who was just as pitiful as he was.
’That guy had returned to the tribe but didn’t co back with everyone else, leaving him to be isolated here all by himself. It felt strange, and he wasn’t used to it.’
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