Drake suddenly pulled Evangeline into his arms, his body tensing like a drawn blade. His golden-red Beast Eyes glowed with ferocity.
"I’ll go see what’s happening," he murmured. He lifted Evangeline from the bath, gently set her on the bed, and then turned toward the door. Outside, the sky was ablaze, and the clang of armor and weapons echoed from all directions.
The mont he opened the door, Thorne was already rushing toward them.
"Where’s Eva?" Thorne’s dark green, slitted pupils were filled with a cold light as he pushed past Drake and entered the room.
Evangeline was already dressed, her long, damp hair draped over her shoulders. She sat on the bed, looking perfectly at ease.
Thorne stepped forward and knelt, his voice low. "Eva, we need to leave the Otterhaven City-State. A Great City-State is attacking."
They weren’t from the Otterhaven City-State to begin with, and Commander Aiden Atwood surely had his own motives for letting them stay. Besides, Thorne didn’t even know where the Grimgar City-State was. At a ti like this, there was no reason for them to stick around.
Evangeline looked up, a slight arch in her brow. "A Great City-State? Just how great?"
Thorne hesitated. He didn’t know either; Loras was the one who had gathered the information.
As they spoke, the other males arrived, each carrying a cub. Elias Moretti was among them, and all their faces were grim.
Thorne turned to Loras and said in a heavy tone, "Eva wants to know how strong the attacking city-state is."
Loras pondered for a mont before replying, "Their numbers are significant—they’re much stronger than the Otterhaven City-State. They won’t be able to hold out for long. Once the Otterhaven City-State falls, this territory will belong to the victor. It seems this is what’s known as the Sharp Teeth Judgnt."
Evangeline rose and went to the window. The fortress’s warriors had already assembled, preparing for war.
Danton, holding two drowsy little ones, asked in a low voice, "Eva, aren’t we leaving?"
Evangeline let out a soft laugh, but her narrow eyes were cold and devoid of mirth. "I’m suddenly thinking the Otterhaven City-State is a rather nice place. Perhaps we should start here and expand our own territory?"
The males were all stunned. ’Expand our territory?’
But Elias Moretti’s scarlet eyes lit up. He stared intently at Evangeline’s back. "You an we can take advantage of the Otterhaven City-State facing the Sharp Teeth Judgnt, occupy this place, and use it as a base to expand into the Beastman City-states?"
The idea was incredibly bold. After all, expanding from the fringes was no easy task.
One wrong move could provoke several surrounding city-states to join forces and annihilate them, leaving them attacked from all sides.
However, Evangeline wasn’t one to make empty boasts. ’If she said it, she must be absolutely confident!’
"Eva, that’s very dangerous." Drake’s golden-red eyes flickered, his expression sharp.
The Everwake scoffed, his long fingers gently playing with Genesis’s eyelashes. "What’s so dangerous? I’ve been sick of that Commander for a while now. He’s always belittling the Norfell Beastn. Heh, we *should* snatch his territory right out of his hands!"
Beastn had little sense of morality. On the Beastman Continent, resources were scarce; plundering and seizing what they could was in their nature.
Thorne glanced at The Everwake. ’For once, that guy actually said sothing sensible.’
Danton lowered his gaze to the cub in his arms and said softly, "Eva can put the cubs sowhere safe first."
He knew Evangeline had an Illusion Realm where the cubs could stay. It would be much safer that way.
"What safe place?" The Everwake asked, his curiosity piqued.
Evangeline turned to look at the sleeping cubs. They were sleeping restlessly, disturbed by the din of battle outside.
She took Genesis from The Everwake’s arms and gently touched the cub’s forehead. A sweet smile graced the little one’s lips as he fell into a deeper sleep. With a wave of her hand, she sent Genesis into her space.
The Everwake’s eyes widened in shock. "You can do that? Will Genesis be all right?"
Such an ability was truly unheard of. He’d heard that so Witches possessed an Illusion Realm that could store food, but he’d never heard of one that could hold living beings. If the cubs could be kept safe inside the Illusion Realm, it would solve a huge problem for them.
Evangeline arched an eyebrow. "I’m their mother. What do you think is going to happen?"
The Everwake blinked, his iridescent eyes shimring. He stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Evangeline’s waist. "Of course I trust you. I’m just curious. What’s your Illusion Realm like? Does it have mountains, rivers, a place to live? In that case, can I go in, too?"
Thorne rolled his eyes and sneered. "You want to go in? The cubs are being sent in to protect them from the war. If you’re scared, just say so. Eva is very good to her Beast Husbands; she’d never let you face danger. Right, Eva?"
The Everwake’s eyes narrowed, his floor-length black hair shimring like cold silk.
He curled his lips into a smile, his voice dripping with venom. "Scared? How about a little competition, then? Let’s see who can kill more of the city-state’s Beastn."
Thorne t his challenge head-on, not backing down an inch. His dark green eyes blazed with aggression. "You’re on!"
Danton watched Evangeline send the other cubs into her space, then turned to the bickering pair with a frown. "Behave. We listen to Eva."
’Insubordinate hotheads are the biggest liability in a war,’ he thought, ’and there were two of them right here.’
"Hmph." Thorne snorted. Now that the cubs were safe, he looked at Evangeline, eagerly rubbing his hands together. "Eva, you don’t have to lift a finger. Just leave it to us! So, what’s the plan?"
Evangeline gazed out the window at the deepening night and said coolly, "Wait."
"Wait for what?" Thorne frowned, following her gaze out the window. He saw nothing.
Elias Moretti shot him a glance before looking away. "They’ll be all right, won’t they?" he asked quietly.
Hearing this, Evangeline glanced back at him and chuckled. "What could happen? They’re perfect bait. Don’t worry, they’ll be kept perfectly safe to force our hand. It’s just... I might need you to go rescue them in a bit."
Elias Moretti’s lips tightened into a thin line, then a smile blood on his dangerously handso face. "As long as you’re willing to trust ."
Their cryptic exchange made Thorne’s eyes narrow. "Are you two saying," he growled, "that this Aiden Atwood is going to use the Grymdale Tribe and The Ravening Wolves to force us to help him? He’d dare?"
The Everwake shrugged. "Don’t forget, in his eyes, we’re just lowly Savage Beastn. The only one he might find remotely impressive is Eva, our Druid. And even then, it’s just a flicker of interest. As for actual respect... heh, I doubt it. After all, females hold little status in the Beastman City-states."
Danton remained silent off to the side. ’This is for the best. If the Otterhaven City-State makes the first move, then we’ll have no reason to hold back.’
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from the distance.
Loras looked up, her purple eyes glinting as a subtle, dark fragrance drifted around her. "No wonder Eva changed her mind."
’She had seen this coming. Under the brutal law of the Sharp Teeth Judgnt, the Otterhaven City-State lacked the strength to save itself and needed allies. But the arrogant city-state nobles would never trust a group of Savage Beastn. That left coercion as their only option. And the tribes outside the fortress were the most convenient hostages.’
Reeking of fresh blood, Aiden Atwood strode toward them.
As he drew near, he flung a blood-soaked set of Beast Skin Clothes onto the floor. His voice was as cold and hard as iron, and he was brutally direct. "Listen up. Your tribes are in my hands. You will now help the Otterhaven City-State annihilate our enemies. If you succeed in repelling them and we win this Sharp Teeth Judgnt, I will make you citizens of the Otterhaven City-State and grant you the status of nobles!"
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