Chapter 253: Haven’t I Gone to Trouble for You?

CLATTER! CRASH—

The items the beastmen held clattered to the ground, one after another, filling the air with a piercing racket.

The Ravening Wolves stared at Evangeline, his one eye fixed on her, the white of it turning bloodshot. The alcohol in the bamboo tube he held gurgled out, and waves of its dizzying aroma billowed through the deathly silent thorn-vine hut.

Thorne glanced at the others. He could understand their excitement.

The fur on The Ravening Wolves’s body quivered as he choked out, "My Lady Priestess, are... are you telling the truth?"

’He never imagined he would hear such words. Leave Thorncliff?’

For every Fallen Beastman at the foot of Thorncliff, the deepest desire was to leave this place. But they also knew it was an impossible dream. From the moment they were exiled, they and their descendants were condemned to remain here for all time.

They had to endure scorching sands with little food, battle countless venomous creatures, and live their entire lives without a female, ensuring their bloodlines would die out. To survive, they were even forced into torturous deals with the so-called High Priest.

And now, someone was telling them she would lead them away from Thorncliff.

Not even in their wildest dreams had anyone ever said those words to them.

"Yes. We’re leaving Thorncliff," Evangeline confirmed with a nod, repeating herself.

The hut filled with the sound of choked sobs as the beastmen began to weep, one after another. They were too overcome with emotion to speak.

The Ravening Wolves wiped his eyes furiously, his voice thick with tears. "Witch... My Lady Priestess, thank you! You’ve always been a benefactor to us Fallen Beastmen. You saved us, and now... now you’re going to take us away from Thorncliff. We..."

Evangeline looked at the emotional beastmen and shook her head. "I’m not taking everyone."

At her words, the hut fell silent once more.

The beastmen choked back their sobs, their faces turning deathly pale. Their pupils quivered with shock.

’Not taking everyone? What does she mean?’

Thorne’s lips thinned. A flicker of vigilance passed through his dark green eyes as he subtly moved closer to Evangeline.

Evangeline knew her words were dangerous to these Fallen Beastmen, who had only just grasped a sliver of hope. However, not explaining things clearly would be even crueler.

"I intend to lead the Fallen Beastmen from Thorncliff, not back to Norfell, but to a new home beyond the Triangle Sea."

"Any beastman who wishes to leave must tell me the story of how they became a Fallen Beastman."

"I will not force anyone who does not wish to go."

Evangeline’s voice was calm and measured, unconcerned by the immense pressure her words placed upon them.

’She was taking the Fallen Beastmen away, beyond the Triangle Sea, to cause some trouble for the one who dared to plot against her. But she had no intention of releasing the truly wicked ones—those who had mercilessly slaughtered their own kind and devoured Beast Crystals just to augment their own power. If they were to leave Thorncliff, they would only bring new dangers to the Beastman Continent.’

’While she was no saint, she didn’t want to be the cause of an irreversible disaster.’

’She would not bear those consequences.’

’The ones she had truly come for were the ’unfortunates’ like Caden Albright—those who had been forced into becoming Fallen Beastmen.’

’After they reached the Triangle Sea, they would form a new power base for Caden Albright to command.’

Hearing Evangeline’s conditions, the beastmen exchanged uncertain glances. The Ravening Wolves, however, understood immediately. He had served the Chief of Wyndsong, and though he didn’t know the full details of his past, he knew the Chief had not chosen to become a Fallen Beastman.

"Ravening Wolves, I’m putting you in charge of this."

"Vet them carefully. I only have two days. After that, any Fallen Beastman who wants to leave Thorncliff can come to the Wyndsong Tribe."

Evangeline said softly, her eyes fixed on The Ravening Wolves.

’The Ravening Wolves was a clever one. He was also a rarity: a male beastman who had survived the death of his female.’

’He had become a Fallen Beastman after his female was abducted and killed by a rogue. He’d survived the backlash from their broken bond, but it had stripped him of his fully human form, leaving his body covered in fur he could no longer conceal.’

’He hadn’t cared. He laid in wait for a long time before hunting down and killing that rogue, devouring his Beast Crystal.’

’Ultimately, he ended up here, at the foot of Thorncliff, where he pledged himself to Caden Albright.’

The Ravening Wolves took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "Yes! You can count on me, My Lady Priestess!"

*

That evening, Evangeline ate some of the beast meat Thorne had roasted, her gaze fixed on the silent Wyndsong Tribe outside, shrouded in a curtain of falling snow.

Thorne added more wood to the fire, making the flames burn brighter and warmer.

He followed her gaze and murmured, "Thorncliff is going to be in chaos for the next two days."

Evangeline’s lips curved into a smile. "Beastmen are earnest and revere the Beast God. There aren’t that many who are purely, irredeemably evil. This is also a perfect opportunity to test The Ravening Wolves. If he handles this well, he’ll be of great use in the future."

Thorne looked up at Evangeline. The flickering firelight danced across his face, accentuating the sharp contours of his features.

His brow furrowed, and a sour note entered his tone. "You’re really going to great lengths for Caden Albright, Eva."

’Thorncliff was Caden Albright’s old haunt, and he had personally established the Wyndsong Tribe. It was obvious who Evangeline was paving the way for by taking these Fallen Beastmen. Thorne wasn’t an idiot; he was just usually too lazy to think about it.’

Evangeline blinked. She wiped the grease from her hands and looked at Thorne’s face, which was strikingly handsome in the firelight.

She tilted her head, a playful smile on her lips. "And do you think I haven’t gone to great lengths for you?"

’Thorne froze for a second. The route from Blackwater Swamp to the Frost-plain Tribe passed right by the Grymdale Tribe. If she had asked, Elias Moretti would have certainly agreed to lead the Grymdale Tribe beyond the Triangle Sea. Why had she made him go all that way?’

’Besides, she had Teleportation Scrolls. She could go anywhere she wanted with a single thought. Did she really need him?’

A fire ignited in Thorne’s heart. His dark green irises narrowed into slits, and he stared intently at Evangeline.

Evangeline met his gaze, a slight, knowing smile playing on her red lips as she beckoned to him with a single finger.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he walked toward her, silhouetted against the fire. He leaned down, staring directly into her eyes. His slitted, dark green pupils burned with desire. His voice was husky, as if veiled in mist, and his breathing was uneven. "Eva... I like these kinds of lengths."

’Thorne’s voice was always pleasant, with a youthful quality to it. It was just that he was usually so brash, never bothering to rein in his fierce, aggressive energy.’

’But now, in this intimate atmosphere, his deliberately low, lingering voice was a caress that sent a tingle straight to her earlobes.’

"I told you we’re going to have cubs." Evangeline’s slender fingertip traced a line across his well-defined chest. She cupped his jaw, her lips brushing against his ear as her soft, seductive voice curled into it, sending shivers through Thorne’s tall frame.

His eyes darkened completely, and a low, guttural hiss escaped his throat.

He suddenly captured her lips with his own. Between Evangeline’s trembling gasps, his form shifted abruptly, his long, lean body transforming into a colossal, dark serpent.

The inky scales on his serpentine body glinted with a cold, metallic sheen. Each one looked as if it had been forged and tempered, radiating a chill that sent a shiver through her.

He gently coiled around the slender body that haunted his dreams, bringing all of her fragility under his complete control.

Evangeline’s fingertips dug into the hard gaps between his scales, but he responded by tightening his coils around her even more forcefully.

His forked tongue flickered, HISSING past her earlobe. His low, husky voice was steeped in a dangerous, potent possessiveness. "Eva..."