The Villainess Winning Back Her Beast Husbands-Chapter 121: Concubine Selection

Nix’s purple eyes narrowed abruptly, his knuckles fiercely gripping her wrist. "Something you absolutely must do?"

His voice was terrifyingly low and hoarse, as if the words were being forced from between his teeth, raw and visceral.

Perhaps his voice was too deep, because Bunny suddenly let out a loud wail from the bamboo bed.

Evangeline glanced over and tapped a finger lightly on Nix’s tense wrist. "Go on, hold her. Get some practice in. When you’re a father someday, you can’t act like this. The cubs will be afraid of you."

Nix’s deep purple pupils trembled, and his knuckles tightened unconsciously.

’A father? Will I really be a father one day?’

The title felt like a dull knife, scraping slowly but forcefully across his heart.

"Hurry up!" Evangeline gave him a push.

At her urging, Nix walked stiffly to the bamboo bed.

Bunny’s face was red from crying as she sobbed and hiccuped, her tears falling like pearls from a broken string. PATTER, PATTER.

He clenched his jaw, his thin, crimson lips pressing into a straight line. His long brows furrowed as he hesitantly reached out his hands. The baby was so small and fragile, he feared he might crush her. For a moment, his long fingers hovered in mid-air.

He glanced over at Evangeline, only to see her gaze lowered, focused on slicing meat. She wasn’t paying him any attention, seemingly unconcerned that he might harm the little thing on the bamboo bed.

Nix slowly lowered his long lashes, half-shielding his pupils, and finally bent over to pick Bunny up.

The muscles in his arms were taut, and even his fingertips were white with strain. His movements were stiff, as if he were holding not a cub, but some troublesome Ferocious Beast.

Surrounded by an unfamiliar scent, Bunny opened her tear-soaked eyes. She didn’t recognize him and immediately started to wail even harder, her small face turning beet red as if she was about to run out of breath.

Nix’s brows knitted even tighter. His fingertips trembled slightly, and his voice was extremely stiff. "...Do not cry."

"WAAAAH—"

Nix awkwardly patted her a couple of times, but Bunny’s cries only grew sharper, completely ignoring his efforts.

A murderous glint flashed in his eyes, and he raised his hand—

Evangeline glanced up. The next instant, emerald vines covered in sharp teeth burst from his fingertips, twisting and tangling together until they formed a bizarre-looking straw doll.

Nix dangled the deformed straw doll in front of Bunny. His voice was low and hoarse. "Play with this. No more crying."

The corner of Evangeline’s mouth twitched subtly, her expression a mixture of disbelief as she looked at Nix.

’If this man ever becomes a father, he’ll be pretty terrifying, won’t he?’

The thought had barely crossed Evangeline’s mind when Bunny’s crying came to an abrupt stop.

Her eyes, brimming with tears, blinked once. She stared unblinkingly at the menacing straw doll in Nix’s hand, then suddenly reached out, grabbed it, and yanked out its sharp teeth.

A moment later, Bunny started to giggle. GIGGLE GIGGLE.

Evangeline suddenly felt another headache coming on.

*

As dusk fell, several of the males were still hard at work.

The bamboo hut was finished, but Nix hadn’t built it according to their requirements. In fact, to differentiate it from his own hut, he had built theirs to be extremely shoddy!

The gaps between the bamboo stalks were large enough to let the wind whistle through, looking as if they had been chewed on by a Wild Beast.

This was the hut they were supposed to live in with their female master, so naturally, they were not satisfied.

The Everwake, his hands and feet bound, had been moved to lie under the eaves of a bamboo hut.

His brows were tightly furrowed as he constantly tried to communicate with The Swarm. Unfortunately, it was like falling into The Abyss—he couldn’t sense anything at all.

The bamboo door creaked open. Evangeline leaned against the doorframe, glanced at the men, and called out, "Dinner’s ready. Everyone, come inside."

After speaking, she shot a look at The Everwake. With a flick of her hand, the ropes binding his limbs snapped apart.

She looked down at him, her red lips parting slightly as she spoke in an unhurried, bewitching tone. "Don’t waste your energy. Without my permission, you can forget about ever communicating with The Swarm again."

Hearing this, The Everwake’s kaleidoscopic eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable.

"If you dare to run, I’ll grind your leg bones to dust, one by one." As she spoke, she tilted her head and offered him a light smile. "You know I’m capable of it."

With that, Evangeline turned back into the hut, her lazy final word echoing behind her. "Inside."

When they heard Evangeline’s voice, Caden Albright, Thorne, and Lachlan all stopped what they were doing and walked over.

The Everwake watched the three men file inside, then closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and finally followed them in.

He had always been one to accurately assess a situation.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stooped to submitting to a vicious female like Evangeline back in the Oasis Tribe during the rainy season. He had wanted to use her power to secure a future for himself and escape his fate of being pushed around by others, even if the final outcome hadn’t quite matched his calculations.

In the end, he had underestimated just how ruthless Evangeline could be.

The Everwake’s expression was grim. He had just stepped into the bamboo hut when he was shouldered back out by Thorne.

Thorne was carrying a strange-looking, pitch-black rack in one hand, its purpose unclear.

Immediately after, Caden Albright, Lachlan, and Nix each came out holding a large platter of meat skewers. The skewered meat was fresh and glistening with oil, giving off an unfamiliar but fragrant aroma that tickled the nose.

Evangeline, leaning against the edge of a table, flicked her gaze toward The Everwake. "What are you standing around for? Work!"

The Everwake’s brows furrowed. He looked at the plentiful skewers and sneered, "That’s not even enough for a mouthful."

Evangeline raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "Then you don’t have to eat."

She had just carried a platter of skewers outside when Caden Albright naturally reached out to take it from her.

Evangeline stood on the covered porch, watching the downpour weave a solid, impenetrable curtain of rain.

Lachlan sat behind the grill rack. He seemed to understand how to use it after just a moment of inspection, his long fingers hovering over it. He looked up at Evangeline, his clear, grey-brown eyes limpid. "Are we going to grill the meat here?" he asked, his voice ethereal.

Evangeline looked down at the fully prepared grilling equipment, then moved closer to Lachlan. She placed charcoal into the grill and set the marinated skewers over the fire. Smoke immediately billowed up as the fat began to drip.

The Everwake leaned against a bamboo pillar, a flicker of mockery in his kaleidoscopic eyes. "Hmph. Only a female would enjoy such troublesome work."

"People who don’t work don’t get to eat," Evangeline said lightly, flipping a sizzling skewer without even looking up.

The Everwake scoffed. "Who’d want it? The only meat with any real flavor is what I hunt myself."

He was about to step into the curtain of rain when Evangeline’s lazy voice rang out. "Tired of your legs? If you leave my line of sight without permission, I’ll break them all the same."

As her words faded, Evangeline sprinkled a handful of cumin on the meat.

She had also prepared chili powder, though she wondered if any of them could handle the heat.

"You!" The Everwake spun around. A drop of water from the eaves struck his brow, shattering against his lashes like a sliver of ice. The threat died on his lips, tempered by the rain into a murderous, crimson glint in his eyes.

Lachlan noticed Evangeline squinting from the smoke and put a hand up in front of the grill. "I’ll do it."

He took the bamboo skewers, his long fingers flipping them with nimble, practiced skill.

Soon, a powerful, savory aroma wafted out, practically burrowing into everyone’s stomachs.

"You’re quite good at this sort of delicate work," Evangeline said, sitting down beside Lachlan. Seeing how proficiently he was grilling, she propped her chin on her hand and leaned against him.

The tips of Lachlan’s ears immediately flushed red. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he said softly, "You’re a good teacher."

Maverick Thorne’s dark green eyes reflected the pair. Hearing Evangeline’s praise, he immediately stepped forward to squeeze in between them, grabbed some skewers, and started grilling alongside Lachlan. "The smoke is thick here," he said to Evangeline. "Eva, go get some rest."

His well-defined fingers gripped the skewers so tightly he looked like he was trying to choke them, grilling with such intensity that sparks flew everywhere, as if he were competing with someone.

Evidently, with a temper like that, he was fine for sharpening a bone knife or killing someone, but for grilling? He was mediocre at best.

"Let me do it," Caden Albright said, shaking his head. A look of disdain crossed his beautiful face. Just as he was about to take the skewers from Maverick Thorne’s hands, Bunny’s whimpering came from inside the hut.

The moment he heard the sound, Nix, who was standing nearby, shot him a frosty glare, his coldness intensifying. "Go see to your cub!"

Caden Albright glanced sideways at him, a dark, uncomprehending look flashing through his narrow, fox-like eyes.

Evangeline, however, suddenly burst out laughing, her eyes crinkling in delight. She was in an excellent mood.

’A torrential downpour, the rich scent of grilled meat, handsome men at my side... how could I possibly go without wine?’

She had only one goal for the day.

To "select her consorts."