Devin's downcast lashes quivered. Half-hidden beneath strands of silver-white hair, his amber eyes betrayed their first hint of emotion.
"If that were really what you wanted, you could've broken the bond ages ago. So why wait until now? This is just another one of your tricks, isn't it?"
Unlike Hannah's other mates, Devin hadn't been seized and brought to her by her father. He had come to her on his own.
Apparently, he and the original Hannah had known each other since childhood. But whether he had entered the bond willingly was impossible to tell from the memories Hannah had inherited.
His tone now, however, made one thing clear—he wanted the bond severed every bit as badly as the rest of them.
Hannah studied the male fated to become a villain of terrifying power. "I've already explained what I want. All of you are coming with me to find my father."
Her gaze shifted to Danny, who hovered on the edge of consciousness. After a beat, she added, "Devin, heal his injuries with your spiritual power, and I'll give you a drop of my blood right after."
As a priest, Devin wielded spiritual power capable of healing wounds. Yet Hannah had always forbidden him from using it, even on himself.
But now, she was commanding him to heal Danny—and promising him her blood to loosen the bond in return?
Devin didn't believe Hannah at all. Still, Danny was badly wounded, and Devin wanted to see what game Hannah was playing. With a clipped nod, he moved closer to Danny.
A faint white radiance gathered around his fingertips—the spiritual power of a D-rank priest.
Carefully, he hovered one hand over Danny's merman tail. The gentle glow sank into the torn flesh, staunching the blood as the mangled wound sealed beneath a fresh layer of scab right before their eyes.
Relief flickered through Danny's violet gaze. The tension slowly eased from his body, and a faint trace of color returned to his face.
Devin pulled his hand away, his breathing slightly labored from the spiritual power drain. A fine sheen of sweat glistened across his brow.
He lifted his gaze to Hannah, studying her with open suspicion. He clearly didn't think she would honor her promise.
Hannah unclasped the necklace from around her neck. Hanging from it was a razor-edged ornament no larger than a finger joint, fashioned from some unidentifiable material. Her father had stumbled upon it years ago and polished it into a protective charm for her.
Curling her fingers around the charm, she steadied herself with a deep breath, then dragged its sharp edge across her fingertip.
Pain bit into her skin, and a vivid bead of blood rose from the cut.
She walked over to Devin, held her hand above his chest, and allowed the crimson drop to land directly on his beast mark.
The instant her blood struck the beast mark, the color began to thin as though something had washed through it, its edges blurring.
The mark remained, yet it had faded enough for everyone to see the difference.
Absolute silence swallowed the place.
Devin's eyes widened in shock. His hand rose on instinct, fingertips pressing against the faint warmth lingering on his skin. With the residual heat and the visibly paler beast mark, there was no denying what had just happened.
Asher's gaze locked on the beast mark branded across Devin's chest. His pupils constricted, and he swallowed hard instinctively.
Never in his life had he heard of a female surrendering her blood willingly to weaken a bond, much less witnessed a beast mark lose its color before his eyes.
Every trace of ridicule vanished from Joshua's face. Stunned, he reached for the beast mark on his own body without thinking.
Jeffrey's breaths turned ragged as disbelief flashed through his eyes. His gaze darted between Devin's faded beast mark and the blood beading on Hannah's fingertip. He was momentarily speechless.
From inside the water-filled tub, Danny fought to push himself upright. His violet eyes locked on the pale beast mark across Devin's chest, and for the first time, the hatred in them gave way to something else—a fragile spark of hope.
"Do you believe me now?" Hannah asked.
All five males stared without a word, turbulent emotions churning in their chests.
Their doubt hadn't vanished, but now, it collided with the first delicate stirrings of hope.
The transformation in the beast mark was impossible to deny. After witnessing it themselves, they could no longer deny the truth.
Devin was the first to regain his composure. His gaze dropped to the blood still welling from Hannah's fingertip. His throat bobbed as if words had risen to his lips, but after a tense pause, he still remained silent.
Asher pulled in a slow breath, forcing down the shock still pounding through him. When he looked at Hannah again, his eyes had turned solemn. "You want us to take you to find your father?"
After a pause, he voiced the most pressing problem. "But we have no idea where he went."
Her father was a rogue beast, his whereabouts uncertain. This time, he had left without revealing his destination, leaving them with nothing to follow.
Searching her memory of the novel's plot, Hannah said, "He should be heading to the wereagle's territory. Before he left, he mentioned capturing one of their males and bringing him back to become my next mate."
Devin considered her answer before his brows drew together. "The wereagle's territory is at the border of the Shadow Forest. The journey will take no less than seven days."
"We will head there first." Hannah's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
The decision had been made.
She took in the wariness in their eyes. "I'm tired. I need some rest. You should all... make whatever preparations you need. We will leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Asher studied her for a long moment, his expression impossible to decipher, then turned and left without a word.
Devin went after him. As he walked past Hannah, his stride paused ever so slightly, though he never glanced her way.
Joshua's gaze dropped to the blood beading on her fingertip. One corner of his mouth curled, but whether it was because of mockery or something far more complicated, she couldn't tell. Then he, too, walked away.
After one final look at Danny in the tub, Jeffrey left.
Soon, Hannah and Danny were the only ones left.
Curiosity stirred in Danny's eyes, but he kept his questions to himself and silently observed Hannah from the water.
Hannah crossed the cave to the bed cushioned with thick layers of dried grass and dropped onto it, releasing a long breath.
As she leaned against the cool stone wall, the tension wound through her nerves finally began to loosen.
For now, she had given her mates a sliver of hope—enough to keep the situation under control.
But it was far from enough.
She understood that the promise to sever the bonds could never undo the deep hatred the original Hannah had planted in them.
For now, the males protected her only because she held the key to their freedom.
But once those bonds were broken and the beast marks no longer held them back, they would not let her off. After they had endured years of torment, their loathing for her ran bone-deep. Nothing would stop them from killing her then.
Finding her father was merely the first step.
Before that, she had to prove she wasn't the monster they believed her to be.
At the very least, she needed to dull the hatred that had sunk so deeply inside them.
Once the hostility between them faded, she could end their bonds peacefully. After that, she would be free to choose a few males who genuinely appealed to her and forge new bonds with them.
The males in the werecreature universe were ridiculously handsome. If she had no choice but to live here, she might as well claim a few for herself.
As Hannah was lost in thought, soft footsteps echoed from the entrance.
Joshua appeared with a wide green leaf in his hands, several pieces of roasted meat on it.
The edges had been lightly browned, releasing a mouthwatering aroma, while careful roasting had left each piece crisp outside and tender within.
Joshua approached Hannah but left several feet between them. Even at that distance, his towering silhouette swallowed Hannah beneath its shadow.
A mesmerizing smile curved his lips as he extended the wide leaf toward her. His voice dropped into a rich, velvety murmur. "Hungry? Care for a bite?"
Hannah believed that he wouldn't show her such kindness without hidden intentions.
Was he planning to poison her?
She studied the dangerously charming werefox with guarded eyes. Then, he added, "If you eat the meat... will you spare a drop of blood for me, too?"
