Chapter 40 What were her motives?

It was already night, the castle filled with darkness, and the corridor didn't have much light. The only illumination came from small light balls emitting a faint glow in a small radius, casting eerie shadows.

Lucas's furry head popped out from the door as he glanced around, seeing no one. He hurried downstairs toward his room.

Reluctantly, Lucas left Kyra's room, even though he wanted to stay with her to protect her from snakes. Kyra reassured him that she would be fine and would come to him if she needed help. He didn't want to raise any suspicions, so he left her room.

Upon seeing the long stairs, he wanted to howl angrily, "Why do we need stairs when we can just jump?" he thought as his big, dilated blue eyes surveyed the silent surroundings.

"Why is there no one... woof, they don't even care about safety," he thought as he climbed onto the stair railing and leaped to the floor below.

He landed gracefully on the floor and shook his fur before making his way to his room.

His blue orbs scanned the area as he dashed toward his designated room and kicked open the door, which was already ajar. Hurriedly, he entered.

"Woof," he growled, his snout twitching as he sniffed the air, detecting multiple scents.

Raising his head, his eyes widened when he saw numerous snakes sleeping together in every corner. Some were large, some small, and they were all coiled up on the bed and headrest.

He blinked in disbelief as he looked around, and a large green snake shifted into a beastman, lazily addressing him. "You're back," Jimmy spoke in a sleepy tone. "You know, once you enter, you can't leave the castle. And we have hidden guards to protect the castle."

However, he didn't pay attention to what he was saying.

"Why are there so many snakes in my room?" Lucas also shifted into a beastman, his expression displeased. He wanted to sleep alone, not with those scaly, slithery snakes.

"We don't have many rooms to fit all of us... so don't expect we will give you king treatment," another beastman spoke coldly as he sat at the foot of the bed.

Lucas wandered around the room, feeling annoyed and longing for his cozy cottage and comfortable bed. Despite the presence of the snakes, he wasn't afraid of them. Feeling sleepiness taking over, he found a comfortable spot on the carpet and transformed into a wolf, curling up and resting his head on his forelimbs.

Jimmy, observing Lucas, also shifted into his snake form. He sensed the wolf's sadness being in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar beasts. He knew that wolves were deeply attached to their pack, family, and friends and were known for their loyalty.

As for them, they had been used to living as ferals, liking to be alone. But when the boss gathered them, only then did they start living together. Now, he was excited to finally remove the feral tag and become normal beastmen.

***

The night was peaceful for Lucas, but Vincent was having trouble sleeping. Snakes usually slept throughout the day, but his case was different. He had a persistent headache that made it difficult for him to fall asleep. And when he finally did, the presence of the wolf disturbed his rest, making him angry.

Vincent didn't know what to do. He had been preoccupied with tribe matters all day, and Kyra and the wolf added to his headaches. He considered allowing the wolf and Kyra to leave, hoping for some peace of mind. However, he had already given the order for them to stay until the celebration was over.

Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, the night enveloping him in darkness. He wondered if his headaches would ever subside, if he would ever find a moment of tranquility.

Childhood memories flooded his mind. He had faced numerous near-death experiences and had been unloved by everyone, especially his mother, who was too focused on finding new mates to care for him. She had even become pregnant three years ago, and he had no idea who the father of her offspring was.

Most of the eggs she laid resulted in death, except for one, Toma, whom Vincent took under his wing. He had many siblings, but he had lost count of them himself.

Lost in his thoughts, the events of the day suddenly resurfaced in his mind. That female with fiery red hair and bluish hazel eyes. She had fought back against him, matching him blow for blow and even throwing him to the ground.

A realization struck him—this female had stood her ground and fought against him, a rank 7 Beast. His eyes flickered with unknown emotions. She was a mystery to him, and he couldn't even detect her Beast form.

Who was she, and what were her motives?