Chapter 4

So that was it. Lunara realized Kieran was trying to coax her into giving him her blood so he could dissolve the bond faster.

She caught on immediately. Every one of these beastmates was desperate to break free from the restraints of the original Lunara. At least they were being straightforward about it. This worked in her favor. It meant they weren't thinking about doing anything else to her for now.

With the bond mark binding them, they wouldn't dare harm her anyway. It had been a little unnecessary for her to worry about being poisoned.

Now that Lunara figured this out, her tense shoulders finally relaxed. However, she couldn't let the bond be dissolved too quickly.

If she really gave Kieran her blood now—allowing him to accumulate ten drops easily and removing the bond mark—then knowing what the grudge-bearing fox beastkin was like, he'd probably turn around and bite her neck in half.

Lunara lifted her gaze to meet Kieran's cunning eyes. With a pointed smile, she asked, "You think one meal of roasted meat is enough to trade for a drop of blood?"

The smile on Kieran's face stiffened for a moment before turning into a sneer, as if he'd seen this coming. "Then what do you want?"

Lunara pointed at the meat and said, "I'll make you an offer. Cook five meals for me, putting in as much care as you did this time, then I'll give you one drop of blood. Deal?"

Kieran had thrown out his condition casually without ever thinking she'd agree to it.

Five meals for a drop of blood?

That meant the bond would be dissolved after 50 meals.

Kieran's eyes lit up instantly. After a moment, he asked cautiously, "You're serious about this? Will you swear it on the Beast Deity?"

In this world, the Beast Deity was the most supreme being in existence, who couldn't be lied to. Swearing an oath on the Beast Deity created a binding force.

Lunara swiftly did the calculations. 50 meals should be more than enough to last until she found Caius.

Without hesitation, she raised her right hand and declared clearly, "I, Lunara Vesperin, swear to the Beast Deity that as long as Kieran cooks five meals for me, I will give him one drop of my blood to dissolve the beastmate bond. I will not go back on my word!"

The moment she finished speaking, Kieran's eyes shone with clear exhilaration.

Even his smile became more genuine as he pushed the leaf in his hand closer. "Eat up. It won't taste as good once it's cold."

Only then did Lunara pick up a piece of meat and pop it into her mouth. It was crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside, but after a few chews, she frowned. There was no taste at all. It was almost as bland as water.

"Why didn't you season it with some salt?" she couldn't help asking.

Kieran's smile faded slightly, and his tone became a little mocking again. "Have you forgotten so soon? You used all the salt to make salt water to soak the whips—said it would hurt more when you hit us. What makes you think we have any salt left?"

Lunara froze. The memories she got from the original Lunara flooded back again. What Kieran said was true.

She couldn't help but frown. They didn't even have enough salt to eat, but the original Lunara had used it to soak the whips?

Brows still furrowed, she said, "Then what do we do? Traveling is tough on the body. We can't just eat bland food the whole way."

Kieran suddenly looked toward Galen in the barrel. With a hint of amusement in his voice, he replied, "Galen's a merman—the only one among the sea-dwelling beastkin who knows how to make salt. Even if we've run out of salt, he can make some."

Lunara followed his gaze. Galen lay quietly in the water, his beautiful yet icy eyes staring coldly at her. His tail was swishing lightly beneath the surface. The edges of the remaining scales still carried a faint reddish hue.

Her heart dropped a little.

Cyril's healing power had closed the wounds, but the places where the scales had been forcibly torn out were still dotted with shallow pits. It was unknown whether the new scales would grow out.

Out of all the beastmates, Galen was probably the one who hated her the most.

But right now, there was no other option.

Taking a deep breath, Lunara walked over to the barrel and bent down slightly. Trying to keep her tone as gentle as possible, she said, "Galen, can you help me make salt? I'll make it worth your while. I'll give you a drop of blood, too."

Galen's gaze swept over her face. For a long time, he said nothing. Only the movement of his tail grew slightly stronger, splashing the water.

Lunara began pondering again. Ever since Caius brought Galen back, he hadn't seemed to have ever spoken. Was it because he couldn't speak?

Subconsciously, her gaze drifted to his arm.

Male beastkin usually had a beast band on their arm, its color indicating their tier. But Galen's arm was smooth and completely unmarked, which was strange.

Caius doted on her tremendously, but he wasn't the type to judge purely on looks either. Why would he bring back a male without a beast band for her?

Lunara replayed the novel in her head again. Galen would later on become a major villain capable of wreaking havoc across half the continent. He was unchallenged in the seas as well. So why didn't he even have a beast ring now?

Seeing that he still didn't respond, she figured there was no point forcing the matter, so she turned to walk away.

A voice suddenly rang out behind her. "Did you really mean what you said?"

It was clear and smooth, like trickling water carrying the faintest ripple. Though it was a question, it brushed against her heart like a soft feather.

Everyone said the merfolk's songs could enchant the mind. As it was, even their ordinary speech was music to the ears. The faint breath at the end of his words was more refreshing than the clearest spring.

"Of course I mean it." Lunara quickly turned around and gave a firm nod, afraid he wouldn't believe her. "As long as you make us some salt, I'll give you a drop of blood immediately. I promise it's not a lie."

Galen's lashes trembled slightly. The ice in his violet eyes seemed to melt just a fraction. He stared fixedly at her for a moment before pointing at a large, dust-covered clay jar in the corner of the cave.

"There's some seawater in there. I need seawater to make salt."

Lunara looked over and saw a clay jar. A worn piece of animal hide covered the top, with a thin layer of dust settling over it. It had clearly been sitting there, untouched, for a long time.

She turned to Kieran. "Move that jar over. Let Galen use it."

Kieran immediately put on his charming smile again. "If I help you move it, is there a reward? Like… giving me a drop of blood in advance?"

Lunara rolled her eyes impatiently. "You want a reward for moving a jar?"

She waved her recently cut finger. "You think it doesn't hurt for me to cut my finger for blood?"

Seeing that she was genuinely annoyed, Kieran wisely dropped the smile.

He hadn't expected to get blood from her for doing something this insignificant anyway. With how strange her behavior was today, he just wanted to test her and see if he could take advantage of the situation.

Without another word, he went to the corner and lifted the heavy clay jar. The seawater inside sloshed as he brought it over and set it beside the barrel.

Galen stared at the jar, now within reach, with a faint glimmer passing through his eyes.

His tail flicked lightly in the water, and in one smooth motion, he slipped from the barrel into the clay jar. The seawater came just up to his waist, the faint ripples shimmering in the light.

Standing nearby, Lunara got splashed full in the face by the water his tail flicked out. She wiped her face and leaned in closer, her eyes bright with curiosity as she stared at the jar.

She really wanted to see how merfolk made salt.

Beside her, Kieran narrowed his eyes slightly. Something was off—seriously off.

If this had been before, Lunara would've exploded the moment she got splashed like that. At best, she'd scream at them for ages. At worst, she'd grab a whip and start lashing them.

But now?

She simply wiped her face and acted as if nothing had happened.

The way she acted today made her seem like a completely different person.