Chapter 8 What Is Wrong With Burning My Own House

With a grim expression, Xelrik lowered his head. Without a word, he threw on his beast skin, then sat on the edge of the bed. “Xelrik, what's going on?” Avani wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressing her cheek against his back. Her voice was soft and laced with concern. Xelrik looks strong and healthy. We've only been intimate for a few days—how could he suddenly be incapable? If that's the case, what would happen to my sex life in the future? His expression darkened as he caught her hand before it wandered any further. “I'm just a little worn out from the past few days, Ava. Let's pick this up tonight.” How could I possibly tell her that Karina had hit me? Getting injured by a woman—especially in that place—was a humiliation he simply couldn't bear. Noticing Avani's displeasure, Xelrik quickly changed the subject. “Yesterday, Karina followed me,” he said. “She told me to give her house back. What does she mean by that?” Avani's face stiffened, a hint of guilt flickering at the corner of her lips. “She really said that?” That b*tch! Why is she suddenly bringing up the house now? Avani had lived here with her parents for so long that she had long since considered it her own. Now, with Xelrik living there too, even the beasthumans in the tribe assumed the house belonged to her. Xelrik repeated Karina's words exactly as she had said them. Avani let out a scornful laugh. “Ignore her, Xelrik. She's just a lunatic.” The house isn't even registered under Karina's name—what right does she have to demand it back? Karina's timid and easily frightened, only daring to stir up trouble in her own little world. She's so out of touch, how could she possibly stand her ground in a confrontation? Let her try if she dares! “Xelrik, help me.” Avani tugged at his hand, just as she was about to lie back down on the wooden bed. The next moment, thick black smoke suddenly poured into the room. Cough, cough, cough! “What the h*ll? Where's all this smoke coming from?” Avani broke into a violent coughing fit. The air quickly grew hot. A fiery glow flickered outside the house. Xelrik's expression shifted. “This isn't good—it's a fire!” Avani's face went pale. She didn't even have time to put on her beast skin before they both bolted from the house. Outside, the fire spread fast and fierce. Several beasthumans, barely clothed, ran out in a panicked frenzy. A crowd of beasthumans quickly gathered, drawn by the spectacle. Avani shivered as a chill ran down her spine, but Xelrik, standing beside her, wasted no time pulling off his beast skin and draping it over her. “Who did this? Who the h*ll is responsible? When I find out, they won't get away with it!” Avani's mother, Haleira Lorien, stormed out, flanked by her two beast husbands. Her furious curses rang loud and clear. The beasthumans watched the drama unfold with undisguised interest. Avani's house had been lively lately—first, they put on a whole show of mating, and now, they had gone and set their own house on fire. Life as a beasthuman was monotonous—mostly eating, drinking, and sleeping. So when something entertaining happened, no one wanted to miss it. Somewhere in the crowd, a playful voice chimed in with glee, “Ha! Karina and Avani, I never thought I'd see the day you two turned on each other...” At the mention of Karina's name, Avani's ears twitched. Turning her head, she saw Karina standing by the house, Zareth beside her, using his fire-type talent to feed the flames. They weren't even trying to hide what they were doing. “Good work, Zeth!” Karina praised. “Keep going—make it bigger!” The flames roared inside the wooden cabin, surging like a ferocious dragon, climbing toward the sky. The blaze nearly engulfed Avani in its fury. She barely had time to react before the heat singed the tips of her hair. That b*tch! She actually tried to set me on fire! Xelrik yanked Avani out of harm's way just in time. Haleira rushed over, throwing her arms around her daughter. “Ava, are you hurt? My poor Ava!” Tears streamed down her face as she turned to Aethor, her voice trembling with emotion. “Chief Aethor, you must stand up for Ava! Karina is vicious—she was trying to burn our entire family alive!” Aethor's face darkened with rage, but seeing Haleira's tear-streaked face only made his heart ache more. His fury boiled over. Whipping around, he raised a hand. “You dare commit such a brazen act in broad daylight, Karina? You've truly lost all reason!” A murmur rippled through the crowd. Karina deserved that slap. But before his hand could land, a firm grip caught his wrist. Zareth stepped in front of Karina, his golden eyes gleaming coldly. “Chief Aethor, isn't it beneath you to strike a female?” Aethor's face flushed with anger and embarrassment. He tried to yank his hand free—but couldn't. “Y-You've advanced to a Level-Two Beasthuman?” He could hardly believe it. Darkvale Tribe was small and remote. Even having a few Level-One Beasthumans was rare. The emergence of Xelrik, a Level-Two Beasthuman, was already unheard of, but now there was another one. The beast race respected strength above all else. Aethor himself was only a Level-One Beasthuman, and if not for his age, Xelrik would've already replaced him as the chief. And now, Zareth's sudden advancement put his position in serious jeopardy. Zareth said nothing. He merely returned to Karina's side, his cold expression daring anyone to lay a hand on her. Avani's eyes burned with jealousy. Why did she get a Level-Two Beasthuman as her mate? Why the h*ll should she be on the same level as me? “Chief Aethor, don't let them fool you,” Karina said coolly. “I just wanted to rebuild my house, so I burned down the old one.” Karina crossed her arms and smirked. “And what's wrong with burning down my own house?” Aethor scoffed. “Your house? This place clearly belongs to Ava!” Karina raised an eyebrow. “Chief Aethor, you're getting old—your memory must be slipping. This house was personally built for me by my brother before he left the tribe. How did it suddenly become Avani's?” “This...” Aethor hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. Just as he was about to argue, a voice rose from the crowd. “This house was built by Corvus—I can vouch for that. A bunch of us beasthumans saw it at the time.” Karina turned to look. The voice belonged to Ariel Solandis, the same woman who had just mocked her and Avani's fight. She stood out in the crowd, wearing a striking leopard-print mini dress. She wasn't particularly tall, but her curves drew plenty of attention. If Avani had been Karina's so-called best friend in another life, then Ariel was undoubtedly her worst enemy. The two constantly clashed, always fighting for dominance. Karina hadn't expected her of all people to speak up. “Avani, you're even more shameless than Karina, taking over someone else's house like it's yours,” Ariel sneered. “I also remember that before Corvus left, he mentioned wanting to build a house for his sister.” “It looks like Corvus gave the house to Karina after all.” “Yeah, so how come Avani's family is living here now?” One by one, the beasthumans started voicing their agreement. Corvus was a fool, and Karina was unpopular. Naturally, no one paid much attention to them. But once Ariel brought it up, everyone finally remembered. “Chief Aethor, you can't blame me for this. How was I supposed to know they'd sneak into my house?” Karina spread her hands, her eyes blinking innocently. Avani and the others gritted their teeth in fury. There was no excuse to punish her now. She had no choice but to swallow this silent defeat. “You!” Aethor was livid. She knew exactly what was going on—this was deliberate! “Even if it wasn't intentional, you're still at fault. Ava is the most fertile female in our tribe—she could already be carrying a pup! You might have hurt the pup in her belly!” Haleira accused, jabbing a finger at Karina. Karina rolled her eyes. “Then go back to your own house. I'm not her pup's dad. If you're hurt, you're hurt. Not my problem.” Haleira was so overwhelmed she fainted on the spot. Fuming with frustration, Xelrik stepped forward. “Enough, Karina, this is your last chance—” “Get lost,” she spat. “Just looking at you makes me sick.”