Ouyang calmly looked up at Grey Wolf and Teabrown Wolf, towering a meter above her. Both glared down fiercely, eyeing her like prey.

Their furious, hungry gazes seemed to debate how to handle the young Blood Clan girl before them.

"Big Brother, why don’t we just... this one?" Teabrown Wolf asked politely, though grief weighed heavy in his heart. A dead wolf couldn’t be revived. Seeing Grey Wolf’s enraged yet excited stare, Teabrown Wolf pictured a scene he eagerly anticipated.

Grey Wolf narrowed his blue eyes slightly, baring sharp fangs in a sinister grin. "Don’t worry. I’ll cut off her head so she can watch us defile her body. Then, I’ll hang it at the gate to swing for days."

"As for what wild beasts might snatch her head in the wilderness at night to fill their bellies—just thinking about it excites me."

Hearing their plan, Ouyang shuddered inwardly. This cruelty surpassed being chopped into pieces in a container and buried—a fate she’d faced with the Undead before. Last time, at least she’d had a gun and bullets.

The Wolfkin brothers’ broad, imposing bodies blocked her escape. When she tried to break through, a single wolf-pounce dragged her back.

Unlike the Bloodkin Prince’s description, even at this life-threatening moment, Ouyang spotted no fatal weaknesses on them. Even if she could, her weapons couldn’t pierce their tough fur.

Frustrated, Ouyang glanced sideways at Coalball on her head. It lay motionless, as if dead, making her heart race with worry.

Flight was the best strategy. She had to escape. Even losing limbs was better than being torn apart by the evil Wolfkin again.

While the brothers weren’t looking, Ouyang slipped her hands into her pockets and gripped two crucial items that could turn the tide.

Trusting Bolis had been a mistake. Even on the same side, she’d never see the Blood Clan as true allies. Only Ouyang herself could save her fate.

She counted three seconds in her head. Then, she pulled out two greyish vials of pepper bombs. She smashed one hard on the ground and flung the other straight at their eyes. The rushing powder hit before they could cover their faces. They inhaled it all. Seeing their pained expressions, Ouyang slightly curled her lips—but rejoicing was too early.

Canines have keen noses. In their true wolf forms, the Wolfkin brothers suffered double the burning sting.

"You little bastard! I’ll kill you...!"

Blinded by pepper, the brothers fumbled. Ouyang darted into the castle and slammed the door shut. She piled every movable obstacle against it.

The Bloodkin Prince had said this sturdy door only opened for kin. So Ouyang silently prayed: "Please, please don’t let the Wolfkin in."

Clearing pepper from their eyes would take time. In that brief window, Ouyang slipped out the back door and fled toward the pine forest. She needed them to think she was still inside. Blocking the door was just to buy time.

Three hours. Just three hours of standoff. Once Coalball woke up, it’d be her chance to turn the tables.

As the castle faded from view, Ouyang wanted to rest. Suddenly, urgent, heavy footsteps echoed behind her.

"Shit... How did they catch up so fast?!"

The castle trick had failed completely.

Ouyang, in black platform shoes, struggled down the forest path. Branches snagged her maid dress’s hem, slowing her escape. The footsteps grew closer. Panic rose in her chest.

Being caught by the Wolfkin brothers would be far worse than that young bartender’s grasp.

Absolutely, not a single moment could she stop. Even a three-hour marathon through the pines, she couldn’t slow down.

Now in a girl’s body, Ouyang’s stamina was no match for theirs. The long run drained her. She ran purely on willpower.

A sudden sharp pain in her right calf made her trip. She tumbled down the slope, rolling until she grabbed a tree trunk.

Dizzy and disoriented, she propped up her aching body. A silver dagger was embedded in her calf.

"So painful..."

Gritting her teeth, she yanked it out. Leaning on the trunk, she prepared to limp away. After one step, she froze. Calmly, she saw her path blocked front and back.

The Wolfkin brothers had caught up.

Grey Wolf, panting, stared with excitement and disgust. He sneered: "Thanks to that black lump’s scent on your head, we knew you weren’t in the castle."

"Scent?"

Grey Wolf had sensed this aura, thinking a powerful Blood Clan member lurked inside. But it was just a foul stench—no real power.

"A thick blood smell, like thousands of people’s aura. It stings the nose."

Ouyang plucked Coalball from her head and sniffed it. Only sweet shower gel scent reached her—nothing else.

"Now you have no escape. Resist, and I’ll tear off your legs and drag you back."

Watching them close in, Ouyang stared intently at Coalball. She swallowed nervously.

Since it wouldn’t wake, she had to resort to the last method.

Recalling how a drop of the Bloodkin Prince’s blood had made her blood boil and body burn, Ouyang gripped the fluffy Coalball tightly. Nervously, she opened her mouth, revealing four sharp, white fangs. She reminded herself:

"Just one bite. Just a tiny, gentle bite..."

She placed the unconscious Coalball by her lips. Remembering his words: drinking Mosterian blood would make her stronger, even drive her berserk.

This desperate measure was to escape. The price to save herself.

"Just a tiny sip shouldn’t be too dangerous, right?"