Surrounded by Five Beast Lords novel Chapter 16

Clive stood there, his presence sharp like a blade. A dark, heavy air surrounded him, impossible to ignore. His gaze locked onto Dora at once, where she stood frozen in the distance with the cat in her arms, His deep eyes gave away nothing.

From the beige tent on the right, however, came someone completely different from Clive.

It was Elmer Hale, a bright, sunny–looking young beastfolk. He had smooth skin and perfect features. His short flaxen hair curled slightly and stuck up.

Most striking were his damp, clear, and light–brown eyes. Right now, they were fixed anxiously on Dora, filled with open concern and hurt.

He wore a clean white hoodie and beige pants. He was tall and a little slim, giving him the look of a sheltered college boy who had never really been through the world.

The two men’s eyes met briefly in the air, and invisible sparks seemed to flare between them.

The roment Elmer saw Clive, clear hostility and caution lit up in his light–brown eyes, like a little beast guarding its food.

Clive only gave Elmer a cold glance, as if he were no more important than a stone on the roadside. Then all his attention returned to Dora.

He frowned slightly, especially when he saw the dirty cat in her arms, and the small red burn on her arm.

“Dora!” Elmer was the first to break the suffocating silence. He shot Clive a glare to stop him from coming any closer, then ran toward Dora enthusiastically.

He ran in a rush, his hair lifting in the wind. His face was full of pure joy and worry.

He exclaimed, “You’re back. Where did you go? I’ve been looking for you forever. Are you okay? Those bastards from the Shawn family went way too far!”

He reached Dora and wanted to grab her hand. She was holding the cat, so his arm froze halfway. He could only look her over anxiously from head to toe.

His light–brown eyes quickly grew misty, and even his voice started to choke up. “I heard you were kicked out, and that jerk wanted to call off the engagement.

“I told my mom, if Cassian doesn’t want the engagement, I do. She got mad and kicked me out too. Dora, don’t be scared,

r From now on, I’ll protect you. I’ll be with you wherever you go.”

Dora was a little stunned. She stammered, “Elmer?”

She quickly searched through her memories.

Elmer was the son born after Regina Shawn, the head of the Shawn family, also Cassian’s mother, had accidentally slept with someone while drunk. By the time she sobered up, the man had vanished without a trace. No one knew who Elmer’s father

was.

Months later, Regina gave birth to a fluffy, chubby white dog with drooping ears and a completely harmless look. That was Elmer.

Regina hadn’t even wanted him to carry her last name, so she named him Elmer Hale. In the massive Shawn Residence, she had placed Elmer in the attic and usually ignored him.

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Chapter In

wasn’t very affectionate toward her other children either, but at least they had fathers who loved them.

Regina only cared about her second son, Cassian, the brightest genius of this generation. His beast form was rare, a peacock, and he awakened a fire–type supernatural ability at only five years old.

He was one of the closest remaining bloodlines to the vanished phoenix.

Elmer had always been a quiet, invisible child in the Shawn family until Cassian’s tenth birthday party.

Kids had their own circles too.

From a distance, Elmer saw several kids his age dressed in bright, expensive clothes, but he knew he could not fit in with them.

Thus, he found the shadow of an unnoticeable pillar and curled up there by himself.

Soon, a burst of laughter and noise came closer. Several older boys ran past while playing around.

One of them was Cassian’s follower, someone who often picked on Cassian’s younger brother, Elmer.

When he saw Elmer sitting behind the pillar, he casually tossed over the hard, bare bone he had been chewing on. “Here, puppy. A treat for you.”

The bone landed near Elmer’s feet with a dull thud, kicking up a little dust.

The boys burst into mean laughter.

At that time, four–year–old Elmer froze. His face burned. At that age, he didn’t really understand anger yet.

All he felt was shame, embarrassment, and a loneliness he couldn’t escape.

He stared at the greasy bone, his fingers clutching the corner of his clothes. His eyes turned red before he could stop them.

He wanted to hide and disappear into a crack in the floor.

Just then, a bright, fiery little figure pushed through the crowd and walked up to Elmer. It was Dora, who was six years old

then.

She wore a red puffy dress and looked like a burning sun, instantly lighting up Elmer’s gray world.

She kicked the bone away in disgust. Then she crouched down and looked straight at Elmer, who had curled up.

She smelled sweet, like roses and sunlight. Her eyes were bright and clear. There was no pity in them, no contempt like he was used to seeing, only pure curiosity and righteous anger on his behalf.

“Who gave you this? It’s hard and not fun at all.” Her clear voice rang out as her gaze swept over the boys who had just been laughing.

The boys ran off at once. They all knew that Dora was not someone they wanted to mess with. If anyone made her unhappy. her three brothers would definitely beat them up.

Elmer stared at Dora blankly, too stunned to react.

Dora rummaged through her delicate handbag and pulled out a soft braided rope made of colorful yarn, with a tiny bell hanging at the end.

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