Surrounded by Five Beast Lords novel Chapter 66

Chapter 66 Unfair Play

Rafe’s gaze drifted almost involuntarily toward the two factions squaring off in the middle of the lobby and then settled on the female who was verbally dismantling a well-heeled young male with such surgical precision that he had been left completely wordless.

His stride slowed for just a fraction of a second. Behind the lenses of fris glasses, a glint of genuine interest flashed across his deep-set eyes.

‘So, he thought, ‘that’s the team that came out of nowhere yesterday and shot all the way up to fifth place.

‘And that female currently sharpening her claws on someone must be their captain. Dora’

He found himself rather intrigued.

In the interstellar world, females were scarce and most were either soft and sheltered or pampered and temperamental

ustomed to being protected by the males around them.

genuinely uncommon to find one so quick with her tongue, sharp in her logic, and so completely unyielding when down a male.

ruck him even more, though, was the way she had defended her teammates while tearing into her opponent with ticular blend of ferocity and cunning, like some small, snarling creature that turned out to be far cleverer than it

as nothing like the society ladies he usually met at galas, nor the dependent women who attached themselves to erful males for protection. She was something else entirely.

aint smile curved the corner of Rafe’s mouth, and his eyes lingered a moment longer than necessary on Dora’s face, mich flushed with righteous anger, radiant with fierce vitality, and utterly captivating in its intensity.

Then, as if nothing had caught his attention at all, he looked away and continued toward the VIP corridor with the event staff guiding the way.

Just before he disappeared from view, though, he murmured a low instruction to the assistant walking behind him. “Look into that team. Especially the captain, Dora. I want a full profile.”

The assistant gave a crisp nod. “Yes, sir.”

He also stole a quick glance at Dora before turning away. After all, this was the first time he had ever seen his boss take any kind of interest in a female.

*****

Once the commotion in the hotel lobby had finally died down, the teams traveled by hovercraft to the preparation zone just outside the competition grounds.

Today’s event would take the form of a rotation-based face-off tournament.

Each team would draw lots, then compete in one-on-one matches for a limited pool of resource points. The winners would be advanced to claim their rewards, and the losers would be eliminated on the spot.

round. The female The tournament would unfold over multiple rounds, with each team fielding three members per members, while not officially competing, would remain on standby to provide crystal-energy food for their teammates. Today’s matches would demand far more than raw power. Strategy and coordination would make all the difference Before the final drawing of lots, the teams were given a brief window to rest and make their last preparations

In the corner where Cassian’s team had gathered, the mood had eased somewhat compared to the previous day, though a heavy sense of mutual distrust still hung in the air like a suffocating fog.

Regina made her way

encouragement

She handed

Iris, her fac

“Iris, de

“Hold

for

best logistical support she could muster and offering words of

im with the crystal energy food she had prepared for Cassian, to armth and gentle expectation.

ve brought something else for you as well, a small pouch of rare seeds, just

I need you to keep him in line. That’s the only way I’ll be able to rest easy. immering beneath Iris’ composed surface, and she knew she had to steady things

ی

M

Chapter 66 Unfair Play

between! Iris and Cassian. After all, the Southwell family was the best match the Shawn family could hope to secure the days

She had gone all out this time, giving iris the very seeds she had originally planned to save for Cassiant’s future wife In the interstellar world, seeds were second only to crystal cores in value. Most females saved them only for their own daughters, and for someone like Regina, who had no daughter of her own, they were meant to be the crown jewel of her son’s dowry.

Rare seeds were worth even more.

Iris took the cooler with a flutter of surprised gratitude and tucked it away into her Spatial Realm, then carefully stored the small pouch of seeds right beside it. The disappointment that had been weighing on her chest eased a lot.

After making sure Iris was settled, Regina turned her attention to the rest of the team, her voice calm but carrying an unmistakable weight of authority. “I know everyone has been working hard.

“Yesterday’s loss came down to poor tactics, and Cassian bears a large share of the blame for that

“The high-level healing-type supernatural ability user I brought in yesterday will remain on standby at the medical station just outside the arena. If anyone gets hurt, you’ll have the best care available immediately.

“And no matter what happens in today’s matches, every single one of you will receive a substantial gift from the Shawn family afterward. I won’t let anyone walk away empty-handed.”

With the promise of solid rewards and guaranteed medical support, Regina managed to temporarily hold together a team that had been dangerously close to splintering apart.

She then drew Cassian aside to a quiet corner, well out of earshot of the others, and lowered her voice to a whisper.” Cassian, listen to me.”

Her sharp eyes bored into his. “First round, I don’t care who you draw. Go at them with everything you’ve got. End it fast “You need to win this one, hold onto our ranking, and get the team’s morale back on track. No more slip-ups.” Cassian gave a firm nod. “Don’t worry, Mom. With your support, I’ll win today. I won’t let you down.”

Regina glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear, then dropped her voice to a murmur. “To make absolutely certain nothing goes wrong, I… called in some favors/Had a quiet word with the right people.

“There’s a very good chance your team will draw a bye in the second round.

“If that happens, you’ll have time to rest while the healer gets everyone back into peak condition. Then you can wait fresh and rested for the matches that follow.

“I’ve invested a fortune in this, Cassian, more than you realize. So you’d better make it count. I want that first-place finish

locked in our hands.

“This isn’t just about your pride anymore. It’s about the Shawn family’s position on the Core Planet.”

Cassian’s eyes flashed with a sharp mix of excitement and ruthless determination.

A bye in the second round meant they could skip at least one major fight entirely, saving their energy while getting a free look at how the other teams handled each other.

His mother really had connections everywhere.

“Got it,” he said. “Don’t worry, Mom. This time, I won’t let you down.”

With Regina throwing her full weight behind him, Cassian felt his confidence surge back to life..

******

Across the preparation zone, Dora had gathered her team to talk through potential matchups and nail down then apor The official draw began soon after.

On the massive holographic screen above them, team names started scrolling in a blur before pairing off at random. When the results finally locked into place, Dora’s eyebrow lifted just slightly.

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