Chapter 337: Another trouble?*
A lady clad in black.
No, it was not merely her cloak. Even the fabric concealing her face was black. She was completely covered from head to toe, much like the sword resting at her side, its presence hidden beneath the folds of her attire.
She was a woman. Her voice alone made that clear, but the way the cloak fell around her lithe figure left little room for doubt.
Her dark violet eyes settled upon him for a brief moment before she spoke.
"Retreat and join the others. We are close."
"But, but..." The spoiled brat raised his voice, pointing an accusing finger at Luke.
Luke sighed.
"Didn’t know that one was sheltered. No wonder it started running the moment I laid eyes on it."
The brat gasped, outrage flashing across his face.
"How can you call my Hollow a coward?!"
"Because he was."
The voice did not belong to Luke.
The woman stared at the young man with cold indifference, her words carrying not an ounce of sympathy.
"It was killed because it was weak, much like you. If I left you here without a warrior at your back, you’d be rotting in the wilderness within days."
The younger man clenched his teeth, his face twisting with humiliation as tears threatened to spill from his eyes.
If Luke could, he would have snickered.
But there was no point in making the situation worse.
"Well, I will take my leave." Luke said, twirling his dagger before sliding it back into its sheath.
"Hmm. Won’t you take the pelt? You looked quite interested in it earlier." The woman said something unexpected.
Was she watching Luke for some time?
How curious.
Before he could answer, however, the young pig cried out again.
"How cruel can you be, letting him take our family’s pride piece by piece... to some stinky villager?"
The woman hummed thoughtfully.
"Family’s pride, huh?"
She picked up a knife and tossed it onto the ground between them.
"Then here. Go and protect it from him, if you can."
Luke grinned at the exchange.
He was beginning to like this woman.
The brat, unsurprisingly, did not take a single step forward. He did not even reach for the knife.
Luke chuckled.
"Well, I don’t need your Hollow anymore. Its pelt is covered in blood, and I can’t give it to my mate like this."
He turned and began walking away.
"Go on. Take your pride back."
The woman’s gaze remained fixed on him.
Luke could feel it as vividly as the heat of the sun against his skin, but he did not stay for another conversation.
He would have liked to, honestly. She seemed like a rather pleasant woman.
But he already had a good idea of who they were. Keeping his distance was the wiser choice.
Someone traveling toward his village with so many warriors at their disposal, several of them magicians, and one particularly snorty brat...
Yeah.
Luke could already see where this was going.
They were the promised guests of the village. The rival tribe’s leader and his family.
And Luke had no intention of meddling in their affairs.
’But I have a feeling this won’t end here.’
He sighed.
Great.
Another day of somehow registering his name in the middle of events that would probably become legends later.
Shaking his head, Luke returned to the forest and found Laila busy skinning the snake.
A smear of blood stained the side of her forehead, likely from wiping away sweat without realizing her hands were still covered in it.
She seemed completely absorbed in her work, so Luke simply stood to the side, watching her with quiet amusement.
"What was it?" Laila asked without raising her eyes. "I heard a commotion. But since it was small and didn’t make much noise, I figured it wasn’t worth worrying about."
Luke groaned.
"Someday, someone is going to kill me without making a sound, and you’ll be sitting there thinking everything is perfectly fine."
Laila grinned.
"If someone could kill you silently, they might as well slaughter the entire village in one night. At least then we’d be together again."
Luke chuckled.
"Once the sight of me repulsed you, and now look at you..."
Laila finally turned to him, resting her cheek against her folded knee. A few loose strands of hair had fallen across her face.
Luke stared.
For a moment, he forgot what he had been about to say.
There was something almost disarmingly adorable about her like this, with blood on her forehead and a quiet smile on her lips.
Beautiful.
He simply stood there, captivated by the sight of her.
"Well, now my eyes wish to see nothing more than you. You hated my gaze once, so should I believe those feelings have changed?"
Luke narrowed his eyes and leaned against the nearest tree, crossing his arms.
"What is it that you want to hear from me, Laila?"
Laila’s cheeks warmed at the sight of him.
Strong, tall, and undeniably charming. A lethal combination in a single man.
She quickly cleared her throat.
"Well, I am still your servant. I am someone who shouldn’t expect or hope for more. You let me..."
"Laila."
Before she could finish, Luke was suddenly behind her.
He crouched beside her, close enough that his voice became nothing more than a whisper against her ear.
"What do you want from me?"
Her cheeks burned as she murmured, "You have told Mother so many times that you love her... You call her your mate so proudly. I know you don’t love me enough to make me your mate, but at least..." She hesitated, her voice growing quieter. "I want to know if you like me too... or if you still resent me."
Luke simply stared at her for a few moments.
He was genuinely surprised she had to ask.
Then, with a faint smile, he reached out and took her hand.
"Come."
"But where?" she asked, though she was already rising to her feet.
"Come. I will tell you how I feel."
Laila muttered as she took in the scene before her. "I feel I have barely been out of the village, every time I step out."
It was a small pond formed by the passing stream, ringed by trees and open to a clear stretch of sky.
Luke stood behind her. "Glad you liked the place." His voice was low as he slowly untied the strap of her dress and let the fabric pool around her ankles.
The gentle breeze touched her bare skin and she trembled.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice already husky.
"Just letting you feel how I see you."
He unhooked her bra in calm fashion and freed her full, perky breasts. The cool air tightened her nipples at once.
Her breathing grew slightly erratic as she stood exposed in the open air. Luke pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the back of her neck, then slid his hands lower and untied the thin lace of her panties.
"Luke..." Her breath hitched.
"Shh. Trust me. There is no one around." He eased the last scrap of fabric down her legs until it fell away, leaving her completely bare before him.
He stripped his own clothes off in a few swift motions, then scooped her into his arms. She gave a startled cry, arms wrapping tightly around his neck.
"Are we going to take a bath? The two of us together?"
Luke nodded, a slow grin spreading. "Yes. We used to a lot when we were children." His eyes darkened with heat. "But I promise, this will be nothing like our childhood."
Her cheeks burned. Her thighs pressed together in quiet anticipation as she rested her head against the solid warmth of his chest.
He stepped into the water with steady balance. The surface reached only to his navel, cool and pleasing.
"Mm... it’s cold," she whispered as the water rose around her backside.
Luke lowered her carefully until her feet found the soft bottom. He kept one arm around her waist, holding her close. "You are the first person who has seen this special place."
Laila’s smile was faint, almost shy. "And it’s very beautiful."
He cupped water in his palm and let it trickle slowly down her arm, then over the curve of her shoulder, watching the droplets trace paths across her skin. "Just like you."
—TBC