Chapter 327: Nadia’s greed
After Luke left, Nadia slowly lowered herself into the chair, her eyes still wide with disbelief.
What had she just done?
She had said far too much. Every thought she had kept buried had spilled out before she could stop herself.
How could she have been foolish enough to believe Luke would willingly become part of such a complicated life?
She was conflicted. Greedy, even.
She wanted both Dart and Luke.
But why would either man ever accept that?
She loved Dart with all her heart. The moment she learned she was carrying a child, Luke’s child, she had convinced herself her life was finally complete. That she could have her baby and still spend the rest of her life with Dart.
Luke’s departure with his family had made that belief even easier to hold. Those few days apart had given her the chance to reconnect with Dart, and every moment with him had been nothing short of wonderful.
He cared for her more tenderly than ever before. Not once had he looked at the unborn child with resentment simply because it wasn’t his. Instead, he became even more attentive, constantly making sure she was comfortable, eagerly talking about the baby’s future as though it were his own.
It reminded her, again and again, why she had chosen him as her mate.
He was simply too good to her.
And yet, despite everything, a part of her still lay awake every night, unable to find peace.
Memories of the days she had spent with Luke refused to leave her.
They returned again and again, slipping into her thoughts when she was awake and surrounding her dreams when she slept. People often said it took years for a woman to love a man deeply enough to dream about him.
For Nadia, it had happened far sooner.
Luke lingered behind every closed eyelid. Even during the day, when she tried to keep herself busy, her mind drifted back to him. More than once, she found herself sitting by the doorstep, quietly watching the path leading into the village.
Waiting.
Her frequent visits to Ginna were not as innocent as they appeared. Beneath every conversation hid the same selfish question.
When were they returning?
When was he returning?
She simply wanted to see him.
Each time Dart appeared before her, guilt clawed at her heart. She blamed herself relentlessly, yet guilt alone could not erase the place Luke had carved within her.
He had become irreplaceable.
Luke had awakened emotions she had never known existed. He filled her life with excitement, with anticipation, with a joy that made every ordinary day feel brighter. Around him, she felt desired, cherished, and undeniably alive.
And carrying his child stirred something within her that she scarcely dared acknowledge, even to herself.
It only drew her closer to him.
The moment she saw him standing at her door, every restraint she had carefully built threatened to crumble.
Her first instinct was to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him until neither of them could breathe.
She wanted to hold him close, breathe in his familiar scent, lose herself in his warmth, and hear him confess that he had missed her just as desperately.
She wanted all of it.
Even while she was mated to another man.
A shameless part of her still longed for it.
Even now, she wanted to run to his home and throw herself into his arms, heedless of who might be watching. She wanted to do something so reckless that he would have no choice but to hate her.
Or worse.
He loved his mate.
She knew that better than anyone, and a part of her resented it. Not because he loved another woman, but because his devotion never faltered. No matter the temptation, no matter the longing in his eyes, he remained unwavering.
Yet when it came to her, he had turned away.
He had walked out that door as though leaving her behind was the easiest thing in the world.
She knew that wasn’t the truth.
Luke had always been good at hiding what he felt.
"I know you miss me. I know you still find me attractive."
He had admitted as much once. The rest, his eyes confessed often enough. Even today, she had seen it. That restrained hunger. That fleeting desire he buried beneath discipline, held back only by his loyalty to Dart and the promise he had made to himself.
"But how long, Luke?" she whispered to the empty room.
Her gaze settled on the glass he had used moments ago.
She picked it up carefully, her fingers tracing its rim before bringing it to her lips. She drank from the very spot his mouth had touched, where the faintest trace of moisture still lingered.
A soft smile curved across her lips. It tasted sweet.
.....
[Are you sure, Host?]
The system asked as Luke stood beside the well house, his hands resting on his waist.
"Yes."
He had originally planned to raid the dungeon a few days later, but after everything that had happened with Nadia, frustration gnawed at him. He needed something to occupy his mind before those thoughts consumed him.
He couldn’t return to his mate. She would notice immediately that something was wrong, and lying to her had never been something he could do.
So he chose the dungeon instead.
A fight.
A chance to burn away the turmoil raging inside him.
If things went well, he might even clear another floor.
[Command accepted.]
[Transferring Host in 3... 2... 1...]
His surroundings dissolved.
The familiar sensation of being hurled across an immeasurable distance in the blink of an eye washed over him before the world settled once more.
When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in the same damp forest.
Rumble.
Only this time, rain poured relentlessly from the heavens, drenching the forest in moments.
Luke tilted his head toward the sky.
"It’s nighttime... but the moon isn’t visible."
He could still feel the blessing flowing through his body, lending him greater strength than usual.
But without the moon’s direct presence, its power was only a faint echo of what it could truly be.
Luke was about to ask the system what this floor demanded of him when...
"AAAAAHHH!"
A woman’s scream tore through the forest, sharp enough to silence even the rain.
Luke’s brows drew together.
"What was that?"
Instead of answering, the system displayed the objective before him.
[Floor One]
[Level Four: Cry of the Helpless]
[Task: Bring the lost one back to safety.]
[Reward: ???]
[Host, the scream you heard is the primary objective of this floor. It is recommended that you leave the safety zone immediately.]
"..."
What the fuck?
Since when had his missions gone from hunting monsters to rescuing women?
Then again...
He was here to distract his mind and gain some rewards. And if it was a human being inside a dungeon, he might get to know something interesting.
"Take it down."
A dagger appeared in his hand.
"Now."
~~~~~
A/N:- Check out my new story, add it in the library for future updates and please leave comments as many as you can. Any help to the book is appreciated.
And yes, thank you for reading the Chapter.