Chapter 286: Annoying woman
"Are you sure we’ll be safe there?" Luke asked as they made their way toward the place Roxanne believed could shelter them all.
Roxanne nodded without hesitation. "Yes, trust me. I may not have been in contact with my family for a long time, but this is still our safest option."
Thea almost scoffed.
Someone who had avoided facing her own family until recently was now placing all their lives in their hands.
Monica broke the silence. "Luke... are you still going to contact the chief tomorrow?"
"Yes. Now more than ever." Luke’s expression hardened. "The chief needs to know about this whole mess. Whoever is behind all this has either already begun evacuating the village for their own reasons or is preparing to turn the chief against us with lies."
Luke could already see how easily things could spiral.
The chief could already have a grudge against him for some certain reasons, one of them being that Luke had killed people within his territory.
As for the mastermind behind all this, they had to be someone with considerable influence. There was no other way they could assemble such a large gang without ever drawing suspicion.
If someone like that poisoned the chief’s mind against him, the situation would become far more complicated.
Luke trusted his own strength, but without the moon empowering him, he would be at a severe disadvantage, especially against multiple awakened opponents.
He couldn’t afford to waste any more time.
He had to move first.
"Here we are," Roxanne said as they came to a stop before a house almost as large as Baldon’s old residence.
There were no guards outside.
She walked up to the entrance and pushed the front door open.
"Who... ah."
Someone standing just inside froze the moment she saw Roxanne.
Luke’s eyes settled on the young woman.
She had midnight-black hair, striking blue eyes, and a face that closely resembled Roxanne’s, though she looked a little younger and slightly shorter.
So this must be the little sister Roxanne had mentioned.
"Mila..." Roxanne called softly. "I’m home."
Mila stared at her, caught between surprise and disbelief. Her gaze shifted past Roxanne to the group gathered behind her, only making her confusion deepen.
"Roxanne...?"
Before Mila could answer, a heavy voice echoed from deeper inside the house.
"What are you doing here?"
Everyone turned toward the speaker.
An older woman stepped into view, her ashen gray hair framing a face marked by age. Sharp green eyes regarded Roxanne with unyielding coldness, the wrinkles on her face doing little to soften her stern expression.
"Mother..." Roxanne greeted quietly. "How have you been?"
The woman ignored the question entirely.
"Where is your mate?" she asked, her voice flat and uncompromising. "Don’t tell me you came here without him."
Roxanne lowered her head. "He didn’t come... he had work to take care of."
"And yet, instead of helping him, you’re wandering around." Her mother’s gaze turned even colder. "Is this how I raised you?"
Roxanne’s fingers curled into a tight fist, but she said nothing.
Monica and Laila exchanged worried glances.
Luke, on the other hand, felt irritation rising with every passing second. He was just about to step forward when another voice beat him to it.
"Do you honestly think a chief has the luxury of staying away from his village for days unless it’s an emergency?" Thea asked, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.
The older woman shifted her gaze. "You... who are you?"
Thea stepped forward without the slightest hint of fear.
"Chief Baldon’s second mate. Got a problem with that?"
The woman’s eyes narrowed.
"So it’s you." Her lips curled into a look of contempt. "You must be quite skilled at seducing the chief."
"Mother!" Roxanne cried, her eyes widening in alarm.
The woman ignored her.
"It’s the result of your own negligence and childish behavior that your mate had to seek warmth and comfort from someone else." Her voice grew harsher with every word. "You should be ashamed of yourself. Instead of fighting for your place in his heart, you’re here wasting your life."
"You know what?"
Luke’s calm voice sliced through the suffocating tension.
"Forget it, Roxanne."
He took a step forward, his gaze fixed squarely on the older woman.
"I’d rather sleep on the streets than spend a single night under the same roof as this woman."
Roxanne kept her gaze lowered, shame weighing heavily on her heart.
Even after all this time... even after finally returning home... nothing had changed.
Her mother was still the same.
The older woman narrowed her eyes at Luke.
"And who are you?"
"A murderer."
The single word sent a chill through the space, making everyone flinch.
Luke slowly raised his hands.
"See the blood?" His voice remained calm, almost casual. "I kill people who annoy me."
The woman’s eyes instinctively fell to his hands.
They were stained with a thick layer of drying blood. Dark crimson splatters marked his clothes, leaving little doubt that the blood wasn’t old.
For the first time, uncertainty flashed across her face.
Even so, she refused to back down.
"Are you threatening me?"
"No."
Luke took a single step forward.
The next instant, he was standing right in front of her.
The sudden movement startled the woman so badly that she nearly stumbled backward.
"I’m warning you."
His cold eyes locked onto hers, devoid of warmth.
"Say one more thing to hurt her, and I won’t hesitate to add one more body to my count."
The woman forgot to breathe.
An overwhelming aura, thick with the scent of blood and death, crashed down on her like a tidal wave. It wasn’t merely pressure. It felt as though her very soul had been seized by an invisible hand.
At that moment, she understood one thing with terrifying clarity.
The young man standing before her was genuinely dangerous.
"Luke..." Roxanne stepped closer and gently grabbed the back of his shirt. "...Please."
Luke continued staring at the woman for several long seconds before finally taking a step back.
Thud.
The woman’s legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto the floor, gasping as she finally released the breath she had been holding.
Her face had turned deathly pale, sweat streaming down her forehead.
W-What... was that?
For a brief moment...
Had she just stared death in the face?
Luke turned away as though nothing had happened.
"Forget it. We’re leaving."
The others silently nodded and prepared to follow him. Even Thea.
Roxanne lowered her head and quietly fell in behind them.
"N-No, wait!"
Mila suddenly rushed forward.
"Roxanne, please don’t go. Stay... just for tonight. Please."
Roxanne looked at her little sister before answering softly, "I don’t think Mother would agree."
"Don’t worry about her."
Mila shot a cold glance at the woman, who was still sitting frozen on the floor.
"She won’t say a single word."
She tightly held Roxanne’s hand, her eyes glistening.
"I’ve missed you, Roxy. Please... don’t leave like this."
Roxanne found herself torn.
She wanted to stay.
It had been years since she had last returned home, and she wanted nothing more than to spend at least a little time with her sister.
But she also didn’t want to go against Luke’s decision.
After a moment’s hesitation, she turned toward him, silently entrusting the choice to him.
"Mm..."
Luke rubbed the back of his head with a quiet groan.
Then he looked at Mila.
"You promise we won’t have to see her until we leave?"
Mila nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"Yes. I promise."
Luke let out a quiet sigh.
"Fine."
"We’ll stay the night."
The moment those words left his mouth, Roxanne’s lips blossomed into a warm, relieved smile.
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