Netori Harem: New life as a hunter and gatherer-Chapter 95: Union(1)

"Are you still awake?" Lex asked as he entered the room, leaning on a crutch.

Dalia hummed in response, her back still facing him.

Lex frowned slightly. "Are you still thinking about what happened back then?"

This time, Dalia said nothing, and that silence was answer enough.

He let out a quiet sigh and walked over to the bed. Sitting beside her, he spoke gently, "What are you worried about? It is not like he can do anything to us. He can act aggressive with Caleb all he wants, but against me, he is still just a brat."

Dalia slowly turned toward him. "Do you not think Caleb was in the wrong?"

Lex gave a small shrug. "He was. Shouting at mother was out of line. And if you want to blame someone, you should at least stand on better ground than them. But Caleb has the worst standing in the house. Even father earns a few Toras by helping and advising others."

Dalia pushed herself up and faced him fully. "Lex, I think it is time you keep your distance from Caleb."

He blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"Caleb has developed a grudge against Luke," she said quietly. "And sooner or later, he is going to do something foolish that will trigger Luke’s wrath."

Lex’s brows lifted. "You think I would lose against him?"

Dalia shook her head. "You would not. But you would not walk away unscathed either. Trust me, Lex. I have seen him hunt."

He did not argue. His pride took a small hit, but he knew Dalia well enough to understand she would not say this without reason. Something must have happened during the trip to make her this wary of Luke.

After a brief pause, he asked, "So what do you want me to do? I am not going to take Luke’s side in all this."

"I am not asking you to," Dalia replied. "Just stay away from whatever Caleb has been plotting behind everyone’s back. Right now, he sees you as someone on his side, which means he will try to pull you into it."

She held his gaze. "Just steer clear of whatever he is planning. Let us mind our own lives, like we always do."

A faint smile tugged at Lex’s lips. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her into a gentle embrace. "As you say."

He trusted her judgment. She would have weighed every outcome before saying this, and that was enough for him.

From this moment on, Caleb was no longer someone worth his attention.

....

*Click*

Monica turned and found her son entering the room. His hair was slightly damp, and he wasn’t wearing anything on his upper body.

Her heart skipped a beat seeing those finely carved muscles, those battle scars and the way his whole presence attracted the female inside her.

"That looks good on you." Luke said with a smile as he saw his dearest sitting there, wearing the night dress he gifted her.

It was a delicate silk nightdress that cascaded gracefully to her ankles, the smooth fabric shimmering softly with every subtle movement. Two slender, floral-patterned straps rested lightly on her bare shoulders, leaving the elegant line of her collarbones exposed.

The low neckline clung lovingly to her full, bountiful breasts, accentuating their generous curves while allowing them to swell and spill just slightly over the silky edge in the most tantalizing way. With her hair swept up and away from her face, she looked ethereally beautiful—fragile yet irresistibly alluring, like a vision of soft femininity bathed in moonlight.

In this heat, something like this made her feel like she wasn’t wearing anything.

At his words, she faintly blushed and said, "It’s your choice. It is bound to look good on me."

Luke chuckled softly before asking, "Did you talk to father earlier?"

Monica sighed, her shoulders drooping. Her gaze fell to the ground as she replied, "Yes, Luke... he actually told me to keep my distance from you. Maybe Caleb said something to him, or maybe he overheard us last night."

Luke swallowed the irritation rising in his chest at the thought of Caleb, but he kept his expression steady. Sitting beside her, he gently took her hand in his.

"Hmm," he murmured, urging her to go on. He had sensed something was off the moment he stepped into the house, and now she was finally opening up.

Still avoiding his eyes, she confessed, "I told your father that I cannot live away from you. That I have to listen to your demands since you are the one providing for us... helping us secure our future."

With her eyes trembling and her fingers tightening around his hand, she added, "I told him that I am just taking advantage of you..."

Luke let out a slow sigh. Now he understood why she was so anxious. Being questioned by the old man must have shaken her, forcing her to come up with something believable, something that would not invite further suspicion.

Of course, Luke had been covering the food and rotation fees for his parents, and the extra money he handed over to his father only made it seem more plausible. In that light, it would not be strange for him to make a few demands of his mother.

She had used that as her way out.

"Hey, look at me," Luke said gently, lifting her chin and cupping her cheeks. "Don’t cry, Mom. You did nothing wrong. I do not care if you meant it or not. I do not care about your true feelings for me."

His gaze softened, yet his voice carried a quiet certainty. "Because to me, you are the one person I can never let go of. You are irreplaceable in my life, someone I could never sacrifice for anything."

He meant every word he said. He didn’t blame her, and if anything his love for her greatly elevated by how honest she always have been toward him.

Connecting his forehead against hers, he whispered, "So stop worrying about those trivial things now. I love you, Monica and that fact would never change."

She sniffled before nodding, "I love you too, Luke...a-and not just as a son."

She doesn’t care about customs and society anymore. She couldn’t deny it anymore

The feeling she had for Luke wasn’t mere familial affection.

Sne desired him like a man.

She has thought over it again and again. Tried to deny her feelings for him thinking it was bad, forbidden and people would never accept such kind of a relationship.

But when Luke has been so affectionate toward her, showering her with love and desire, she was bound to forgot about those rules and embrace her real feelings.

Her feelings for her son. Accepting that she saw him someone more than just a boy she has raised.

Luke smiled faintly before he brought his lips closer to hers and whispered, "Then let’s celebrate the night of our union."

As those words fell, his lips connected with hers.

It was a long night ahead and neither of them cared about anyone in the world except for each other.

••••••••

A/N:- This would be probably a passionate scene. Be ready for the steam. And thanks for reading.