Chapter 33: Mate?

Luke arrived at the chief’s house and saw Gary deep in conversation with a stranger.

When they noticed him, the chief turned toward Luke and said, “He’ll be working with you. His name is Larry.”

Larry immediately tensed up. “Just as an observer,” he quickly added.

He went on to explain, “I’ll stay at the top of the house. If anything goes wrong, I’ll blow the horn to warn you.”

Luke crossed his arms and studied the man. Thick arms, solid build, plenty of scars that spoke of real experience… and yet he was saying this?

“Just an observer?” Luke asked, one eyebrow raised. “You look like someone who’s more used to being in the middle of the fight.”

Gary gave a tired eye-roll. “An incident took away whatever courage he had left.”

“Hey!” Larry shot back. “At least I showed up to help. That’s more than most of the others can say.”

Luke let out a quiet sigh. “Fine. Just make sure you cover all the hot spots where we could get ambushed.”

Gary gave a short nod. “That’s exactly what I’ve been telling him. Oh — and the chief’s wife asked for you. She wants to see you. Better go meet her.”

Luke fought hard to keep the grin off his face. The chief’s wife was actually summoning him herself.

He didn’t waste a second. He turned and stepped inside the big house.

Things felt different this time. The usual bustle of guards was gone — probably because every able-bodied one had been sent to escort the chief.

Deeper inside, near the main entrance, he spotted her: the familiar black-haired girl leaning casually against the doorframe, waiting.

Her curious blue eyes locked onto him as she asked, “I heard you’re guarding the door tonight?”

Luke remembered her instantly. Rhea, the chief’s daughter. A beautiful woman with a figure like that always left a lasting impression.

He gave her a faint smile. “Rhea, right? Yeah, what about it?”

Her brows lifted at his casual tone, but she didn’t seem to mind. “Aren’t you worried the same thing that happened last night might happen again?”

Luke let out a low hum. “I’m honestly confused what I did to earn your concern, young lady.”

Her eyes narrowed, but the flush creeping across her cheeks gave away her embarrassment.

“Who said I’m worried about you?” she shot back. “I’m just trying to figure out if it’s pride or plain foolishness.”

Luke shrugged. “Either way, I’m getting paid. So yeah, it’s worth it.”

Rhea rolled her eyes and turned away. “Come inside. Mother wants to see you.”

With pleasure, he thought to himself, stepping into the chief’s house for the first time.

Unlike the simpler homes around it, this one opened into a wide sitting area right past the entrance. A tiger skin served as a rug, a sturdy wooden table sat in the center, and low seats were arranged around it.

Rhea guided him to one of the seats. He settled in.

Moments later, a familiar black-haired woman entered the hall.

She wore something different today — a thin white one-piece that clung to her curves in a way that felt almost dangerous. The sway of her thick waist as she walked… damn, she was stunning.

Her red lips curved in a faint, knowing smile. Her dark hair was pulled into a loose bun that rested over one shoulder.

She sat down across from him and crossed her legs with effortless grace. Luke couldn’t stop himself from murmuring, “You have quite the personality, lady.”

Roxanne chuckled softly. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

“The way you dress, the way you carry yourself… it’s impressive.” He meant every word.

Roxanne looked momentarily puzzled about which part had caught his eye, but his sincerity seemed to please her. She simply smiled and let the compliment settle.

The quiet didn’t last long before she spoke again. “I heard you’re going to guard the house tonight.”

Luke nodded. “Yes, I will.”

Roxanne let out a soft sigh, her expression dimming slightly. “After what happened yesterday, I barely thought anyone would be willing to work for us again. But you, Luke… you keep surprising me with your courage.”

Luke leaned back a little. “Well, Gary’s reward helps. There’s temptation there too.”

Roxanne nodded. “Yes, I heard about that. And I promise you — if you succeed tonight, I’ll reward you with something more than what was promised.”

Luke’s grin widened. “I’m already expecting something specific from you, lady.”

Roxanne raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Oh? You asked me to teach you about the farm before… and then everything happened.”

Luke hummed thoughtfully. “I’ll tell you what I want once I succeed. Just know it’ll be something worth waiting for.”

Because one way or another, he was determined to end up in her bed someday.

….

Once he wrapped up his chat with that walking wet dream, Luke stepped out of the house.

The sun was dipping low, almost touching the horizon.

As he crossed the perimeter, he spotted Dart. The guy had a sickle gripped in one hand and a massive hammer slung across his back like he was ready to screw up someone’s whole day.

“All set?” Luke asked.

Dart flashed a weak smile. “Yeah… just had a hard time convincing my mate. She’s quite clingy you see, so it was tough convincing her that I would be fine.”

Luke smirked. “Sounds like you found yourself a good mate.”

Dart laughed, scratching the back of his head. “What about you, though? When are you finally gonna lock down a mate for yourself?”

“Not anytime soon,” Luke said flatly. No official mate — that would chain him down and kill the fun. Right now he had a short list of women he still wanted to have a taste of, and he wasn’t about to sign up for a single partner just yet.

So yeah, staying single and free to fuck around suited him perfectly for the moment.

“Alright then, I will go and check on my family first and then return.”

A long eventful night awaited the two.

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