Chapter 34: Under the Moon

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Under the Moon

Everything wrapped up better than Mars had expected. He’d braced himself for one more catastrophe — maybe an episode or two courtesy of his delightful wives, one that would leave him kissing death squarely on the lips — before it all somehow resolved itself.

But thank the gods, Alice turned out to be crazy enough on her own.

That was when another question unexpectedly surfaced in his mind, one whose answer offered him zero comfort:

’Why am I suddenly surrounded by crazy women who could kill me at any moment? I’ve been living my life like a decent citizen. Which damned god decided to curse me like this?’

Unbelievable, honestly. But Mars had accepted his fate by this point. It would be hard, sure, but he was confident he’d eventually reach a place where he could actually be happy.

For now, though, he needed to be his wives’ caretaker and personal psychiatrist.

[Such a noble duty, Consort Fox.]

’Can you just shut up?’ Mars snapped inwardly, wandering through the small garden on the first floor, ground scattered with green and blue flowers.

A few meters from the garden sat the pool, beautifully kept and pristine.

He stopped, tilted his head up, and noticed the sun had already slipped away, the moon claiming its place. Silver moonlight washed over the world, soft and gentle, like a mother’s touch in the dark.

Mars wore black shorts and a white shirt, letting the wind brush softly across his face, savoring the breeze.

He breathed in deep, recalling the discussion he’d had with Alice earlier, and shook his head slowly.

’She was so thrilled about living in this luxurious house. Fine by me. She promised to handle the cooking and cleaning. Thank god, because I was starting to question my entire existence at the thought of managing that alongside the women.’ He tilted his head. ’Still, I need to teach Willow, Moon, and Solaris how to cook and clean eventually. I need the system’s rewards, and it’s a decent excuse to get closer to them.’

Settled, then. He’d teach them anyway, under the excuse: ’Alice could die one day, not that I want that, but who’ll cook for you then? Get up and learn.’

[We believe, Consort Fox, that ’it’s for when you’re stranded alone in some random Warren and need to cook for yourself’ would land better.]

’That’s far too reasonable.’ Mars smiled. ’My wives don’t do reasonable. They’ll argue, and I’d rather avoid that. So let’s go with the premise that Alice is dead. They seem to enjoy killing, after all.’

[...You’re settling into your new life quite well, Consort Fox.]

’Had to,’ Mars replied, chuckling dryly to himself.

The system said nothing further, and neither did Mars. He stood in the garden, savoring the peaceful quiet, mapping out his next steps.

He’d keep training with Solaris. The Food Serum would come together eventually. With money in hand now, gathering the ingredients would be far simpler.

The only remaining problem was the Holy Water, but he’d deal with that in three days.

As for the drugs, Moon wanted to use them for money. Solaris was against it. Willow stayed neutral, though she leaned more towards Moon’s side.

Alice thought it was dangerous. Especially given the Reds were a mafia so powerful even the Rightful Guardian couldn’t move against them.

But that exact danger was precisely why she wanted in on it.

Mars genuinely wondered what was wrong inside that woman’s head.

Solaris’s objection ended up overruled. She wasn’t happy about it. She cursed at all of them and stormed off to her room.

Classic Solaris, at this point.

’Drugs, huh,’ he mused, gazing up at the starry sky. ’I’m digging myself deeper into a side of this world I never imagined stepping into. A side my mother warned me about.’

He smiled sadly, his mind drifting back six years, to when his mother was still alive. When she used to tell him never to sell his body for money, never to touch illegal substances or gambling.

She said it often enough that the words had become woven into who he was. It was exactly why he never gave in whenever Melinda pushed him towards being a gigolo, or anything else along those lines.

Mars had once asked her why, curious. After all, she’d done exactly that. Sold her own body for money. Why couldn’t he?

’Because I have you,’ his mother had said. ’You, Mars Fox, my son. Taking care of you is my duty. One I intend to honor, even if it means dishonoring myself.’

’What about Father?’ he’d asked, innocent but with an edge of pain. ’How would he feel, seeing you do this?’

’I carry that thought with me every single day, Mars. It tortures me enough already. You’re young, only 12, you can’t understand yet. But I’m a mother. Your mother. I want you fed, hydrated, clothed, able to play like other children.’ Her eyes would well up every time she said this. ’I want you to have a normal childhood. Forgive me for choosing this path, but it was the most accessible one for women like me. Forgive your mother, and forgive yourself for being the son of a whore. And don’t fight for me.’

’I will fight for you, Mother. I will.’

Then she’d cry, hug him tight, and keep apologizing, over and over and over.

A few months later, she died of lung cancer. A disease she’d known she had, but never treated, because she needed every euro to take care of him instead.

As those memories surfaced, Mars’s eyes blurred, the world blurring right along with them.

He lowered his head to wipe the tears away, only to sense a sudden presence beside him.

Startled, he snapped his head towards it and found Moon, wearing a nightgown that barely reached her thighs, hair pulled into a tight chignon, her purple eyes glowing almost mystical under the moonlight.

She studied him seriously, no smile this time, clearly noticing his tears.

Mars quickly wiped them away, forcing a wry smile,

"You scared me so bad I shed tears. Damn, Moon," he joked.

It didn’t land. Moon didn’t smile back.

She kept studying him for a few more seconds before finally speaking,

"I was waiting for you to come to my room, sweetheart, but you never showed," she said, stepping closer. "I actually thought you’d gone through with sleeping beside Willow. I was ready to commit murder, you know?"

"Something tells me Willow’s far more dangerous on that front than you are," Mars replied.

Moon smiled. "True. That’s the Rose family for you. But I could always drag her along with me."

"I imagine you’re crazy enough to try."

"Haha." She laughed, standing close now.

Moon and Mars stood roughly the same height, Mars maybe a few inches taller. So face to face like this, their eyes met almost level.

Close enough that Moon could still spot the poorly wiped tear tracks. She reached up, gently wiping them away.

Mars said nothing, though her touch sent his heartbeat racing.

"You don’t need to hide your tears from me, sweetheart," she said. "I’m not the type who sees a crying man as weak. I see a tired one. Takes a lot for a man to cry, doesn’t it?"

He smiled wryly. "I suppose it does."

"Are you tired?"

"Somewhat."

"My offer was serious, you know," she said. "You could sleep on my breasts tonight."

"Is this all just part of the game?" Mars asked, tone genuinely worn thin, mind heavy with everything that had happened that day. "Are you only here to satisfy some need to control me? To make me fall for you? To do whatever you want with me?"

"I am," Moon said, smiling, cupping his cheeks. "I want you to love me. I want you seeing only me. I’m not hiding that, sweetheart. It’s a game. But..."

Her eyes curved like the crescent moon overhead,

"...I don’t like seeing you sad and crying alone out here. I’m your wife, whether either of us likes it or not. I’m here for you, the same way you stood by all of us in front of the Local Protectors. Willow was right."

She pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"You’re the only one who can handle the three of us. Maybe not willingly, not yet. But that’s fine," she winked at him. "I’ll make you mine. And soon enough, you’ll want it too. Now,"

She took his hand, turning to lead him back inside the house,

"Time for bed, sweetheart. Tomorrow we’re discussing the Hunter License. We need to get stronger, and fast."

Mars watched her back, heart pounding unnaturally fast, smiling helplessly,

"You’re dangerous, Moon."

Moon chuckled.

"Right back at you, sweetheart."