Chapter 379: Grief and assurance

"You really think so?" Luke asked, standing in the inner section of the house.

Roxanne nodded. "Only you can do this for her. Unlike me or anyone else in this house, you can barge into her room, tell her the truth, explain why she doesn’t need to worry, and she would trust your words as though they were the only truth left in the world."

Luke offered a wry smile. "Aren’t you putting a little too much faith in me? What if she kicks me out too?"

Roxanne shook her head. "She won’t. And I know what she must be going through right now. An assurance from you is the only thing I can think of that might help her."

Luke exhaled slowly. He would be lying if he said he disagreed with her.

He was worried about Thea as well. Regardless of her fiery temper and sharp tongue, she had stood by Monica and the others when they were back in the village. Whatever her faults were, Luke knew there was more to her than the harsh exterior she so often showed the world.

"Thea isn’t a bad person at heart. She’s just bad at expressing herself," Roxanne said, voicing the very thought that had been on his mind.

Luke took a deep breath before nodding. "Understood. I’ll go check on her. Meanwhile, do me a favor and go to my place."

Roxanne’s brows lifted. "Hmm?"

Luke took her hand and said, "I don’t want you spending time alone. With Monica and the others there, I’d feel more at ease knowing you’re with them."

Roxanne offered a faint smile. She was about to tell him that she was fine, but stopped herself. After a moment, she glanced around the house and said, "You’re right. I think I need to step out of this house for a change."

Luke nodded before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

Roxanne smiled. "Come soon."

Luke nodded, and Roxanne made her way outside.

Once she was gone, Luke exhaled a quiet sigh and approached the room where Thea had locked herself inside.

Rather than knock, he placed a hand against the door and gave it a slight push.

It barely moved.

A thick wooden stump had been wedged against the other side, blocking the door completely.

Luke glanced at the narrow gap and drew his dagger. Carefully, he slipped the blade through the opening and used it to lift the heavy stump from its position.

Thud.

The stump slid away, and the door finally swung open.

"Ah, wha... why are you here?" Thea asked, startled, as she hurriedly rose from the bed.

Luke slowly pushed the door shut behind him and placed the wooden stump back against it, securing the lock from the inside.

Then he turned toward Thea and folded his arms across his chest. "I knew you wouldn’t open the door if I asked nicely."

Thea narrowed her eyes at him. For a moment, she said nothing. Then she turned away and murmured, "Please leave me alone for the time being. I don’t want to talk to anyone at the moment."

There was no venom in her word just genuine pleading.

However, Luke had no intention of doing so.

He stepped closer and asked, "And why is that?" He came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and gently pulled her against him.

Thea gritted her teeth. "I’ve just lost my mate. Don’t I have the right to grieve his death in peace?"

Her voice trembled despite her attempt to keep it steady. The redness around her eyes betrayed her even more, revealing how much she had cried when no one was watching.

Luke paused before asking quietly, "What has affected you more, Thea? His death, or the fear of what comes next for you?"

Thea flinched.

"Is that even something you should be asking me right now?" she said, her voice strained.

Luke shook his head. "Don’t make it sound as though you’re emotionally shattered because of his death. Yes, you may have been fond of him. He fulfilled your needs and gave you a comfortable, luxurious life. But we both know you never loved him as a man."

His voice softened.

"And we both know you can’t deny that."

Thea’s entire body trembled. She stepped forward abruptly, freeing herself from his embrace, then turned to face him.

Luke was startled by what he saw.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she stared at him, hurt and anger mingling across her face.

"You’re here for this?" she asked, her voice breaking. "To make me feel guilty? To shame me for what I did? To make me feel like a fake because I’m grieving the death of a man I called my mate?"

Her tears finally spilled over.

"Is that why you’re here?"

Luke would normally have snarled or thrown some sharp remark back at her if this had been any other time. But now, he simply reached out and took her hand.

His voice softened. "No, not at all. I am not here to shame you, and you have every right to mourn his death." He paused, then sighed. "All right, I was wrong to phrase it that way. Now, will you please stop crying?"

He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. This time, Thea did not resist.

Luke turned toward the pitcher, poured her some water, and helped her sit down before holding the cup out to her.

"Here."

Thea stared at it for a moment before finally parting her lips.

Luke smiled helplessly and brought the cup closer, carefully helping her drink.

After she had taken a few sips, he said, "I understand that all of this happened suddenly, but you cannot simply lock yourself in your room and leave everyone else worrying about you."

Thea scoffed, her voice slightly hoarse. "Who is even concerned about me? I was afraid Roxanne’s servants would kill me the moment I stepped outside."

Luke tilted his head. "Then why did you keep misbehaving with them in the past?"

Thea lowered her head. After a moment, she admitted quietly, "That’s how I have always been."

She glanced to her left before continuing, "Always saying things that hurt people and making myself appear superior."

Luke hummed thoughtfully. "Well, let me help you realize something. In Roxanne’s eyes, you are nothing more than an immature child who isn’t worth holding a grudge against."

Thea did not seem surprised. She nodded. "I know that. Despite all my attempts, I never truly managed to rile that woman up..." She paused, then looked up at him. "Except for that one time when I mentioned you."

Luke shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You really are a little minx. Stop getting on everyone’s nerves if you want to live a peaceful life. You never know which glass of water might turn out to be your last if you aren’t careful."

Thea froze for a moment, staring at him in silence.

Luke chuckled. "Don’t worry. I have hundreds of different ways to kill you if I ever wanted to." He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Poison would be the least of them."

Thea let out a brief laugh, and for a moment, the heaviness in the room lifted. The tension that had settled between them eased into something almost familiar.

But the silence soon returned.

Thea lowered her eyes, her fingers tightening slightly around the cup in her hands.

"I... don’t have anyone left here anymore," she murmured. "No one who would care if I died today or simply vanished."

Her voice grew quieter.

"Baldon was the only person who ever made me feel like I belonged somewhere. Like I had a place in this world... like I wasn’t unwanted."

Shaking her head, she continued, "But now... I’m nothing but dead weight, someone people would rather throw away."

Her voice trembled as she added, "And I suppose that would be fitting for someone like me."

Luke watched her in silence. From everything he had heard, Thea came from a small village, and Baldon had met her while serving in the Head Tribe.

That must have been why she was so frightened now. Perhaps she feared that people would no longer value her, that she would lose the only place in this world where she had ever felt she belonged.

"What if I told you that you could still have a stable life? A roof over your head, three meals a day, and protection from any threat?"

Thea stared at him, her eyes widening. Then they narrowed as she placed a hand against his chest.

Pushing him back onto the bed, she said, "Even if I have to serve you for the rest of my life..."

No further words were necessary.

Luke was simply following his instincts, while Thea was searching for the warmth and reassurance she so desperately needed.

In that moment, both of them found something they had been missing, and neither felt the need to turn away.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.