Chapter 294: 294: Truth Has a Bedtime
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To explain everything. To navigate the impossible. To survive what no beast ever could. The fury of a wife who waited for her husband but he was busy mating with other women.
Luna’s stare was like it could have split the stone.
Kai had faced predator beasts. He had crawled through many difficulties where time itself trembled. He had fought mutant monstrosities and ripped monsters apart with his bare hands.
None of that prepared him for this.
The woman in front of him was not just angry. She was precise. Controlled. And worst of all, intelligent enough to know that the longer she stood silent, the more it hurt.
Miryam rested quietly in his arms, her weight a familiar comfort, though her golden eyes were no longer sleepy. They were sharp. Focused. Her tiny tail flicked against his arm once, but she said nothing.
She was watching. Still Waiting.
Luna’s voice finally broke the silence. "Once more."
Kai blinked. "What?"
"I want you to say it again. Out loud. How many women did you bring home?"
Kai glanced behind him. Azhara gave him two thumbs up like an idiot. Sha ducked behind Vel, who ducked behind Naaro, who was now whispering to her cactus that maybe they should have come after Kai explained everything to Luna.
Kai cleared his throat. "Twelve."
"Twelve," Luna repeated. "And how many of them are currently looking at me like I am the one who doesn’t belong?"
"That is... difficult to measure."
"How many," she said again, slowly, "did you sleep with?"
Kai’s body tensed. The ground beneath them did not shake. But every heartbeat in a ten meter radius paused.
Even Alka lifted one eye and leaned away like a bird trying not to be involved.
Kai exhaled. "Azhara."
The rabbit raised both hands like she had just won a prize.
Luna’s jaw twitched. Kai continued. "Vel. Sha. Naaro."
The three girls winced in perfect unison.
Luna’s head tilted ever so slightly. "Naaro?"
"She said it would give her visions," Kai said quickly. "And then she asked if we could name the cactus after it. I did not... fully understand."
"And the fifth?" Kai hesitated.
Akayoroi stepped forward. She did not flinch. Did not falter. She simply met Luna’s gaze like the queen she was born to be.
"I asked for him," she said plainly. "And he accepted."
Luna blinked.
Akayoroi did not blink back.
Luna slowly turned her head toward Kai.
Kai tried to smile. It did not go well.
"Context," he said gently. "There was a collapsing colony. Emotional trauma. And I... may have told her I would make her one of my queens."
"Did you?"
"It might have been during... a passionate moment."
"You proposed to an ant queen."
"Technically she is an ant princess."
"Technically I am about to kill you."
Kai straightened. "That is a little harsh."
"I waited twenty days," Luna snapped. "I stood on this mountain every morning. I lit fires at night. I talked to your daughter. I never once gave up on you. My body was screaming for your touch And you... were F*ucking other women. I know you will have many womens. But you should wait until you talk to me. You even F*ucked the one who tried to kill us."
"I fought a five star rank ugly frog," Kai interrupted. "I built alliances. I saved lives. And I lost control when they requested to sleep with me."
" You collected women like eggs in a basket? Those eggs... are those yours?"
Behind him, Azhara coughed. "To be fair, the eggs are these girls’ siblings. They are from the previous queen of carpenter ants."
Kai pointed at her. "Not helpful."
Lirien raised her hand, voice small. "For the record... I did not sleep with him."
Luna stared at her.
Lirien blushed. "I wanted to. But I didn’t."
"Thank you," Luna said with a nod. "You may stay on the sidelines."
Vel peeked from behind Naaro. "It was one time. I mean... one midnight cravings."
Sha nodded behind her. "Same. Just... one time."
"You all mate with him together?" Luna asked.
They both went silent. Then Naaro giggled and whispered something to the cactus. "It was fun. One person can’t handle his big anaconda."
Luna turned back to Kai, arms now folded, her foot tapping softly against the stone. "I thought you missed me."
"I did." Kai replied.
"Enough to sleep with five other women together?" Luna counter.
Kai took a step closer. "I thought I was going to die. It’s four together, not five."
"That’s not the point. You told me you would be back."
"I was wrong. I nearly wasn’t."
"That doesn’t mean you had to do it with all of them."
"Not all," Kai said quickly. "Only five."
Luna narrowed her eyes. Miryam growled again.
"Am I supposed to be comforted by that?" Luna said.
"No. You are supposed to understand."
"Understand what, exactly?"
Kai looked at her, really looked.
"I am not perfect. You know that. I never claimed to be. But I kept fighting because I knew what I had to come back to. You. Her. This mountain. And I would do it all again to make sure I returned. Even if it meant crawling through hell with half the continent hanging on my shoulders. You are my first time. No one can take your place. I haven’t touched them since that one night. I was saving myself for you."
Luna’s glare cracked. Just slightly. "I did not expect this," she admitted. "Not this many women. Not... that one." She pointed at Azhara, who smiled guiltily and waved again. "She tried to kill your daughter."
Kai looked down at Miryam. She blinked once and nodded very slowly.
"She has changed, they were wearing leaves and those big chests..." Kai muttered.
Miryam bared her tiny teeth and hissed. Luna exhaled hard, fingers brushing through her silver hair. "I don’t know what to do with all of you."
"You could banish us," Azhara offered. "Or we could all sleep in the cave for a while and cook for you."