Chapter 31 - Unusual Treatment

LUNA ASTERBELLE’s POV

My stomach was rumbling as I haven't eaten anything for almost a whole day, I couldn't even manage to find any source of water around this endless maze. And just right when I thought that this would be the last minutes of my life, I sensed a faint aura from the other side of this hedge, which somehow gave me a little bit of hope.

I tried to create a hole through it so that I could just see if there really was someone there, but it was too thick. I made up my mind to head over to the location where I kept on sensing the same aura, then I stopped the moment that I saw him.

“Jerome?”

“You… Why are you here?” Jerome asked as if he didn’t sense my presence just like how I did.

I played with some strands of my hair while looking elsewhere. “I-I got lost, I guess..?” I stuttered since I knew that it was far from the truth.

“So you’re basically telling me that you went here by yourself without knowing that this residence belongs to the Dawsons?” he questioned me with such a cold tone, he didn’t seem pleased with my appearance at all, of course he wouldn’t be. “You probably have no idea how much you’re sweating right now just because of that single lie,” he added.

I tried to laugh, but when I unconsciously met his ferocious gaze, I shut my mouth and became as serious as possible. “S-sorry,” I genuinely said. “I was on my way back to my pack, I didn’t notice that I wandered to this place. I honestly didn't know that I would stumble upon you here."

Jerome let out a loud sigh as if he was tired of me. "You're helpless, Luna. How do you expect me to actually believe that when I know how you've been banished from your pack? There's no chance for you to go back there, and that's the reason why you made yourself think that you're simply lost here," he replied at the same time that he lowered his guard. His shoulders were no longer stiff unlike before. "Your instincts brought you here."

I immediately covered my forearm when he switched his eyesight over there. "I-if you say so... Can't you do me a favor this once? Get me out of this maze," I tried to change the topic.

I wasn't so sure if it was just my imagination but I kind of thought that Jerome was preventing himself from asking me about the mark on my forearm. It's not like he would be interested in it unless he knows about the existence of the Dark Shadow Clan. If ever he had knowledge about the vampires lurking there, I guess he would end up killing most of them.

"You wouldn't have anywhere to go even if I lead the way out here, would you?" Jerome spoke, which was disrupted by thoughts.

I couldn't give him a proper answer so I nodded my head as a form of response.

Jerome gestured to me to follow him, which I obediently did. There's no reason for me to defy him right now, especially now that I can see how vulnerable he was. He has such a large opening for me to strike him, but that wouldn't be beneficial to me anyway.

If I remember correctly, this maze was definitely unescapable. And yet, why am I seeing a mansion built in front of us right now?!

"How..." I cut of myself off to avoid sounding like such a fool. It's obviously feasible for him to get out of that maze since he already mentioned how the Dawsons owned this residence. "What am I supposed to do here?" I asked out of pure curiosity.

"You must be starving. Get in, I'll ask someone inside to serve you," Jerome casually said, then walked away as if he already had the feeling that I wouldn't refuse his offer beforehand.

I had no choice other than to head inside a minute after he went in. And just like what he told me, I was asked to go over to the dining area and they gave me several servings of different types of dishes. Even though I still had a little bit of hesitations left inside me, I surrendered as I could no longer handle this hunger of mine.

Approximately half an hour later after I finished eating, Jerome returned. "How is it?"

"It's... good," I answered with my bowed head. I was unable to meet his gaze as I kind of got shy, considering the fact that he used to bully me before. I didn't even imagine that he could actually be this innocent-looking and be so considerate with his target. "Why are you doing this to me anyway?" I straightforwardly asked.

"Do I need any reason to feed the person who proclaimed herself to be my mate?"

I was taken aback by what he said. "But you rejected me."

"Whether I reject you or not, I still have the decision to do whatever I want with you."

I clenched my fists in realization that I was getting played. "You're still the same in the end, huh..." I mumbled to myself, then raised my head to look at him. He was still expressionless and he still wasn't emitting a lot of aura unlike other people that I've encountered. "If I end up hurting your mother, would you finally come to your senses and beg me for forgiveness?"

Jerome didn't know what to say. He furrowed his eyebrows as he was seemingly agitated as I mentioned his mother again. "You still haven't learned your lesson, have you? I clearly told you the last time that we met, that you shouldn't talk about that sh*tty goddess being my mother. I don't know what kind of drug she gave you for you to be blinded by those words. Any woman out there can claim to be related to me, knowing how much power I hold," he furiously replied.

Watching how his emotions quickly drift, I confirmed that there really was a connection between the moon goddess and Jerome. There's no more doubt about it.

I'll make sure that he would pay for all of the years that he treated me as a mere object.