Chapter 369: Unexpected Hurdle

Kaiden stepped forward with a calm expression adorning his features. He extended his hand toward Alexandra, offering her the same steady presence he had shown countless times before.

The blond looked at it for a long moment. Her lips parted slightly as though she wanted to say something, but no words came. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she pulled away from Nyx’s embrace and took a small step toward him.

Her hand rose, hovering in the air. She tried to reach for his.

But just before her fingers could close around his palm, her arm stopped. A tremor ran through her wrist. Her eyes widened, and horror flashed across her face, looking as if she was betraying herself.

“Huh?” The sound escaped her in a shocked gasp. She stared at her own trembling hand as if it belonged to someone else. “W-Why…?” Her voice broke, and panic laced each syllable. Tears started spilling before she could stop them. “Why can’t I…?”

The moment stretched, raw and painful.

Kaiden didn’t make any drastic motions. He didn’t let offense or pride show on his face. Instead, he simply lowered his hand and stepped back, giving the troubled woman space. At the same time, his expression was that of understanding and compassion, gentle. Then he turned his head toward Nyx and gave a small nod.

Nyx was beside Alexandra in a heartbeat, pulling her back into a hug. Her tone was soft and etched with worry. “It’s alright, Alex. Because of that vile pig, you might’ve grown some hidden distrust for men without realizing it.”

“No!” Alexandra cried instantly in protest, shaking her head against Nyx’s shoulder. “That can’t be! I know Kaiden is nothing like Maximilian! I know he’s a great man! You trust him, and you’re my best friend. I believe in that! I really do!”

Her words tumbled out in a desperate rush, sounding as if she was pleading with the gods themselves to let her touch him.

Aria spoke up next. “You may know it here,” she said, touching a hand to her temple, “but for your body and mind to both accept it… That’s something else entirely.”

Luna nodded in agreement, her tone free of cheekiness, the trait she was known for. “Right. Trauma shows itself in strange ways. It can take logic and twist it into fear. It doesn’t mean you’re weak or that you hate Kaiden, it just means you were hurt very badly.”

“Umm…” Even the Ra-Blessed Felinid made her presence known. Her voice was a bit uncertain, clearly unsure if she should join this conversation, as she was the least knowledgeable about human emotions and tendencies. But when Kaiden reached for her hand and gave it a supportive squeeze, she smiled and parted her lips.

“I think you shouldn’t force yourself to touch Master, or any other man for that matter, if your heart and body aren’t ready. Healing comes first. Everything else can wait. You’ve been through a lot; all of us understand that. Master won’t think less of you.”

As she listened to the opinions of the girls, Alexandra remained clinging to Nyx. Her body seemed far too small in her best friend’s arms. The two should share the same height and similar body proportions, yet Nyx seemed far bigger.

The blond woman’s wide blue eyes flicked nervously toward the three women who had just spoken. Fear glimmered there, not of them, but of herself and the strange, unwanted reactions she was battling.

Her gaze lingered on Bastet the longest. The exotic beauty’s deep bronze skin seemed to shine beneath the bunker’s light, making her a true spectacle. Then there were her feline ears and tail, as if she wasn’t quite the peculiar sight already.

For a long moment, Alexandra studied her, fascinated and unsettled at once, as though the Felinid was something out of a dream.

Then, with hesitant courage, her eyes shifted to Kaiden. He stood calmly, watching her with steady eyes that carried no judgment. No irritation. No disappointment. Alexandra shrank a little tighter into Nyx’s embrace. She searched his face for any trace of anger, desperate to confirm what Bastet had said.

There was none.

“T-Thank you…” she whispered at last, burying her face back into Nyx’s shoulder. “I don’t understand what’s going on with me, but I can tell that something is broken. I’ll work on it… so I may one day shake your hand.”

Kaiden inclined his head. “I’ll be waiting.”

The warmth of the moment hung in the air, easing the tension if only a little.

“Hey, what about us?” Luna piped up, stepping forward with her usual boldness.

Nyx tightened her arms around Alexandra protectively. “Don’t be reckless now.”

But Alexandra lifted her head and locked her eyes on the petite Storm Valkyrie. For several heartbeats, she studied her with her lips pressed together and an expression that was caught between doubt and desire. Then, she gently released herself from Nyx’s hold and reached out.

Her hand slid into Luna’s without the slightest tremor or resistance.

Luna’s eyes softened as she gave the blond’s hand a firm, confident shake. Alexandra’s lips curled into a trembling, wry smile, caught between relief and disbelief at the ease of it and its implications.

Luna nodded to herself thoughtfully. “You’ve never met me, and I’m not exactly the most approachable of women, so I doubt you’ll have reservations against other women. Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that it’s truly a trauma against men. How troublesome.” Then she gave a light shrug. “But well… it’s a lot better than if you couldn’t touch women either. At least this is something.”

Aria stepped forward with a warm smile and a soothing presence. She reached out and gently clasped Alexandra’s hand. “Luna’s right. We have to look at things positively. One step at a time, alright? I’m Aria. I’m so happy to finally meet you. Nyx told us a lot about you.”

The kindness in her tone felt to the troubled woman like a blanket being draped over the raw edges of her fear. For the first time since entering the bunker, the blond allowed herself a small, genuine smile as she lowered her gaze to where their hands touched. Slowly, she lifted her eyes back up to Aria’s face, which was looking radiant, gentle, and entirely unreal to the woman.

“You’re truly the most beautiful existence I’ve met…” Alexandra whispered under her breath. “I heard the rumors and saw you in videos, but seeing you for real… I have no words.”

Aria’s expression softened further, and her lips parted to reply with heartfelt gratitude, ready to assure the girl that she, too, was stunning.

But Luna ruined the moment with a dramatic sigh. “Oh no,” she muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. “I think the trauma turned Blondie into a man-hating lesbo.”

“It did not!” Alexandra snapped back instantly. Her face flushed crimson as her voice snapped with outrage, accentuated with a powerful stomp of her feet. The blond looked genuinely offended by the mere suggestion. “And stop calling me Blondie! I’m a smart blond!”

Luna instantly burst into laughter so bright and carefree that it filled the whole room with warmth. Alexandra’s eyes widened as the realization hit her; she’d been played.

Nyx chuckled, tapping her best friend’s back. “Careful. This gremlin will run over you if you let her.”

The tension broke, replaced by warmth and laughter. Alexandra, now blushing while sending a strong glare toward the purple-haired Valkyrie, quickly found herself smiling wider than she had in memory.

The heaviness on her chest lightened, replaced by something she hadn’t felt in far too long: liveliness.

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