Chapter 61: She’s my woman

Ray walked over and scooped her into his arms with one hand.

The two of them made their way out through a ventilation passage at the back of the chamber, following another branch of the air-raid tunnel toward the surface.

Ray kicked open a rusted iron gate that had long since seized shut. Blinding snowlight poured through the opening. The sudden cold made May shiver, and she instinctively buried her face deeper against his chest.

The storm outside had weakened considerably.

On the other side of the collapse, the sound of rubble being moved was still echoing through the tunnel.

Carrying May, Ray followed a narrow path around the side of the mountain and returned to the passage where the others were working through another entrance to the bunker.

Mitch was the first to spot them.

He had been bent over with a crowbar in his hands, hauling away stones. When he caught sight of a tall figure emerging from the side passage, he instinctively looked up.

The crowbar slipped from his hands and crashed onto the ground.

Ray stood at the entrance. A military coat was wrapped around a woman in his arms, leaving only her eyes and the bridge of her nose exposed.

Her eyes were red and slightly swollen, a faint trace of moisture still clinging to their corners. There was something soft and languid about her expression, as though she had been completely exhausted and then gently pieced back together.

Five pairs of eyes immediately locked onto them.

Alex was the first to notice something strange. His gaze traveled from Ray’s chin downward, finally landing on the part of May’s collarbone left uncovered by the coat.

A deep purple mark stood out prominently against her skin. Fresh enough to look as though it had appeared only minutes ago.

Alex’s eyes widened. The faint smile at the corners of his mouth froze into something resembling shards of ice.

Theo didn’t bother looking at the visible marks. Instead, his attention remained fixed on May’s expression.

It was difficult to describe––she didn’t look frightened; she wasn’t flustered.

Rather, there was a peculiar looseness to her entire demeanor, the unmistakable relaxation of someone who had finally let down every last defense.

Her whole body seemed soft and languid, like porridge simmered until it had reached exactly the right consistency.

"Fuck."

In Theo’s entire life, the number of times he had actually cursed could probably be counted on one hand.

This was one of them.

Mitch’s eyes turned red. It wasn’t the red of someone feeling wronged. It was the furious, blood-rushing kind, with his temples visibly throbbing. He yanked the pistol from his waist and pointed it straight at Ray, his entire body trembling.

"You motherfucker—you really did it?!"

"Put it down." Ray’s voice was completely even.

He tightened his hold around May, drawing her closer against his chest before lifting his chin and sweeping his gaze over everyone present.

Finally, his eyes settled on Mitch’s gun. The corner of his mouth even curled upward slightly.

"I was going to pretend nothing happened, but since you’ve all figured it out, I might as well make it clear. From now on, she’s my woman. Which means you can call her sister-in-law."

The words landed like a bomb. The air in the passageway seemed to freeze solid.

"And if any of you dare stare at her for too long, don’t blame me for forgetting that we’re brothers."

Mitch’s gun hand trembled, his index finger resting against the trigger, knuckles standing out beneath the skin.

"Why the hell do you get to decide that?!" His voice cracked with rage. "What the hell do you have that I don’t? Why do you get to be first—why?!"

"Because I’m your big brother." Ray didn’t even blink.

Jack stood at the very edge of the group, still holding half a chunk of stone.

Just as Theo had predicted.

He stood there completely dumbfounded, mouth hanging open, his large round eyes slowly turning red.

He said nothing. He simply kept getting redder. From his eyes to his ears, then all the way down his neck.

Ace leaned against the wall, the amusement gradually draining from his striking eyes.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. Yet the temperature in the passage seemed to drop several degrees, a murderous tension silently spreading through every inch of the air.

Alex crouched in the corner and slowly tore open a packet of biscuits. He did it deliberately slowly. The crinkle of the wrapper sounded unnaturally loud in the silent passage. He put a biscuit into his mouth, chewed it thoroughly, swallowed, and then lifted his head.

His tone was so innocent that it somehow made the words even more unsettling.

"What was that? Sister-in-law?"

May instinctively shuddered in Ray’s arms when she heard the title.

Theo had remained silent the entire time. He had assumed that once Ray came out, he would be able to keep his emotions under control.

The atmosphere in the passage was cold enough to freeze.

Mitch still had his pistol raised, his finger resting on the trigger, veins bulging across the back of his hand.

"Dude, say what you just said again." His voice was low and strained.

Ray kept one arm around May and didn’t retreat even half a step. He merely raised an eyebrow.

"I said she’s my wife from now on."

It looked like the situation was about to explode.

May hurriedly poked her head out from beneath the military coat and squeezed forward.

These men were all her potential love interests. There was no way she could let them start fighting among themselves.

"Wait, wait! We’re all one big happy family here. Put the guns away!"

She reached out and grabbed Mitch’s gun arm. The moment she left Ray’s warm embrace, the icy air of the bunker rushed down the collar of her coat.

May immediately shivered and sneezed twice. A sharp electronic chime suddenly rang inside her mind.

[System alert: Host’s core body temperature has fallen to a critical level. Protective protocol activated.]

[Special item acquired: Thermal Sleeping Bag. Please stay away from everyone else while using it, or they will be trapped inside as well.]

Before May could even process what she had heard, a huge cloud of pink light suddenly appeared in front of her.

A thick, oversized pink plush sleeping bag materialized out of nowhere. With a sudden whoosh, its enormous opening spread wide.

May and Mitch happened to be standing closest together, and the sleeping bag dropped directly over both of them.