Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 189 She Says No, Then Says Yes

Magnus shot up from his seat, heart pounding, eyes snapping to Cynthia, who was pointing at Ashton in the driver’s seat, screaming in terror.

Not long ago, Cynthia thought both Magnus and Ashton were asleep. Magnus had reclined the passenger seat and was lying down. Ashton, head down on the steering wheel, looked uncomfortable. Once Cynthia felt Magnus was asleep, she kindly reached up to adjust Ashton’s seat, trying to make her more comfortable.

But the moment she shifted Ashton’s body from the back seat, those wide, lifeless eyes locked onto her. Cynthia let out a shriek. Then she saw the military dagger lodged in Ashton’s chest - panic set in. She rushed to wake Magnus.

Magnus turned, gaze falling on Ashton’s body - a pale face, wide eyes full of unwillingness, blood-stained chest. The dagger sank deep in her heart, and beneath her, the seat soaked crimson. She was already gone before they got in the car.

"Shit!"

He cursed and barked at Cynthia, "Stop screaming, sit down!" She shut up fast. She’d been trained for this kind of thing.

"She killed herself? Just ’cause I pinched her thigh? Seriously?"

Cursing under his breath, Magnus activated a Life Crystal. His right hand started giving off a pale white mist. Cynthia had seen him use this ability before, so she wasn’t too shocked - but reviving a corpse?

He didn’t worry about modesty as he stripped down Ashton’s top, slicing through her undergarments with a knife. He yanked the blade from her chest; no blood sprayed - the heart was still. Just a slow ooze.

His hand swept over her chest, the white mist seeping into the wound, mending tissue, sparking blood flow.

Minutes passed. Sweat beaded on Magnus’s forehead - not from effort, but frustration. It didn’t take this much when he saved Alex.

Ashton’s body slowly grew warmer. A pulse. The heart kicked into gear again.

The corpse-like paleness faded. Her skin took on color. Maybe Cynthia found those lifeless eyes too disturbing earlier - she had shut them. Now her lashes trembled. Cynthia jumped, hand flying over her mouth, biting back words. Magnus had told her to stay silent, and she obeyed.

Then Ashton’s eyes opened.

Relieved, Magnus pulled his hand back. The white mist vanished. He didn’t say a word, just let her rest.

In his heart though, he made a promise: from now on, no more mixed signals. No more flirtations. Saving her cost a third of a Life Crystal and gnawed at his conscience.

Not worth it.

Ashton lay motionless, staring blankly at the car’s ceiling. She knew what had happened. Last time Magnus brought someone back - Alex - she’d been there. Two fat teardrops slid from the corners of her eyes. Maybe her eyes were just big, but those tears - bigger than most - clung stubbornly before falling.

She hadn’t pulled that dagger on impulse. No, she’d thought it through, wrestled with everything inside -

She’d spent the whole day in the truck sorting out her thoughts. Her relationship with Magnus? That was a mess no one could explain clearly. Deep down, she knew the truth. She didn’t really resist the idea of getting close to him - physically, emotionally. Not just because he saved her life, though that counted.

He’d rescued so many women, pulled them out of hell, shielded them when no one else would. That... that made him feel like a hero.

He led the team with steel but never yelled at the women under him. Always calm, always kind. Even when the women teased him, he just smiled - never once angry. He had a charm that drew people close without him even trying.

Young, sure, but calm under fire. Cruel to enemies, but gentle with his own. Everything in the team, big or small, he handled himself. He was the kind of man who made people feel safe.

Young, tall, nice-looking... and then all those other things. In this damn world, what woman wouldn’t feel drawn to that?

And he saved her. If not for him, she’d have ended up the same as all the other women - used and broken. That thought alone -

Honestly, her resistance was crumbling. If not for her husband...

Truth was, her marriage hadn’t been perfect. Fights, money problems, yelling to her girlfriends about what a jerk he was, how he ogled other women...

Still, when chaos hit, he died screaming at her to run while those monsters tore him apart, right there in Ironvale County. That memory was seared into her.

So she was torn. On one side, this man who made her heart ache. On the other, the last moment with her husband - his voice screaming for her to live.

Living was exhausting. Just too damn heavy sometimes. Some voice inside whispered - lift the blade...

*****

"I just wanted to die... Why did you bring me back..." Ashton murmured, lying limp in the driver’s seat, tears streaming down her face.

Looking at her, Magnus couldn’t bring himself to scold. He brooded for a while, then finally said, "What happened earlier... that was me acting without thinking. When we get back to the underground grain depot, I’ll explain to everyone. I’ll assign you to work with Liana on logistics."

The moment she heard "logistics," Ashton felt something twist in her chest. After dying once, her mind was clearer now. What happened earlier... it wasn’t really like what she thought. The first time, he just missed a gear and accidentally grabbed her leg.

The second time - she hadn’t buckled up, and when the truck jolted, he threw his arm out to keep her from smashing into the dash. That’s why his hand brushed her chest.

That was it. Nothing more.

And yet, she’d twisted everything in her head, let it spiral until she picked up that knife... thinking death would give her some twisted peace, preserve her so-called dignity.

But what about him?

Back at Ice Regiment, people would think he tried something and she’d killed herself to escape. His reputation would be trashed.

Had she been too damn extreme? Too blind?