After taking a moment to catch my breath, I motioned for Nike to come closer. My eyes pleaded with him, and he tilted his head curiously before stepping toward me.
As soon as he was close enough, I leaned down just slightly and captured his lips in a kiss—one filled with warmth, with passion, with everything I had been holding back. I poured my emotions into it, letting the heat build between us.
For a brief moment, my crazy little imp tensed in surprise. Then, just as quickly, he melted into my arms, his usual cocky bravado vanishing as he clung to me like he never wanted to let go.
Seconds turned into minutes, the world around us fading away.
Finally, I pulled back, though I kept my forehead resting against his. "I think it's time to check on our guest."
Reluctantly, I stepped away from my imp, his dazed expression making me smirk. But just as I turned, a snicker echoed from behind me.
"Looking like that, I'm sure the tall woman wouldn't want to wake up to a stranger's hard cock looming over her face."
I froze.
Slowly, dread pooling in my gut, I glanced down.
Great.
There it was—my very obvious erection lifting the front of the cloth that was supposed to hide it.
I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "Note to self: don't kiss cute people before doing something important."
Nike cackled behind me, and I shot him a halfhearted glare before shaking my head with a chuckle. Well, too late now.
Still grinning to myself, I adjusted my cloth as best as I could and continued toward the tunnel leading to my core.
Rikka's POV
Pain. Deep, aching pain.
It spread through my body like roots in the earth, twisting into my muscles, making each breath feel like a battle. I was exhausted—bone-deep exhausted—but the sharp scent of stone and earth kept me tethered to reality.
I wasn't dead. Not yet.
Slowly, I forced my eyes open. Dim, cool light surrounded me, flickering against crystal-coated walls. I was in a cave—no, a dungeon.
Memories crashed into me. The hunt. The ambush. That thing that chased me—fur, claws, madness in its eyes. I should have died back there. Why am I still alive?
Movement caught my eye.
A figure stepped into view, walking down the tunnel toward me. He was tall, lean—almost delicate-looking—with pale skin and wild silver hair. But something was off about him.
His eyes glowed faintly, gold and slitted like a beast's. Small, curved horns peeked through his hair, and his ears were long, tapering to points.
Demon.
I tensed on instinct, fingers curling against the cool stone beneath me, but my body refused to move properly. Too drained. Too weak.
He slowed as he approached, his expression unreadable—until I noticed the way he adjusted the cloth around his waist, looking more embarrassed than threatening.
…What?
Before I could process that, he cleared his throat. "You're awake."
His voice was smoother than I expected, carrying an almost lazy amusement beneath it.
I exhaled sharply, shifting my weight to sit up. My muscles protested, my head spun, but I forced my body to obey. If this demon was planning to kill me, I wasn't going to just lie down and take it.
"Where—" My voice came out rough, my throat dry. I swallowed and tried again. "Where am I?"
He tilted his head. "My dungeon."
That didn't answer anything.
"Why am I alive?" I pressed, narrowing my eyes.
The demon smirked slightly but didn't seem offended by my tone. "Because I decided not to let you die."
That should have set me on edge. Should have made me feel indebted—or worse, trapped. But right now, all I felt was exhaustion.
I exhaled through my nose, dragging a hand through my messy braids. Fine. I'd deal with the consequences later.
For now, I needed to understand what kind of trouble I'd woken up in.
zazel's POV
"I could help you, miss…" I lifted my arm slightly, rolling my wrist in a small gesture, clearly implying that I was waiting for her name.
"Rikka," she finally said, her breath strained with exhaustion.
I nodded, but before she could say anything else, I pressed on. "Why would you help me?" she asked, her voice edged with suspicion.
I ignored the question and instead got straight to the point. "I don't know you, Rikka, so let me be blunt. You brought a beast here that nearly killed my guide and my mobs. And while I understand you were in danger, we were still forced to intervene—either help you or let you die."
I let that statement linger in the air, watching her reaction. Her tired, golden eyes held firm, but I could see the weight of my words settling in.
"Now," I continued, "I just want to know a few things. If you help me out, I'll help you in return—and even reward you."
She didn't hesitate. "Answer my question first, then I'll talk."
Nike's tail flicked sharply, betraying his irritation. He was about to say something snarky—I could tell—but before he could, I reached out and pulled him back against me, pressing his small frame into my chest.
Thankfully, this served multiple purposes. First, it calmed him down before he could say something to make things worse. Second—and most importantly—it ensured that the "problem" I was currently dealing with remained concealed beneath my clothing. The last thing I needed was Rikka noticing that particular… complication.
"I didn't want a beautiful woman to die unjustly," I finally answered, offering her a small grin.
POV: Azazel
Rikka scoffed, but there was the barest hint of a smirk tugging at the edge of her lips.
"So, a demon—who aren't exactly known for their kindness—came to help me out of the goodness of his heart?" Her tone carried amusement, but there was an edge to it, as if it were both a jest and an insult.
I shrugged. "Believe what you want, but it would've been a waste if you bled out on my floor."
She exhaled through her nose—something between a sigh and a quiet laugh—before shifting in place. I could tell she was trying to sit up straighter, but her injuries made that difficult.
"Fine," she said at last, her golden eyes locking onto mine. "Ask your questions."
Nike made a small noise against my chest, likely still annoyed, but at least he was staying quiet. I rubbed his back absently before focusing on Rikka.
"First question, Rikka. What was that thing? It looked like a werewolf, but… as a bear."
She gave me a puzzled look. "Werewolf? I don't know what that is, but that beast was a dire bear. They don't come out this time of the year… but I was foolish."
Nike shifted against me, pressing back a little roughly, likely his way of signaling it was his turn to talk. "Why do you think you were foolish?" His tone was genuinely curious. Being foolish didn't normally lead to life-or-death chases.
Rikka's expression darkened, pain evident in her voice. "I was with two others, gathering wood, food, and plants for medicine—bitter things. We were scouting when I saw a ruin I hadn't seen before. I figured finding some loot wouldn't be the worst thing…" She trailed off. "The dire bear was inside."
She swallowed hard. "I ran. Not because I wanted to, but because they told me to. I was the fastest. If I could make it out, I could warn the others." A heavy silence settled between us.
I exhaled slowly, my fingers tapping against Nike's side in thought. "And the others?"
Rikka didn't answer right away. Her expression remained firm, but her hands curled into fists.
"They slowed the beast you killed long enough for what happened today to happen." She hesitated, then muttered, "When I lost sight of them… I don't know if they made it."
Well. That explained the desperation in her fight earlier. She hadn't just been running for herself—she'd been carrying the weight of her friends' last stand on her shoulders.
I rubbed the back of my neck, sighing. "Damn. That's rough."
Rikka gave me a strange look. "You're a strange demon."
Nike scoffed, clearly unimpressed with my sympathy, but I only chuckled lightly. "I get that a lot."
Shaking off the moment, I moved on. "Now, for my last question before I patch you up and let you rest. Would you be willing to buy a few things for me when I release you?"
The confusion was evident on Rikka's face. "That's an odd request. The answer is no if it's weapons." Her voice was firm, her golden eyes sharp. It was clear she wouldn't change her mind on that.
I waved a hand. "No, nothing like that. I want things like covers, furs—lots of them if you can find any—and maybe a few animals."
That made her pause. A simple enough request, yet her expression shifted slightly, as if wondering why a dungeon would need such things.
I ignored her curiosity. "Now, Rikka, I'm going to help with some healing, then you're getting some rest."
She reluctantly nodded, adjusting herself in an attempt to sit up straight—though her timing couldn't have been worse.
"Now that the talk is over, I can help you, Azazel," Nike said suddenly.
Then he moved away from me.
And because of his sudden movement, my… predicament, which had been safely hidden against his back, was now very much not hidden anymore.
Rikka's eyes widened in shock, her mouth parting slightly in astonishment.
She was no stranger to men, that much was clear, but even she had never seen one quite so large.
I quickly turned away, embarrassment heating my face as I cursed under my breath.
Nike, of course, was laughing his little ass off.
Forcing myself to focus, I cleared my throat and held out my hands toward Rikka. "Let me see your hand. I have medicine—it's sweet and a little sticky, but not anywhere near what my annoying imp just showed you."
She snorted in laughter before finally placing her hands under mine.
A moment later, an orange, viscous substance began forming in my palm, dripping onto hers.
"Rikka, I'm sorry if the medicine seems strange, but make sure to eat it, then get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll let you go home—and no arguing with me on this. I don't know you, and I want to keep my eyes on you until then."
She looked unimpressed but reluctantly lifted the honey-like substance to her lips.
The moment she swallowed, her face twisted in pure disgust.
If it weren't for the sweetness, she likely would have just risked her injuries instead.
Nike smirked, stretching his arms. "Azazel, should we head inside? That monster is mine, and you've shown it off long enough."
I shot back quickly, face still flushed. "I wasn't showing it off! Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have kissed you after the battle."
Nike snickered as he watched me storm off, following close behind with an infuriatingly smug look.