Chapter 93: First pillar

Stefan's POV

The System chimed, soft and a little too pleased with itself.

[MISSION COMPLETE — Protect Jonquil]

Rewards received: +50 EXP, +100 AP, Random Chest

I gave the notification the barest nod. The chest could wait, I would open it later. I had a bigger problem standing in front of me looking like she had just been caught committing a crime against her own self-control.

I reached down, grabbed Jonquil's wrist, and pulled her up off the furs. She came up without resistance. I pulled her straight into my chest and wrapped both arms around her hard, one hand sliding up into that thick dark hair so she had nowhere to look but at me.

Then I put my mouth right next to her ear and dropped my voice.

"Listen to me carefully," I began in a mutter.

"You are not getting rid of this ache. Not with a wooden rod. Not if you tried to carve it out with a blade. I put that feeling there. That means I'm the only one who gets to handle it."

Jonquil's breath hitched against my collarbone. I loved the reaction I was getting from her just with my voice. I kept my voice low and rough as I continued;

"I'm responsible for you now. Every time that ache starts chewing on you, you come to me. You don't try to fix it yourself. You don't try to kill it. You bring it to me and I'll take care of it. Day or night. That's the deal."

She pulled back just enough to meet my eyes. Those gold irises searched my face like she was looking for the trick. Then she pressed her palm flat over the center of her chest.

"And this one?" she asked. Quiet. Almost careful. "The ache here?"

I covered her hand with mine and pressed down, holding her there.

"Especially that one. That's mine too. Nobody else gets near it. Nobody else would know what to do with it even if they tried."

Wasn't that true? Would it be a Bound doing that? Of course not.

Jonquil swallowed hard enough that I heard it.

The System, of course, chose that exact moment to start showing off.

[JONQUIL — RELATIONSHIP INTERFACE UPDATED]

Desire: 100%

Affection: 100%

Trust: 100%

Loyalty: 100%

I felt the smirk crawl across my mouth before I could stop it. Every single bar slammed to the top. Clean. Perfect. Mine.

I leaned in again until my lips brushed the shell of her ear.

"You probably don't get how big this is yet," I murmured, "but you're my first woman on this entire planet. My first girl. That spot doesn't get erased and it doesn't get given away. That means something."

The beast insight updated; [JONQUIL'S CURRENT MOOD: Pleased]

I glanced at the Beast Insight tag, then back at her face.

"When you're with me," I said, "I want the real version. Not the locked-down warrior face. If you're pleased, show me."

Jonquil nodded once. "I am pleased."

"Then smile."

She did.

It was small and a little awkward, like her face wasn't used to the shape, but it was real. And it did something stupidly warm to the inside of my chest that I decided not to examine too closely.

Then the System really lost its mind. It erupted with lots of messages at the same time;

[CONGRATULATIONS]

Host has successfully recruited his first official harem member.

Jonquil has been designated: First Pillar.

[REWARDS]

+500 EXP

+500 AP

+100 Miracle Authority

[NEW PASSIVE UNLOCKED — SHARED BOND]

Host now shares a permanent bond with locked harem members.

[NEW INCUBUS ABILITY UNLOCKED]

Dreamwalking — Level 1

Host may enter the dreams of his locked women. Emotional manipulation not available.

[NEW ITEM ADDED TO INCUBUS SHOP]

Pleasure Device I

Enchanted consumable. Affects both Host and chosen woman.

Cost: 50 AP per use. Single-use.

I read every line, letting the numbers and the new shiny abilities sink in. Five hundred AP. One hundred MA. A dream-walking skill. And some kind of pleasure item that apparently worked on both of us.

Not bad for a day's work.

Actually, it was better than not bad. It was the first time the System had given me something that plenty.

I looked back at Jonquil - still standing in my arms with that tiny smile lingering and I felt a hot, possessive thrill roll straight down my spine.

"We're celebrating," I told her.

"What are we celebrating?"

"Don't worry about the details, sweetheart. Just keep up." I glanced at the cottage door, then back at her. "I'm sleeping here tonight. That going to be a problem?"

She opened her mouth. I didn't let her answer.

"Actually, forget I asked. You are going to hide me if anyone comes sniffing around. I'm not done with you yet." I reached down, snatched the wooden rod off the furs, and tossed it across the room so it clattered against the wall. "That thing doesn't get to touch what is mine. From now on the only thing that learns how tight and wet you are is me."

Jonquil's eyes darkened. She nodded. Then I dragged her in and kissed her.

It wasn't soft. It was hungry and messy and full of the leftover adrenaline from thinking she was in real danger. I kissed her like I was trying to crawl inside her mouth, one hand fisted in her hair, the other gripping her ass hard enough to pull a quiet, needy sound out of her throat.

Jonquil made a small broken noise and kissed me back just as hard, her fingers curling into my clothes like she needed something to hold onto. Every time I nipped her bottom lip she answered with a softer, wetter sound that went straight to my cock.

I walked her backward until the backs of her knees hit the furs, never giving her room to breathe properly. By the time I finally pulled back just enough to see her face, her lips were swollen and shiny and her breathing had gone uneven.

While I still had two brain cells left, I opened the new shop, bought Pleasure Device I, and crushed the vial between my teeth. Sweet, strange heat slid down my throat. I bought a second one, tipped her chin up with my thumb, and poured it into her mouth. She swallowed it without hesitation, her throat working under my fingers.

The effect hit faster than I expected.

And it was not what the description had led me to believe.