Chapter 10
Touji
I stumbled into the tiny bathroom, legs still shaky from the intense encounter with Agnes and Zan. My reflection in the cracked mirror looked thoroughly debauched — my hair was mussed, my face glistened with sweat, and my cock hung limp and spent between my legs, still slick with cum and his natural lubrication.
Perhaps I needed to look for the cufflinks that magically kept my appearance neat. They were in the pocket of my slacks, I thought, which were out in the main room of the chalet with Agnes and Zan.
I needed a break from Agnes and Zan, needed time to process what had happened.
Thankfully, the chalet had running water. There was a small windmill behind the house, which might have been powering the system, but I wasn’t sure. I turned the knob for the sink and a torrent of icy water poured out. I hissed as it hit my overheated skin. Apparently, there was no water heater.
“Fuck, that’s cold!” But I supposed I should have been be happy to have a flush toilet and a sink to wash up in while stuck in such a rural, remote setting.
I made quick work of cleaning up, trying not to dwell on the mechanics of what had just transpired. The chill helped clear my head a bit, at least. I dried off with a threadbare towel and stepped back into the main room, where I’d left my clothes. I was naked in front of them again. It was becoming a habit.
Agnes and Zan lay tangled together on the bed. She looked like a goddess, with her lithe, slender form, golden skin, and flowing hair. And he looked like the devil next to her, his skin an unnatural black color, darker than any human skin tone, and shot through with the occasional glint of fiery red, as if he was made of molten lava that was only just cooling.
His long cock lay limp and spent against his stomach. My breath caught at the sight. I averted my eyes before they could catch me gaping, searching for my discarded clothes and yanking them on in jerky motions.
I couldn’t believe my attempt to taunt Zan with sexual temptation had gone so far off the rails.
“Everything alright, Touji?” Agnes called, her voice husky with satisfaction.
“Fine.” I yanked on my pants, wishing I’d had the foresight not to discard my underwear in the snow. “I just need some air.”
I grabbed my phone and slipped out the door into the crisp night. The clouds had cleared, and the stars blazed overhead, impossibly bright against the inky sky. I inhaled deeply, savoring the sharp scent of pine.
Focus, Inoue. You don’t need anyone, especially not them. That was a fun, super hot fuck, nothing more.
I checked my phone, grimacing at the weak signal. There was one new message from Anya, and that was worrying. I hit dial, pacing as it rang. I tried my best not to think about Agnes’s breathy moans. Or Zan’s massive hands. Or-
“Inoue. What the hell is going on?” Anya’s clipped tone snapped me back to reality.
“What do you mean? Everything’s under control here, boss. No need to worry.” I winced at how unconvincing I sounded.
“Really?” Her skepticism was palpable. “Because I’m looking at your location, and unless demons have taken up alpine skiing...”
I groaned internally. She was tracking me. “It’s a long story. But I promise, I’ve got it handled. You can trust me.”
There was a long pause. “I hope so, Agent Inoue. A serious problem will be a permanent black mark on your career. Alpha team is back, so if you need backup, just let me know. You’d better have both of those demons out of the Earthly Plane ASAP.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Both demons? I wondered where the second demon was, but I couldn’t ask her what she was talking about, because then Anya would know that I did not, in fact, have it all under control. Instead, I was spending my time buried balls deep in one demon, while apparently a second ran free, likely wreaking havoc on humanity.
“Once we found out that Sam’angthikoth crossed over with Zangraxath the Destroyer, we knew there was trouble.”
“I’m well aware of that,” I lied as my stomach dropped. Sam’angthikoth was a well-known troublemaker, a mischief demon with a penchant for ridiculous pranks.
“Yes, Touji. Tell me you have them both contained. Zangraxath was on a forced hibernation, a plea agreement for some trouble he got into with humans the last time around.”
“What kind of trouble?” I asked.
“It’s not important. What’s important is that he still has time left in his sentence, and we’ll be forcing him back into hibernation when he returns.”
Forcing him back into hibernation?
“You sent me out alone to chase two powerful demons, one of whom is in forced hibernation?” I swallowed hard, staring at the quaint chalet where Agnes and Zan were probably still tangled in each other’s arms.
“His crimes weren’t dangerous or violent, more a violation of the human moral code at the time. It’s just how things are done.”
As much as Zan irritated me, the thought of him being punished for no reason was revolting to me. His fun, vibrant personality would be forced into silence and stillness, just because it was how things were done. It made no sense.
“Of course,” I lied smoothly, surprising myself. “Everything’s under control. There’s just been an… issue with the portal. It glitched and sent us all here.” My hand slipped into my pocket and my thumb skimmed over the timepiece, like I was rubbing it for good luck.
“Fine,” Anya replied, but I could hear the doubt in her voice. “Keep me updated. Call on Harold if you need help with the portal.”
As I hung up, a chill ran through me that had nothing to do with the mountain air. What the hell had I gotten myself into? And more importantly, where was this other demon?
“Everything’s fine,” I muttered to myself, pacing in the snow. “I’ll just... clean this up. Get them back home. Easy peasy.” But as the words left my mouth, I knew I was full of shit. I had no clue how to handle this. Agnes had a sister in Yarrow Creek. Maybe we could call her again and find out what she knew. Agnes and Zan seemed to both believe the sister was the one who had summoned Zan, after all.
Defeated, I trudged back to the chalet, snow crunching beneath my feet. The warm glow from the windows should’ve been inviting, but it just made my stomach churn. I pushed open the door, and the scene that greeted me made me want to turn right back around.
Agnes and Zan were curled up on the bed, staring into each other’s eyes like lovesick puppies. The air practically crackled with their connection. And just like that, I was back where I always landed, as the outsider. Not quite a kitsune, and definitely not human. There was nowhere that I fit in. For a fleeting moment, I’d thought… I glanced at Agnes and Zan, feeling a little sick.
They looked like they were crazy about each other, and there was no space for a third in the way they were looking at each other. They seemed bound for life by the intense sex we’d had, and I… well, I was just there to fuck them.
I yanked open a cabinet, grabbing the first snack I saw—a bag of trail mix. As I tore it open, spilling half the contents on the counter, I could feel their eyes on me.
“Everything okay, Touji?” Agnes asked, her voice soft and concerned.
I shoved a handful of nuts and dried fruit into my mouth, buying time. “Peachy,” I managed around the mouthful. “Just peachy.”
Agnes slid off the bed, her blonde hair catching in the firelight as she padded over to me. She perched on the rickety stool next to mine, her blue eyes wide and hopeful. “Hey,” she said, her voice soft. “I was thinking... maybe we should stay here until the snow melts? It’s cozy, and we could use the time to figure things out. Maybe Zan’s magic will come back on its own.”
The timepiece weight heavy in my pocket, and she glanced down at my hip as if she knew my secret. But she couldn’t.
Turning away from her, I gripped the edge of the counter, willing myself to focus. “We need to get to town at first light,” I snapped, harsher than I’d intended. “This isn’t a fucking ski vacation.”
Agnes recoiled like I’d slapped her. “I... I thought—”
“Well, don’t think,” I cut her off, immediately regretting my words when her face fell. Guilt churned in my gut, mixing unpleasantly with the trail mix.
“Come now, Touji,” Zan’s deep voice rumbled from the bed. “No need for such harshness. Why don’t we all snuggle and get some rest? It won’t be morning for quite some time.”
I turned, catching sight of Zan’s muscled form sprawled invitingly across the sheets. His golden eyes glinted with mischief, and I felt a jolt of... something... race through me.
“Thanks, but I’ll take the couch,” I muttered, shuffling over to the tiny sofa. It was barely big enough for a child, let alone my six-foot frame.
Zan chuckled. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll be miserable there. Come, let me warm you up.” His voice dropped an octave. “Or perhaps you’d like a repeat of earlier? I’m always eager to please.”
Images of our earlier... activities... flashed through my mind. I felt my cheeks flush. “I’m fine here,” I insisted, shrugging out of my clothes and shifting into my fox form, curling up into a ball on the lumpy cushions. Agnes reached out, as if to pet me, and I snapped at her, causing her to jump back with a squeak.
She stared at me for a long moment, her eyes wide and searching, then held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, sweetheart. I’ll give you your space,” she murmured.
I tossed and turned on the cramped sofa, unable to get comfortable, wrapping my tails tightly around me for warmth. My mind raced, replaying the day’s events in an endless loop. Some fearsome demon Zangraxath turned out to be. I’d expected a terrifying force of nature, not this... overgrown puppy with bedroom eyes.
As exhaustion finally overtook me, I drifted into an uneasy sleep. My dreams were a chaotic swirl of images — Agnes’s shy smile, Zan’s burning touch, the three of us tangled together in a passionate embrace. I whimpered softly in my sleep, my tails twitching as the visions played out in my subconscious.