How To Love Your Wolf-Demon

Jarel decided the smartest course of action before clarifying what Quinn meant by wanting to do “love” was to get out of earshot of the café patrons.

So he hoisted her onto his back and walked briskly out of the shop.

Only once they were swallowed by the general bustle of the mall did he speak.

“Love?”

She nodded, arms looped around his neck, legs hooked securely in his hands.

“I want to do love.”

He shut his eyes briefly as several very indecent interpretations attempted to surface.

“What do you think that is?”

She shrugged.

“Whatever that pre-marital thing you told me about is. What was it called?”

His heart thudded.

“Dating?”

She nodded eagerly.

“Yes! That one! I want to do that!”

He chose his next words carefully.

“What do you know about marriage?”

She tilted her head.

“How’s that important?”

“Just tell me.”

She hummed thoughtfully.

“Well… it’s what two humans do when they want to stay together for the rest of their lives.”

“Okay. And why do they choose to do that?”

“Because they love each other.”

He blinked.

He hadn’t expected that answer.

“And do you know what love is?”

She pointed at herself.

“It’s what I’m feeling.”

His entire emotional system short-circuited.

“Quinn… do you like me?”

“Of course I do. I’m talking about love.”

He swallowed.

“So… do you love me?”

Her tail brushed lightly against his legs.

“I think I do. I only feel this way when I’m around you.”

He smiled nervously.

“You’re only ever around me.”

She considered that.

“Okay. Then if I feel different when I’m not near you, it’s love.”

“How are you going to test that?”

She kicked her legs lightly.

“Sayang’s cooking lessons!”

He nodded slowly.

“That’s… actually a reasonable plan.”

She tightened her grip around his neck.

“Okay!”

A moment passed.

“Quinn?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know what dating is yet?”

She shook her head.

“Not really.”

He smiled.

“Well… today we went on a date.”

She blinked.

“We did?”

“We still are. It hasn’t ended yet.”

She gasped.

“We’re dating?!”

Several nearby shoppers turned their heads.

“You don’t have to announce it,” he muttered.

“But it’s exciting!”

He sighed.

“I can’t argue with that.”

She giggled, absolutely delighted.

“Do you love me too, Jarel?”

Time stretched thin.

His thoughts scrambled, but the answer was already there.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I do.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

She squealed, tail wagging wildly.

“Yippee!”

She leaned forward until her cheek rested against his shoulder.

“So are we married now?”

His heart skipped.

“I-”

“Or am I missing something?”

He chuckled helplessly.

“You skipped a few steps. But if that’s how you feel, I’m not opposed.”

She frowned thoughtfully.

“What did I miss?”

He tried to organize his spiraling brain.

“Well… we haven’t really dated-”

“But we are dating right now.”

He huffed a quiet laugh.

“We never officially declared it.”

She puffed her chest out - or tried to. All it did was press her more firmly against his back.

“Then we’re officially dating. What’s next?”

He decided not to fight that logic.

“Well… there are a lot of firsts we haven’t crossed off yet.”

“Like what?”

“W-well… things like kissing. And learning everything about each other. And-”

She went still.

“What’s kissing?”

He took a steadying breath.

“It’s when two people press their lips together. That’s the simple explanation. You should probably research it.”

She nodded thoughtfully.

“Okay. And then are we married?”

He huffed a quiet laugh.

“We’d still have to actually get married first.”

“What does that mean?”

He absolutely did not feel like explaining ceremonies, legal systems, vows, and societal structures in the middle of a mall.

“Look it up online.”

She groaned dramatically.

“Aww.”

He grinned.

“For the Demon of Sloth, you’re surprisingly motivated.”

She froze.

“W-what?”

He laughed.

“I’m teasing.”

She relaxed with a sigh.

“Can I tease you too?”

He smirked.

“You ask if you can tease me, but not if you can kiss my cheek?”

Her voice dropped.

“That… was instinctual.”

His smile softened.

“Well. I didn’t mind. It felt really special.”

He wasn’t expecting her to immediately test that permission.

Her lips brushed his ear.

“Does it feel nice?”

His entire nervous system misfired.

“It does.”

So she did it again.

Longer this time.

Experimenting.

He laughed shakily.

“Maybe… not that long in public.”

She pulled back with a small sigh.

“You can kiss my cheek too.”

He nearly tripped mid-step.

“K-kiss your cheek?”

She nodded earnestly.

“I want to know why you like it.”

He swallowed.

“Maybe… when we get home.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

She hummed, satisfied.

“Oh. By the way. Everything I do to you, you can do to me.”

His heart stuttered violently.

“W-what?”

“Like sleeping on your chest. Or lying on your lap. Those sorts of things.”

He was fairly certain he would never attempt sleeping on her chest, but the offer itself made his brain melt.

“Thank you…”

She adjusted slightly on his back, settling in.

A quiet moment passed.

“What are we going to do now?”

He thought. Hard.

Then it clicked.

“Do you want to find out everything about each other?”

She gasped.

“So we can get married!”

He laughed.

“So we can get married.”

She bounced slightly.

“Okay! What does that look like?”

“We find somewhere to sit. And we talk. About ourselves. Everything.”

She nodded eagerly, her tail fighting to upend him.

“Okay!”

His heart pounded.

And he could feel hers doing the same against his back.

Then something shifted inside him.

Up until now, part of him had entertained a lazy fantasy - a powerful demon who would dote on him endlessly, who would cook, clean, cling, obey. A comfortable life handed to him.

But that wasn’t what this was.

She wasn’t a tool. Or a servant. Or a shortcut to indulgence.

She was choosing him.

And he was choosing her.

If this continued… she wouldn’t become his possession.

She would become his equal.

Despite the ears. Despite the tail. Despite the word demon.

A sudden thought pierced through the warmth.

“Quinn?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you here permanently?”

She tilted her head.

“What do you mean?”

“If you were created and sent here… can you be called back?”

She shrugged.

“Of course. Why?”

Something cold settled in his chest.

But his voice stayed steady.

“No reason. Just thinking about love.”

She squeezed him tighter.

“I like those thoughts.”

He had never felt more alive.

And for the first time since meeting her-

He was afraid of losing her.