I strolled back to my room with all the urgency of a tortoise, still riding the warmth of my time with Yuki. It was exactly what I needed after my brush with Nyla.
They both ignited something in me—but while my desire for Nyla felt like a wildfire, my passion for Yuki was a controlled flame. One I could tend, feed, and let grow. One day it would burn out of control, too.
I was looking forward to that day.
I looked down at the discomfort in my jeans.
Really looking forward to it.
I collapsed onto my cot. Tired, but not sleepy. Thoughts of the girls wouldn't leave me alone. The warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest was almost uncomfortable. Flashes of Nyla's wild possessiveness and Yuki's reserved passion made sure it stayed that way.
I smiled to myself. I think I was starting to feel genuinely happy that this world had brought me here—that I'd met Nyla and Yuki.
Hell, even Shyara, the rascal.
"Who's a rascal?"
The voice was sweet, feminine, unfamiliar—and yet, somehow, I knew it. We shared too close a connection for me to mistake her for anyone else.
But damn…
She had long, curly red hair, large scarlet eyes, delicate features, and small pointed ears. Her soft yellow-green skin looked warm to the touch. Her curves didn't quite match her petite, five-foot frame, but they were impossible to ignore. The short pink dress clung to her in ways that made it even harder.
She was…
"Adorable," I said before I could stop myself.
Shyara. Newly evolved.
She spun in place, making her dress flutter. "Aww, thanks." Giggle. "You like?"
I swallowed. Hard.
Calm down. It's Shyara. She's like a pesky little sister.
She bent forward, letting her dress slip just enough to prove she knew exactly what she was doing. "You think about doing that with your sister?"
…Fuck. She's in my head.
The system pinged. Our mental link had strengthened.
Why now?
"Duh. It's because…" her voice dropped into something dangerously sultry, "I'm thinking that too."
The poses, the voice—it hit me. She was using my own memories to try and seduce me.
"Whoops. Busted," she said when I glared at her. "And I was so close, too."
I sighed in relief when the act dropped and her usual bratty tone returned.
"You're ridiculous," I muttered.
"Don't think of it that way." She crawled into my cot without asking. "We don't have to be lovers. I believe your world calls it… friends with benefits?"
…My mind screeched to a halt. This can't really be my life.
"You're serious?"
She didn't answer, just smirked—and the system pinged again. Our link deepened, and now I could feel her intent just as clearly as she could read mine.
"That's dangerous," I said.
"That's exciting," she corrected.
Her hand brushed my chest—light, testing. She leaned close, her breath warm against my neck. The air between us was charged.
"Shy…"
"Mhm. I know."
Her grin softened into something more genuine. "We can be something different. Something that works for us."
I stared at her. "Three hours ago you were my annoying kid sister—in my head, anyway—and now you're talking about… this?"
"Exactly. Because we're of one mind now," she said firmly. "And I want you to use me. To help you reach the goal you still haven't said out loud."
I held her gaze for a moment. "Let me think on it."
"…Fine. But at the very least, let me help you relax." Her smile turned mischievous again.
I didn't move when she shifted closer. My pulse spiked, but I kept my voice even. "No sex."
"No sex," she agreed, her eyes glittering like she was already bending that promise in her mind.
She lingered close, letting the tension hang between us like a held breath. The warmth of her body, the weight of her gaze—it was enough to make my thoughts blur.
The system pinged one last time as the bond tightened, her emotions mixing with mine until I couldn't tell where hers ended and mine began.
Yeah. This was a problem.
A problem I might just enjoy having.