The shocked gasps from the mouth of the alley snapped Alex back to reality.
He looked down, william was face-down in the dirt, completely out cold. His two teammates were slumped against the dumpster, their eyes glassy and unfocused.
The uncontrollable rage faded slowly, leaving behind the reality of what he had just done.
His huge wings flapped slightly as he stood up straight, turning his gaze toward the entrance of the alley.
Anna and Ash stood frozen, their faces completely drained of color, their bodies were rigid, and hands trembling slightly by their sides.
'You should blur their memories.' Liza spoke in his mind, she was startled by loss of control, but her concern was more with what Anna and Ash had seen. 'They saw too much.'
Alex didn't move, looking at the two girls standing in the fading sunlight. Despite the terror on their faces, their eyes were locked on him, waiting.
They were terrified, but hadn't run.
"I can't bring myself to do it..." Alex muttered back.
'Well, I expected this~' Liza replied smoothly. 'Your call, but don't disclose any details.'
Alex felt a subtle shift in the air, a wave of energy rolled off his body, guided by Liza's powers, and soothed Anna and Ash.
The effect was immediate, the tension in their shoulders loosened, and the violent shivering in their hands stilled.
Alex stepped over William's unconscious body and walked slowly toward the girls.
As he moved, he focused his mind, pulling the heavy muscles and dark membrane inward. The wings shrank, folding back beneath his skin like they never existed.
He stopped a few feet from the girls, his expression guarded. "It's me. Sorry you had to see that. I lost control."
Alex smiled bitterly, rubbing the back of his neck. He had no idea how to navigate this.
Ash tilted her head, her fingers unconsciously reaching out to touch the torn edge of his shirt. "It's really you, Daddy? What... what are you?"
"I can't share too much right now." Alex said, averting his gaze to the brick wall.
He didn't like keeping things from them, but explaining the incubus life in an alleyway felt impossible. "But I promise I'll explain everything later. I just... I got jumped by these guys and I had to do something."
Anna and Ash peeked past his shoulder, looking down at the ground at the three men lying in the dirty gravel.
"Are they...okay?" Anna asked, pointing at William.
"They're breathing." Alex said flatly. "Just unconscious."
Ash looked closer, recognizing the blocky face. "Wait, that's the jerk William... He's always starting fights. He deserved it!"
"Yeah, he followed me after I left the diner." Alex responded awkwardly.
"Oh yeah! We saw Dane's livestream." Anna said suddenly, stepping closer. Her voice was still a bit shaky, but her curiosity was taking over. "He was screaming about you leaving the party first. We were curious, so we came looking for you."
"But then We saw you turn down here," Ash added, pointing behind her. "Those guys followed you in."
The two girls watched him rub his neck, looking out of his element despite having just demolished three men. They looked at each other, then moved at the same time.
They rushed forward and collided with him. They wrapped their arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. They shoved their faces into his chest through the torn shirt, seeking his warmth.
"You're still my Darling." Anna mumbled into his skin. "I love you. I'm just glad you're safe."
"Me too!" Ash whispered, squeezing him tighter until he felt a slight discomfort. "You'll always be my Daddy. We'll keep the secret, don't worry!"
Alex stood there for a long moment, letting them hold him. They were too accepting despite it being their first time seeing magic and the demonic world.
But it was thanks to Liza and also the bond between them.
The awkward tension in his shoulders finally broke, feeling their heartbeats against his stomach, matching his own. He wrapped his arms around their backs, pulling them closer.
He pulled back from the hug, keeping his hands on their shoulders. "Wait here a second."
He turned and walked back down the alley toward the three unconscious men.
'Well.' Liza chuckled in his mind. 'At least wipe the memories of these pigs, these three can't remember a thing.'
Alex nodded and crouched beside William, placing his hand on the back of the man's sweaty head.
He let a faint of his energy seep into William's mind, planting a false memory. "You got drunk and you picked a fight with your own teammates, then knocked each other out."
He moved to the two guys, pressing his hand to each of their foreheads and planting the same memories.
He stood up, dusting his hand off on his pants.
His eyes drifted to the spilled takeout on the ground. The chicken and rice were ruined, covered in grit and dirty water. The plastic containers were cracked and empty.
He let out a quiet sigh, running a hand through his hair. Just when he wanted to do something nice, and it didn't work out.
He walked back to the girls. "Come on. I'll walk you part of the way."
The three of them walked out of the alley into the fading evening light. The streets was crowded.
Anna walked on his right and Ash on his left. Their fingers were hooked into his arms, holding onto him as they walked.
"So..." Ash said. "You are a half demon? And you have wings and magic!?"
Ash squeaked in the crowded streets as he tried to flatly answer their questions.
"Yeah..." Alex said, keeping his eyes on the sidewalk ahead.
"Can you fly?" Anna spoke, her jaw open in shock and amazement, looking up at him with wide curious eyes.
"Maybe." Alex said. "I haven't really tried."
"This is so cool..." Ash whispered, mostly to herself.
They reached the junction that led toward their apartment. Alex slowed his pace, then stopped turning to face them. "I need to go home tonight. I have a lot to process."
The girls' faces fell, but they didn't argue. They could feel through the bond that he needed some space, and after the conversation, they were relieved.
"Okay." Anna said softly, stepping forward, rising on her tiptoes, and pressing a soft kiss to his lips, her hand resting on his jaw. "But promise you will stay with us tomorrow!"
"I promise," Alex said, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
Ash stepped in next, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss of her own.
She sighed against his mouth, her fingers tracing the back of his neck. "See you tomorrow, Daddy."
"Tomorrow." Alex promised.
They gave him one last look before turning and walking down the path toward the apartment, their eyes warm and devoted, before disappearing around the corner.
Alex watched them go. He stood alone on the empty path, the cool breeze hitting his bare back through the torn shirt. He forgot he was walking with half a shirt.
But he turned and started the walk toward his house. His mind drifted back to the alley. The feel of William's neck in his grip. The way his wings had torn through his shirt. He was getting more powerful, but also uncontrollable.
The line his human side and his demon side was getting thinner.
'You know, those pigs got exactly what they deserved.' Liza mused in his mind. 'If they were in hell, I would kill them a hundred times, but here it's different.'
'Then why do you sound so serious?' Alex thought back.
'Because of the rules, handsome.' Liza said, her tone dropping its playfulness. 'It's forbidden for hell creatures to kill humans on Earth. You snap a human's neck, and the divine punishment comes down on you fast. I don't give a slight care about these bastards, but I need you alive. You have to learn how to control your temper before it crosses that line.'
Alex shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. 'I understand. I'll be careful.'
A few blocks from his house, he passed a small convenience store. The lights glowed vividly behind the glass windows.
He slowed his pace, glancing inside. He had no nothing to bring home. The takeout was ruined in the alley.
He pushed the door open, the small bell chimed overhead. The store was mostly empty, just a young female cashier sitting behind the counter, looking up from her phone as he walked in. Her eyes traveled up to his face, and her breath hitched. She sat up straighter, her cheeks instantly flushing pink.
Alex grabbed a basket and walked through the narrow aisles. He picked up a bag of mochi, a box of green tea, and a small container of cut fruit.
At the counter, the cashier was a complete mess. She fumbled with the scanner, nearly dropped cash, and avoided making eye contact, her face burning flustered the entire time.
Alex took the bag and left without a word. He was already used to such reactions.
'You really can't help yourself, can you?'* Liza laughed in his head.
'I didn't do anything.' Alex replied flatly.
Alex let out a quiet breath that was almost a laugh. He walked the last two blocks to his house, the plastic bag swinging gently at his side.
He reached his front door and looked down at his shirt. The fabric was torn down the back and stained with dirt, hanging lazily off his shoulders.
He wouldn't walk in looking like this. Janeth would panic, but he was feeling too fatigued to magically fix his clothes
Opening the door and going inside, the house was warm and quiet as the usual.
The living room light was on, casting a soft glow across the hallway. The low noises of a television drifted from the front room, mixed with the faint sound of a woman's voice narrating something.
Alex walked down the hallway, his bare feet quiet on the wood floor, then stopped in the living room doorway.
Janeth was curled up on the couch, wearing one of her new cute dress, her long hair falling loosely over her shoulders.
A thin blanket was draped over her legs. The television was playing some quiet documentary about marine life, the blue light from the screen flickering across her face. Her eyes were half-closed, her head resting against the armrest.
She looked up when she heard his footsteps. Her dark eyes softened with immediate relief.
"You're back." she said, her voice soft and drowsy.
Then her eyes dropped to his shirt. The torn fabric hanging open, dirt smeared across the fabric, sitting up straight, the blanket sliding off her legs. "Alex?! What happened to your shirt? What happened to you??"
"I ran into some trouble." Alex said calmly, stepping into the living room. He set the plastic bag down on the coffee table, he had to be honest to some degree, especially seeing the woman's genuine worry. "Some guys followed me. They picked to fight with me."
Janeth's hands flew to her mouth. "A fight? Are you hurt?!"
"I'm fine." Alex said. "They didn't lay a finger on me, you know me, I'm not easily hurt."
Janeth didn't seem to hear a word, she was already on her feet, rushing toward him. Her hands reached for the torn shirt, pushing the ruined fabric aside to check his skin underneath.
Her palms pressed flat against his chest. She checked his collarbone, his shoulders, his stomach.
She stepped closer, her face inches from his torso, but fortunately, she didn't find any bruises or injuries.
But suddenly, she froze.
She realized how close she was standing. Her palms were flat against his bare stomach. Her breath hitched, a deep blush crept up her neck, staining her cheeks red.
She slowly tilted her head up, her eyes wide and full of embarrassment.
Alex was looking down at her amusedly, his eyes were warm and content, watching the shift in her expression. He didn't step back, nor moved her hands.
The living room turned dead silent except for the low murmur of the television and the shallow sound of Janeth's breathing.
Her fingers trembled slightly against his warm skin, her lips parted slightly, looking up at him with an expression that was no longer panic.
A loss of control...