Refusing My God’s Advances

I left Aria and Mary, heading back over to Shelli who was already grilling meat over a fire. She smiled at me as I walked over, and for some reason that made me feel better. 

To her, I would have just disappeared before, and she probably wouldn't even know that we had gained another party member. I didn't like the idea of adding another guy, especially one that was that good-looking.

"Leon! Are you hungry?!" Shelli asked excitedly, and I returned her smile, accepting the cooked meat she offered me.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks, Shelli," I said, taking a bite of the perfectly grilled meat. It was delicious, and Shelli beamed with pride.

"I'm glad you like it! I wanted to make something special for you," she said, blushing slightly.

I chuckled. "Everything you make is special to me, Shelli."

As we sat by the fire, Lyra and the demon males were busy setting up makeshift beds and arranging the supplies. It seemed like they were getting along well, and Lyra was giving orders with a commanding yet friendly tone. The demons seemed to appreciate her guidance.

"So, what's the plan now?" Shelli asked, sitting next to me.

I sighed, looking at the entrance of the Crystal Cavern where Mary and Aria had disappeared. "Honestly, I have no idea. I didn't expect another guy to show up, especially not one with a connection to Aria. Mary seems to have her own agenda, and I'm just trying to figure out how to navigate all of this."

"Another guy?" Shelli asked with some confusion, and I explained what happened.

Shelli flipped some of the meat and then looked back at me. "I don't think you have to worry about him if he is a disciple of Mary's. While I agree that they seem to have hidden agendas, I don't think they are meant to negatively affect you."

"That's what I'm hoping for," I replied, taking another bite of the delicious grilled meat. "But it still feels like there's so much I don't know about this world and the people in it. Mary and Aria have their own secrets, and now this Daryle guy shows up out of nowhere."

Shelli nodded, her wings swishing behind her. "It's a complicated situation, but I believe in you, Leon. You've already shown that you can handle tough challenges."

I smiled at her, appreciating the vote of confidence. "Thanks, Shelli. I just was hoping that things were going to be a lot more casual. I have plans, but I feel like I have to keep changing them every time I relax."

Shelli smiled and then took my hand in hers. "I am sorry to tell you, but this world is very unbalanced currently. You also have the title of Hero, meaning that you are going to draw attention no matter how much or little you do, but I believe in you. I know you like to pretend you are lazy, or you don't care, but I can see that isn't the truth!"

"No, I care about you, and the other girls... I guess the demons as well," I sighed, and a cold voice spoke from behind me.

"Yes, and that was your choice. Did you come over to her to complain about me already?" Mary asked as she came to sit down beside me.

I turned my head to her with an annoyed look but then frowned as I looked around. "Where did Aria go?"

"To go talk with Daryle," Mary said casually, and my eyes locked back on her, feeling my heat start to rise.

"Do you really like me that little that you would try to push her away from me?" I asked, keeping my voice level, but Mary just scoffed at me.

"I would not push her toward any man, ever. If I can do anything, it will be to show the princess that you are not as great as you seem to be!" Mary retorted, and I looked back at the fire.

The fox woman was probably telling the truth. I also didn't want a woman who flopped around between men without making a choice. Aria seemed like she liked me, but it was stupid for me to try and control her.

Letting out a long sigh, Mary stood up. "Just to make your fragile little heart feel better, I will tell you this much. Princess Aria doesn't like men weaker than her. She might look like someone who needs to be taken care of, but I took her from our kingdom to keep her from destroying it. I will not explain what that means, but take it as food for thought for the next time you question her loyalty to you." 

I sat there, processing Mary's words. There was a lot more going on with Aria than I had initially thought. It seemed like I was constantly being thrown into situations I wasn't prepared for.

"Leon, don't let Mary's words bother you too much. She has her own way of expressing things," Shelli said, gently squeezing my hand. "Aria cares about you in her own way. Just be yourself, and things will work out."

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "You're really good at seeing the best in people."

Shelli smiled sadly. "That is because I am all too familiar with what the bad looks like, so I prefer to look at the good instead."

I now understood what she meant, but for some reason, that got me thinking about the mark of love. Things between Shelli and I had gone through many stages today, but I was just glad that we figured out a way to fix it all... a pretty simple way.

The only problem with this simple way was that I had no experience at all. I mean, I had watched videos, and seen how it was done, but I was always in the back seat, per se. All I had to do to break Garland's hold, and I would be able to fully trust Shelli.

I just had to walk up to her and be like, let's have sex... No. Would you like to have sex? No. We should do it so we can trust each other! No!

"Leon?" Shelli asked, and I flinched, putting my arms up in surprise as I felt my face get hot. 

"Umm, yes?!" I asked, only mostly panicked.

"Are you okay?" She asked, and I let out a long breath.

"Just thinking about tonight," I breathed out, and Shelli looked away with a blush.

"Just so you know... This will also be my first time..." Shelli explained shyly, and I perked up. 

I mean, I assumed as much, but hearing her say that did make me slightly better. Also having her know what I was talking about told me that she must be thinking about tonight as well.

"Yeah, I can't lie. I am pretty nervous," I laughed softly, and Shelli took my hand with a smile.

"Let's go check on everyone, and then we can get into bed! We can stay in the Golem cave... by ourselves tonight..." Shelli said slowly, her face much redder, and then she pulled me to go see Lyra before I could answer.