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"Maybe take over feeding them?" I suggested, and he shook his head.
"I'd probably forget to do it, and then she would hate me even more," he grumbled, making me chuckle.
"Don't worry. She'll warm up to you soon enough," I assured him, though I wasn't sure if she would. Back in the demon realm, Hella, the resident demonhound, had been affectionate with every demon. Sure, she had favorites, but she didn't dislike any of the demons either.
As if summoned by my thoughts, I felt a familiar stir of magic in the living room. Ryk must've felt it too because his eyes widened and he ran out of the kitchen.
Making sure Candy and Moon were eating their food, I followed after Ryk. I was surprised to realize I'd actually missed that crazy dog. We hadn't been all that close before, but she was a connection to the demon realm, and as much as I enjoyed being in the human realm, there were times I felt homesick too.
"Hella! How's my baby doing?" Ryk gushed as he went on his knees and threw his arms around Hella's neck. Hella was big enough that with Ryk on his knees they were the same height, and she woofed softly as she rubbed her head against his, her tail wagging at full speed.
"See? This is how dogs are supposed to act," Ryk grumbled as he pulled away and ruffled Hella's dark fur. Her ever-burning ears twitched as she glanced around, and her tail sped up even more when she spotted me.
"Hey, girl. Did you miss us?" I asked as I scratched her below her chin since it was one of her favorite spots. We hadn't seen her since we moved here, and I was glad she'd shown up when Dakota was out. I had a feeling she could sense when it was safe for her to visit. Either that, or the Otherworlders made sure she couldn't visit when we were around humans.
"Star! Hella's here," Ryk said, and Hella woofed in agreement, as if telling Star to get his ass here.
Because Star was the personification of laziness, he used his magic to appear on the couch instead of taking the stairs, and Hella raced over to him, abandoning Ryk and me.
"Uh-oh, looks like we've lost her," Ryk mumbled, and I tilted my head curiously.
"I didn't think those two were close," I murmured, and Ryk shrugged.
"Star likes to act like he doesn't care about her, but they're pretty cuddly. Hella's just a little too energetic for him sometimes, so he'd tell me to take her away when she became too much for him to handle," Ryk explained, and yeah, I could see that happening.
Moon suited Star a lot better, since they both loved the same things. I loved it when I walked by the living room and spotted them both dozing on the couch. They looked absolutely adorable like that, and Moon perfectly softened Star's usually sharp edges.
Candy and Moon cautiously stepped out of the kitchen, both their eyes latching onto Hella instantly. I didn't have to wait long to find out how they'd react.
Moon was the first to approach Hella, and he sniffed at her from a distance before stepping closer. Seeing her chance, Hella leaned forward and licked Moon's face, making him jump back.
Moon glared at her, then proceeded to rub his body against her leg, apparently accepting her into the family.
Candy was more cautious and kept her distance, but then Hella gave a soft woof and took a step closer to her. Candy stood her ground as Hella approached, and Ryk gave a loud "Awww" when Hella brushed her nose against Candy's.
Candy blinked, looking a little stumped, but then carefully licked Hella's face. That was apparently all she needed because her tail started wagging the way it only did around Dakota. It looked like we—or rather Hella—had finally managed to win Candy over.
Dakota
The weekend had been perfect. I'd had so much fun with the three of them, and I felt a lot closer to them now than I had on Friday.
We'd played a whole bunch of board games on Sunday, and Nico had even helped me install the new dishwasher. With the sound of Ryk and Star arguing over whether or not Star had cheated, Nico and I had worked in perfect harmony, and I'd realized I felt closer to Nico than I did Ryk and Star. Not in the sense that I liked him more, but I found it easier to understand and relate to Nico.
Like me, Nico was a caretaker, though he was a lot better at it than me.
When I'd renovated my house, I'd dreamed of one day building a family in it. Of course, I'd never imagined my family would include three partners, and my reality was a lot more wonderful than anything I could have imagined.
Maybe it was presumptuous to think of Nico, Ryk, and Star as my family when we'd only just started dating, but I had a good feeling about this relationship. I was sure that if I gave it my all, it would bring me a world of happiness.
I hadn't always been a romantic like this, though watching my parents while growing up had definitely made me want a loving relationship like theirs. Back in college, I hadn't really been interested in romance, and then once I got a job, I'd gotten caught up in that.
If the three didn't live with me, I didn't think it would've worked with us. I probably would've made up some excuse and never gone out with them in the first place. I still had a tiny little doubt in the back of my mind about how much better those three knew each other, but I wasn't going to let it stop me from deepening our relationship.
So what if they'd known each other for years? They'd told me they hadn't dated—except for Star and Nico, and there seemed to be a story there—and they had no reason to lie. In some ways, this was as new to them as it was to me.
When I reached home, I quickly parked the car and hurried up the steps, unlocking the door and stepping inside. Removing my shoes, I loosened my tie as I stepped into the living room, tilting my head at the curious new sight before me.
Star lay on the couch with his eyes closed, and Moon curled up on his chest. That in itself wasn't unusual. What was different was that Candy was curled up near Star's feet, completely at ease.
