He was worried.

He jumped from branch to branch, so fast that he could barely be seen between the green leafs.

He was now out of his blind rage, out of his confusing and hateful feelings. He had lied for hours on the cold ground of his home, roaring, unable to stand. He did not stop yelling, not until he ran out of strength, until he lost his voice. And while paralyzed, he could not avoid pondering. Of how his angel had looked at the hunter, how he knew her name and spoke it with trust.

Ayako…

The name echoed in Uriel’s mind while he made way through the forest. He was advancing without halt, wondering if his angel preferred to be hunted than being a prisoner. He wondered if she would kill him, with the help of that demon.

Uriel had no way of knowing. But one thing he knew; the angel could be in serious trouble.

He growled, not wanting to admit he was now worried about him.

Why should I care?

According to himself, he was only worried that they knew each other, that she let him live. It was not that he cared she killed him. No way. He would have one less angel to worry about. He would not have to deal with him himself.

He could feel that he was still alive. The ache in his heart told him he was still bound.

Uriel halted on a tree branch for a moment, frowning. He raised his head, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The trace was faint… But he could not avoid noticing it, not after having been so close. He could sense it there, even if it was subtle and hard to follow. The scent had faded, because he had been paralyzed away for far too long.

He could follow that trace, and lose time figuring out where it led exactly. Waste time, while his angel could die.

Luckily, he had another way in which to give hunt. His claw reached for something in his pocket. He sighed, feeling its beat in his hand. He looked closely at the stone and paid mind to the glow flowing inside. The pulse was getting stronger, in a specific direction. His angel was back in that clearing, where he found him for the first time.

He jumped down, to reach that nest again. He followed his senses, the scent of another demon and a human. His heart and the one he held pulsed fiercely, to guide him. It was impossible to not reach those three.

I will find them. Only… Only to make sure she kills him. Not because… I think he told the truth. Not because I want it to be true.

He had to keep an eye on him. It couldn’t be true.

————————————————————

“God dammit, come here!”

“No!”

“Come on! I won’t miss!”

“And I won’t risk it!”

Alexis jumped over his table with a strong flap of wings, managing to evade her once more. Ayako growled and kept chasing him, without rest. She screamed and waved the hammer she held at him.

“If you don’t manage to pull them off, I will break them to pieces!”

“They are not normal! A hit won’t-!”

“I don’t care! We have to get rid of them! We don’t know what they do!”

Lykaios yawned lazily while laying at the opening’s mouth, much to Alexis’s horror. The lynx was in his true form and blocked the exit with his huge figure, preventing anyone from getting out the cave. Alexis was unable to flee from Ayako’s stubbornness. Still, he kept on running in circles in his nest; he kept on moving sideways, to prevent her of grabbing his arms or wings.

“Aya, I tell you! They don’t budge!” He pulled at one bracelet while he ran, annoyed. “They are enchanted! They only pressure more and-”

He could not finish.

“Yaah!”

“Umpf!”

Ayako took Alexis down to the ground with a fast tackle. But the angel did not give up, and tried to scramble away nervously. He trashed below her weight, like a cat in water.

The human grinned, seeing he was unable to kick her off him. Somehow, she was heavier and stronger. She heard him growl angrily, while he pulled at the ground with his hands.

“You are crushing my wings!”

“Are you calling me fat?!”

“I’m calling you crazy! You won’t break the bracelets, but me!”

He let all his breath out when she purposely bounced on his back, making his wings go limp with the sudden pressure. He could only surrender and groan, while she smiled with content, still sitting on his back.

“Now, please, hold still!”

“Is it a request or a demand?”

“Both!”

Alexis shivered with nervousness when she released him slightly. She grasped his left wrist with one hand, while her other one raised the hammer. He covered his eyes with his free hand, dreading losing an arm. A scared gasp escaped him when she hauled the hammer down, fiercely.

She did not miss. She hit the dark bracelet squarely.

Alexis peeked between his fingers slowly. He was unsure of looking, but he felt relief instead of horror, because he saw that she had not hammered his hand. She was not as happy. Even if she had hit it with all her strength, there was not a single scratch on the ornament.

He snorted bitterly as she snarled.

“I told you.”

He should have not expected her to give up. He paled when she raised her fist with a yell, full of determination.

“Again!”

A tall shadow glanced with curious eyes from afar, watching how the angel was quick to complain.

“No! Are you nuts?! It’s useless to try!”

“What, are you going to just keep wearing them, smartass?! What if they end up hurting you?! What if they make you lose your mind?!”

“YOU will drive me crazy!”

Uriel leaned his head to a side, seeing them both fight. Both were now rolling around on the ground. Ayako was trying to hammer those bracelets again, something that Alexis was trying to avoid at all costs. They both pulled and swatted, those wings flapped everywhere, and the human only seemed to laugh it off.

His violet eyes filled with relief and worry at the same time. She would not kill him; he could see it clearly.

The human was laughing loudly now; she was holding both his wings playfully from behind, while he tried to swat her off. His hands could not reach her while she hid behind his outstretched limbs, which was making him yell with frustration and anger.

Uriel focused on the demon that rested at the mouth of the cave. Those tails were moving calmly, even if the angel was near. The beast was showing no intention of biting, devouring or even killing.

And that fact made Uriel leave behind his fear for Alexis’ life at last.

That did not mean he stopped thinking. Without that worry, he fell again into the emotion that could control him and cloud his reason. He felt ire. The weariness for the angel’s actions came back at full force.

I can’t let him roam as if nothing…

Lykaios’ ears rose, he heard something that the other two didn’t, too distracted by their silly argument. They only stopped bickering when they heard him growl loudly and whip his tails. Both froze, because he stood sharply, with his tails up over him. He showed his fangs and claws; his red eyes were looking out, he was growling at something.

Alexis’ eyes widened with shock, because a figure approached calmly from the shadows below the trees. Ayako huffed angrily and stood; she did not mind that Alexis took cover behind her. He was hiding, from the demon that was now near the cave. Those violet eyes were looking at them both, coldly and proudly.

Uriel spoke up from a preventive distance, not wanting to risk it and let Lykaios leap at him.

“There’s no need to remove those bracelets…”

Ayako’s expression filled with anger and disbelief. She glared at Uriel with her hands clenched. She wanted to hit the demon, because she could hear how Alexis was holding his breath like if it would anger him.

“You again?! Do I have to shoot you again for you to leave him alone?! What have you done to him?! What are those things for exactly?!”

Uriel raised a claw and stared at it with feigned boredom.

“Not harmful, I assure you. Now, let’s go back to the matter at hand…”

Alexis had been peeking over Ayako’s shoulder, but he hid fully again when Uriel demanded. He sounded intimidating, even if he did not yell or sound furious.

“Give him back, Ayako.”

Ayako was not scared by the demon, but she was surprised when she heard him say her name.

“How do you know-”

Uriel rolled his eyes and brushed his black hair with exasperation.

“I am not deaf! You both screamed your names in my home!” He bowed his head, and then his expression darkened. “You stole Alexis away… And he must be returned.”

Ayako did not like how he spoke the angel’s name with a slight hint of malice.

Uriel growled tiredly, because he only saw the human stand taller and puff her chest out. She raised her arms at her sides and covered Alexis, who had not dared utter a sound yet.

“Returned?! He is not a thing! Much less yours! You kept him locked in a cell!”

“He is mine to keep, so I must disagree! For he is MY angel, human… You can’t understand our kind’s enmity! Don’t tell me what I can’t do! I must keep him under control! After all, there is the saying…” Lykaios’ fangs showed more when Uriel took a step closer and moved a hand onto his chest, with a bitter laugh. “Keep your friends near… But keep your enemies closer!”

Alexis could see the demon’s tail swish quickly around his tall figure. Uriel was losing his patience.

“A-aya, look, he is not going to kill me, but he can hurt you. If you just-”

Alexis let out a sound of discomfort and shrunk with a grimace; his ears hurt, because Ayako roared and ignored him. He did not know who could yell more furiously, if his demon or her.

“He is not your enemy, you stupid brute! You won’t have him under those evil clutches of yours, hear me?!”

Uriel laughed and mocked them with a look.

“Evil? Please. I only want to ensure he does not try anything! Against my life! How can I know YOU are not lying to him, human? You could be planning to take as many feathers as possible, then steal his blood, and once rendered useless, rip his wings and bones, to sell them or feed them to-”

“That’s it!”

Alexis yelped, because she dashed for the table nearby and quickly took her crossbow.

“Aya, don’t!”

Alexis tried to hold her back, but she easily pushed him off. Uriel stood firm as she raised the crossbow and pointed at him.

“I am NOT letting you lay a single nail on him for your dumb ideas! Fuck off, with that tail between your legs, or I will freeze that handsome face of yours, forever! I still have plenty of ammo!”

She grinned, because she saw Uriel huff, taken aback.

Lykaios lowered his tails when Uriel dashed away out the clearing, out of sight. He disappeared in the shadows, finally leaving them alone.

The hunter snorted and twirled her crossbow in a hand. She spoke to herself, with a mocking tone.

“Fear my arrows, huh?”

Alexis stood baffled and nervous, staring at the distance with uncertainty. He gave Ayako a look, sideways.

“…I don’t know if that’s what made him run, Aya.”

He did not know if he had imagined it, but he could swear he saw the demon blush out of nervousness and bafflement.