Judas discovered a dangerous truth about his wives that night. They adored furry creatures.
He also realized something far pettier. He was jealous of his own Spirit Monsters.
He watched in silent outrage as his three wives hugged, kissed, and pinched the soft cheeks of Nibble and Nubble, their delighted squeaks filling the room.
The two little creatures basked in the affection of their mistresses, tails wiggling with pride, yet they could not understand why their master's face slowly darkened.
Judas's eye twitched as his jaw clenched. There was a limit to how much a man could endure.
"Enough," Judas announced at last, his voice edged with strained patience. "Nibble and Nubble need to return to the pond. They cannot stay on land for long."
Three pairs of doubtful eyes turned toward him.
"Husband, they are breathing perfectly fine," Nina said with a confused frown.
Luna lifted Nibble so close to her face that the furry ball almost brushed her nose. "Their noses do not look like they are meant for water," she commented, sounding almost scholarly.
Ezra simply petted Nubble, her expression calm, but the way her thumb rubbed its soft fur showed she was just as attached as the others.
Judas felt something crack inside him.
'System, are they male or female?'
[Since they are crafted by the system, you may choose their gender yourself.]
Judas did not hesitate.
'Make them female.'
[Confirmed.]
A wave of relief washed through him. Finally, his heart relaxed.
Now Judas was comfortable again.
Although his wives were reluctant to part with the furry creatures, they had no choice when the spirits suddenly made choking sounds—a result of Judas's silent, jealous command.
Seeing their distress, the women finally released them. Judas swore to himself that he would never summon a furry monster again in the future.
Once the little monsters bounced away from the small house, the four of them stood awkwardly in the silence for a few seconds.
"You guys can sleep here," Ezra said, attempting to pull Luna toward the side room.
That was when a deafening crack of thunder tore through the sky, shaking the very ground.
The sound terrified the three women. Nina hurriedly hugged Judas, her frantic heartbeat conducting straight into his chest.
Although Ezra and Luna's reactions weren't as explosive, they too moved closer to him, their forms trembling visibly.
There was a reason for their fear; even Judas's body shivered involuntarily. When the apocalypse first arrived, the invasion of new regions was always heralded by thunder.
Consequently, all survivors had developed a deep-seated trauma to the sound of storms.
Biting back his own panic, Judas pulled his three wives into his embrace. Among them, Luna was the most affected. He saw tears streaming down her face as her body shivered uncontrollably.
Judas tightened his hold, using his arms to shield her.
"Don't worry. I am here," he whispered against her ear, not forgetting to drop a soft kiss on its pointed tip.
Affection: 40 → 50
[Luna's affection for you has reached two-fourths of absolute devotion. You have obtained five random common lucky draws.]
Luna looked up at him with a tear-stricken face. "I am not scared. Dust just caught in my eyes."
Judas smiled warmly. "Then I will become a shield so no dust will ever catch your eyes again!"
"Sweet tongue," Luna muttered, averting her gaze. 'Hooligan.'
Affection: 50 → 65
Despite her words, her inner voice hummed with cheer.
Nina practically became his second skin, clinging to him, leaving only Ezra keeping a slight distance. Judas pulled her backward against his chest, her firm back pressing into his.
"You know, if you always act so calm, your face will freeze in that expression, Ez." He curled his arms inward, gathering all three wives closely.
After another peal of thunder, rain droplets started to fall. It quickly turned into a full-blown deluge as leaks started to appear in his roof.
Judas internally cursed, shuffling away from the dripping water. Only his bed escaped the leaks, as the previous Judas had used a few extra layers of leaves in that spot.
Eventually, he and his wives were forced into the corner, huddling together on the bed. While Nina was entirely too comfortable with him, Luna and Ezra were stiff with embarrassment.
Judas used this tight squeeze to his advantage, his hands drifting—accidentally, of course—over the various curves of his wives.
The rain caused the temperature in the room to fall, but his actions made the three women flush with heat. After an hour or so, seeing the rain wasn't stopping, he suggested, "How about we sleep?"
Ezra and Luna recoiled from his suggestion.
"No."
"What?"
Judas flailed his arms innocently. "I meant sleep." He mimed resting his head on his hands. "What else did you guys think?" He winked, teasing them.
"Oh…" Luna puffed out her cheeks. "But can we fit in this bed?"
'It is so small, our bodies will be too close,' Luna's inner voice sounded panicked.
'There is no dry place except this bed. It is the only way,' Ezra sighed internally.
'Oh. It seems tonight there will be nothing between me and Husband,' Nina muttered in disappointment.
Watching the varying expressions of his wives, Judas grinned internally.
'What a God-given chance…'
His eyes secretly roamed across the bodies of his wives.
When the sleeping positions were finally negotiated—or rather, dictated by a flustered Luna and a stoic Ezra—Judas let out a sigh that carried the weight of a thousand lost opportunities.
He had been relegated to the far right edge of the mattress. Beside him lay Nina, followed by Luna, with Ezra taking the furthest position on the left.
'This is a tactical failure,' Judas lamented inwardly, staring up at the dark, wooden beams.
In his perfect mental simulation, he was supposed to be the filling in this beautiful sandwich, with warmth pressing against him from both sides.
He had imagined drifting off with a hand resting on Ezra's toned waist or accidentally brushing against Luna to provoke a cute, stuttering reaction.
Instead, he was exiled to the periphery, separated from the two harder-to-get wives by the impenetrable barrier of his enthusiastic puppy-girl.
It was a tragic waste of a cramped bed.
But then, a soft warmth pressed against his side. Nina wiggled closer, her tail thumping rhythmically against the mattress as she buried her face into his chest, humming with contentment.
Judas's disappointment melted away instantly.
"Goodnight, husband," she murmured, her breath tickling his neck.
"Goodnight," he whispered back.
Resigning himself to his fate with a faint smile, he wrapped his arms tightly around her small frame, pulling her close until there was no space left between them.
Perhaps the edge wasn't so bad after all.