The soft glow of morning light filtered through the heavy curtains of Thomas’s suite, casting warm hues over the luxurious sheets.
Thomas stirred, his mind groggy yet oddly clear as he slowly opened his eyes. His body ached—not from battle, not from exhaustion, but from something else entirely. The events of last night came rushing back to him in waves.
His first time.
With her.
Thomas shifted slightly, feeling the weight of another body beside him. His gaze drifted downward, where Erica lay curled up against him, the blanket draped loosely over her bare form. Her soft, steady breathing was the only sound in the quiet room.
He swallowed hard, his mind replaying every moment—her teasing, her warmth, the way she moved against him, the way she cried out his name. It had been overwhelming, almost surreal. Losing his virginity wasn’t something he had ever put much thought into, especially in a world as broken as this. But last night had been... incredible.
A small, satisfied smile tugged at his lips, but before he could fully process his thoughts, Erica shifted beside him.
A soft groan escaped her lips as she stretched lazily before cracking one eye open. Her gaze met his, and for a moment, she just stared at him before a smirk formed on her face.
"Good morning," she purred, her voice laced with amusement.
Thomas cleared his throat, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and satisfaction. He was used to commanding soldiers, leading men into battle—but this? Waking up next to a woman like this? It was an entirely different battlefield.
Erica rolled onto her side, propping her head up with her hand as she looked at him with mischievous eyes. "You were rough last night," she mused, running a lazy finger across his chest. "I think you broke me."
Thomas tensed slightly at her words. "I—uh—" he started, unsure of how to respond.
Erica laughed at his reaction. "Relax. I liked it." She exhaled, stretching once more before wincing slightly. "But I might not be able to walk properly for a while."
Thomas ran a hand through his hair, unsure whether to feel guilty or proud. "I—uh—didn’t think I was that rough."
She smirked. "Oh, you were. But don’t worry, I enjoyed every second of it."
Thomas exhaled, still processing everything. "Last night was… different."
Erica chuckled, her fingers tracing idle patterns on his skin. "Different good or different bad?"
He met her gaze. "Different good."
She hummed in approval. "I’d hope so. Would be a shame if I wasted all my effort on a newbie."
Thomas rolled his eyes. "I wasn’t that bad."
"No," she admitted, her smirk softening. "You weren’t."
A comfortable silence settled between them. Erica remained close, her head resting against his shoulder, her fingers trailing absentmindedly along his arm.
"You thinking about something?" she asked after a moment.
Thomas sighed. "Just… I didn’t expect any of this to happen."
She gave a small smile. "Neither did I."
They stayed like that for a while, neither of them moving, simply enjoying the warmth of each other’s presence. But eventually, reality crept back in.
Erica yawned, pushing herself up slightly. "As much as I’d love to stay in bed all day, I should probably get up."
Thomas raised a brow. "You just said you can’t walk."
Erica smirked, challenging. "Wanna bet?"
She threw off the covers and attempted to stand, but the moment her feet hit the floor, her legs wobbled, and she quickly collapsed back onto the bed with a soft curse.
Thomas smirked, crossing his arms. "Told you."
Erica shot him a glare before laughing. "Okay, fine. You win."
Thomas shook his head, lying back against the pillows. "Take your time."
She huffed. "I will. But don’t get cocky just because you wrecked me."
He smirked. "No promises."
She chuckled, pulling the blanket over her once more. "Guess I’m stuck here a little longer, then."
"And I will have to return back to work," Thomas said. "I am sure that my officials are waiting for me at the command center."
Erica groaned, flopping back against the pillows dramatically. "Ugh, already back to being the Supreme Commander?" She turned her head to look at him, her lips curled into a teasing smirk. "Can’t you just take one day off? I mean, you did work pretty hard last night."
Thomas exhaled, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, running a military operation doesn’t come with vacation days." He shifted, sitting up on the edge of the bed and stretching his arms. His muscles ached, but it was a good kind of soreness—different from the exhaustion of battle, yet just as demanding.
Erica watched him with amusement, propping herself up on one elbow. "You’re really not even gonna take a little break, huh?"
Thomas glanced over his shoulder, smirking. "I just did. Eight hours of sleep, warm food, and… well, last night."
Erica grinned. "Fair enough."
The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.
He stood up, heading toward the bathroom. "I need a shower before I head out. You should rest more if you need it."
Erica raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so now you’re suddenly concerned for my well-being?"
Thomas rolled his eyes as he turned the water on, waiting for it to warm up. "You said yourself that you might not be able to walk."
"I never said I was weak." She grinned, stretching her arms above her head, the sheets slipping slightly. "Besides, it’s been a while since I had this much fun."
Thomas shook his head as he stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash over him. As much as he enjoyed her company, reality was creeping back in. There was still an entire city to defend, soldiers who relied on his command, and a war against the undead that wouldn’t stop just because he had a night of pleasure.
Then—out of nowhere, his system, the one that he had missed, prompted with an interface.
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the quest titled: Testing Your Mettle.]
"Ehh?"
Thomas tilted his head to the side. It was finally over?