Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

Melisa woke to a pounding headache and the taste of blood in her mouth. She tried to touch her head but found her hands wouldn't move.

[What the fuck?]

Her eyes snapped open. She was sitting on dirt, wrists chained to two wooden posts on either side of her. The chains were tight enough that she couldn't move her fingers to draw spellsigns.

[Well, that's just great.]

She looked around, taking stock of her situation. She was in some kind of tent—large, with animal skins covering the ground and various weapons hanging from racks. Light filtered in through the entrance, telling her it was still daytime.

Her boots were gone, as was her wand. But they'd left her clothes on, which she supposed was something to be grateful for.

[Focus, Melisa. Need to find a way out of here.]

She tested the chains. Solid iron. The posts, however, didn't look quite as sturdy. If she could just get enough leverage...

But first, she needed a plan for when someone came in. Without her ability to cast spells, she'd have to rely on other tactics.

[My pheromones. I can still use those.]

Melisa had spent the last year learning to control and direct her pheromones with precision, of course. If she could get whoever came in close enough, maybe she could flood them with enough pheromones to make them stupid with lust and convince them to free her.

[Guess all that time training, working on manipulating my pheromones directly, is about to pay off.]

The tent flap rustled. Melisa quickly shifted her position to look more vulnerable and frightened than she actually felt.

The flap parted slightly. Two small faces peered in, their red eyes wide with curiosity.

Melisa blinked.

[Nim? What the fuck are nim doing here?]

The children—because that's what they were, two nim children no older than ten—stared at her with undisguised fascination. Melisa stared back, completely thrown off guard.

Before she could say anything, an adult voice barked something in a language she didn't understand. The children squeaked in alarm and disappeared.

Moments later, the tent flap was thrown wide open, and a massive darian ducked inside. He had to be close to seven feet tall, with tan skin, light brown hair pulled back in a series of complex braids, and piercing green eyes. He wore leather armor adorned with metal plates and carried himself with the unmistakable confidence of a leader.

Behind him was the red-haired, blue-eyed darian Melisa had seen during the battle. Up close, she was even more striking—her hair was like actual fire, wild and untamed, and her eyes were as blue as the summer sky. Unlike the male, who looked at Melisa with suspicion, the female's expression held something like amusement.

"So," the male said in surprisingly good common tongue, "you're the nim warrior."

Melisa swallowed, her mouth dry.

"And you're the asshole who kidnapped me."

The red-haired darian let out a snort of laughter, quickly silenced by a glare from the male.

"My name is Kaleth," he said, crouching down to her level. "War Chief of the United Darian Clans. And this is Sirah, my Blood Sister."

"... Charmed," Melisa said dryly. "Can I ask you something? Mind telling me why there are nim in your war camp?"

Kaleth's lips curled into what might have been a smile.

"You're surprised? Your kind serves many purposes here."

A chill ran down Melisa's spine. She knew exactly what he meant.

[Ah, fuck. That's not a piece of trivia I ever expected to run into like this.]

In Syux, nim were second-class citizens; in Rhaya, darian territory, they were still kept as slaves. But sex slaves instead.

"Those are children," she said through gritted teeth.

"And they will grow," Kaleth replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Until then, they serve in other ways. Cooking, cleaning, mending."

Melisa sighed.

[No point arguing. What do I actually do about this?]

If she just hammered her pheromones into them, they'd notice. She figured she needed to start slow and amp up the pressure. So, she quickly began doing just that.

Sirah stepped forward, her blue eyes examining Melisa with keen interest.

"Your magic," she said, her voice lighter than Melisa expected. "It's different from the other humans'. More... primal. How have you accomplished this?"

Melisa just shrugged.

The two darians looked at each other briefly. Kaleth stood up, towering over her.

"Well, regardless, the question is what to do with you now. You killed five of my warriors."

[... Is this a situation I can argue my way out of? Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to try.]

"Warriors who attacked me first," Melisa pointed out. "And killed two soldiers right in front of me."

"Such is war," Kaleth said dismissively.

"And yet you blame me for killing your fighters?"

That made Kaleth pull back a bit.

Sirah smiled.

Suddenly, Kaleth laughed.

"This one's spirited. Good. The weak ones always break too quickly to be of use."

He turned to leave as Melisa raised a brow. She noticed that they never got close enough for her pheromones to reach them. At least, not naturally. Not without her intentionally pushing them forward.

Kaleth paused, looking back at her.

"One way or another, you must be punished. But, luckily for you, we know all nim are meant to serve. With their bodies, of course." His eyes raked over her form. "Perhaps you will too, once the Council decides your fate."

With that threat hanging in the air, he ducked out of the tent.

Sirah, however, stayed.

The red-haired darian approached slowly, her movements fluid and catlike. She crouched in front of Melisa, close enough that Melisa could smell her—a scent like wood smoke and something wild.

[Now's my chance.]

Melisa concentrated, focusing her pheromones directly at Sirah. She'd learned this trick years ago—channel the pheromones, direct them like a weapon rather than letting them disperse in the air. She saw Sirah's pupils dilate slightly, her breathing quicken.

"What are you doing?" Sirah asked, her voice husky.

"Nothing," Melisa said innocently. "Just getting comfortable. These chains are really tight."

Sirah leaned closer, her blue eyes darkening with desire. Melisa poured on more pheromones, aimed straight at the darian's face.

The darian smiled.

"You're trying to seduce me with your nim tricks."

[Shit.]

"W-What?"

Sirah laughed—a genuine, full-bodied laugh.

"Do you believe yourself to be the first nim who I've approached?" She inhaled deeply, making a show of it, like she enjoyed the scent of Melisa's pheromones. "Your aura is impressive, to be sure. But, even the strongest pheromones will hardly work on anyone here. Nice try, though."

Melisa slumped back against the post.

"Worth a shot," she muttered.

Sirah turned and walked away a few steps, smirking back at Melisa.

"Rest. We will bring you some food later. You'll need your strength for what's coming."

"Which is what, exactly?"

"Tomorrow, you meet the Council. They will decide your fate."

With that, she left, tying the tent flap closed behind her.

Alone again, Melisa tugged at her chains, frustration building. Nothing budged.

[A council? Sex slavery? What the hell have I gotten myself into?] Melisa leaned her head back against the post and closed her eyes. [Isabella, Armia, Raven... I hope you guys are looking for me. I might just be in some deep shit.]