Succubus

The dimly lit broken shed was filled with the soft glow of torches, their flickering light casting long shadows over the lavish wooden table. Three women sat around it, their alluring features illuminated in the warm glow. But they were no ordinary women, they were succubi, their beauty almost unnatural, their voices smooth as silk and any human man would instantly die entering into this room.

"I'm telling you, finding human prey is getting harder by the day," one of the women, a silver-haired beauty with piercing violet eyes, muttered as she lazily swirled a goblet of dark wine in her hands.

"Tch, it's all because of those wild ones," the other woman, a crimson-haired succubus, scoffed, leaning back in her chair. "They drain men dry before they can even recover and in the end only the corpses remain. Now every human is on edge, hiding, suspecting everyone. It's ruining everything."

The third woman at the table, Yenissa, sat silently, her fingers drumming against the polished wood. Her red skin and curved horns made her presence striking, but unlike the other two, she seemed more focused on something—or someone—than the conversation.

Noticing her distraction, the silver-haired succubus smirked. "Sister, you've been awfully quiet today. Waiting for someone?"

Before she could respond, the crimson-haired woman leaned forward with a knowing grin. "Oh, I know that look! Yenissa, how's the boy doing? I know oyou're waiting for him. You always do."

At the mention of him, Yenissa's face instantly brightened, her deep crimson lips curling into a genuine smile. "He is very healthy. I cannot be prouder of him. Today is special because It has been 18 years since I first found him. I heard human men ripe when they are 18."

The other two women exchanged confused glances. "That's not what we meant. Aren't we supposed to… eat him today since he ripes? It's his eighteenth birthday, after all. His fertility should be at its peak and his seed will be the most delicious."

"I can't even imagine how he would taste! To be honest, I have never seen a human with such a strong life force. It's almost like he is not human,"

The moment those words left the succubus' lips, Yenissa's expression darkened. She slammed a hand against the table and stood up abruptly, her golden eyes burning with fury. "No one is going to touch my boy!"

An awkward silence fell over the table as the two succubi stared at her in shock. "Wait, what? What are you saying, sister?" the crimson-haired one asked, her brow furrowing. "Weren't you raising him for this exact reason? You brought him up so we could feast on him when the time was right."

Yenissa took a deep breath, slowly sitting back down. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if calming herself, then exhaled. "That was the plan… in the beginning. But things have changed. He's not food—he's my son. And he's going to grow up like a normal human, away from all of this. Don't touch him."

The silver-haired succubus scoffed, shaking her head. "If the Queen finds out about this, she won't be pleased. Humans are our nutrition. They aren't our kids."

Yenissa let out a humorless chuckle. "The Queen is far beyond caring about the troubles of us low-level succubi. She won't bat an eye at what I do."

Before the conversation could continue, the door creaked open. The scent of soil and sweat drifted into the room as a young man stepped inside, carrying a pickaxe slung over his shoulder. His shirt was torn in places, and his toned body was covered in dirt from a hard day's work in the forest that nobody knew what he was doing. His short black hair stuck to his forehead, damp with sweat.

Yenissa's eyes immediately softened as she stood up and hurried over to him, pulling out a cloth from her almost non-existent clothing. "Shennong! Where have you been sneaking off to this time?" she scolded as she wiped the dirt from his arms and face.

The young man sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "The material I'm looking for isn't anywhere nearby," he muttered. "I might have to go further next time."

As he spoke, his eyes wandered to the two women at the table. He gave them a polite smile. "Didn't know you had friends over, Yenissa and I haven't seen them in months. Where have you two been?"

The succubi licked their lips in unison, eyeing him like he was a fine meal laid before them. But before they could say anything, Yenissa turned and shot them a sharp glare. Immediately, they straightened in their seats, masking their hunger with forced smiles.

"Haha! We were just hunting. Yenissa doesn't like when we come here often, so we don't want to bother her," One of them commented getting another side eye from Yenissa.

"Go clean up, Shennong," Yenissa said, gently pushing him toward the hallway. "I have a surprise for you today."

"A surprise?" He raised an eyebrow but didn't question her further. With one last glance at the two familiar women, he nodded and disappeared into the adjacent room and the only room which is where Shennong and Yenissa slept.

It was a small wooden shed that looked like something hunters would use to temporarily protect themselves from bad weather.

The moment he was gone, the succubi turned to Yenissa with wide eyes. "Are you crazy?" the crimson-haired one blurted out. "How are you able to resist him? A human like that, living under your roof? And you haven't even tasted him?"

Yenissa ran a hand through her dark brown hair, exhaling heavily. "Do you think I don't want to?" she admitted, her voice laced with frustration. "I'm trying my best to hold back."

The silver-haired succubus sighed, standing up. "Well, we can't do the same. If we stay any longer, we might lose control. We're leaving."

The crimson-haired one followed suit, shaking her head. "Good luck dealing with that walking temptation. We'll see how long you can keep this up."

As the two succubi exited the house, Yenissa remained where she was, her gaze drifting toward the room where Shennong had disappeared. Her lips parted slightly, her golden eyes gleaming in the dim candlelight.

A slow, dangerous smile curled onto her lips.

She had spent years protecting him, nurturing him, shielding him from their kind.

But today… today would be a test of her resolve.

"Why did he have to turn ripe! How do I live with him from now on," Yenissa thought to herself with a sigh, feeling something pouring down her legs and she just quickly wiped it off.