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

Melisa sat in Javir's garden. The circus was gathering around her.

"So let me get this straight." Isabella lounged across Kimiko's lap like a cat, pink hair spilling everywhere. "The queen wants you to go to Yalmir as her special advisor, and you can bring whoever you want?"

"That's the gist of it, yeah."

"And you called us here to what? Ask permission? Babe, you know I'm already packing."

[I haven't even asked yet.]

"Isabella, sweetie, let her finish." Kimiko stroked her daughter's hair, pausing. "Though we are definitely going."

"Oh my..." Melisa sighed.

"What? You think we'd let you wander off to our home nation without supervision?" Margaret appeared with a tea tray. "Absolutely not."

Armia sat ramrod straight on another bench.

"Perhaps we should hear the full details before making decisions."

"Boooring." Isabella flipped upside down, her head now hanging off Kimiko's lap. "Melisa, tell Armia that adventure waits for no one."

"Tell her yourself!"

Raven, perched on the garden wall like a particularly antisocial gargoyle, watched the exchange with her usual blank expression.

"The queen specifically invited Melisa. Not us."

"Actually..." Melisa pulled out Aria's letter. "She said I should bring whoever I want."

"See?" Isabella sat up so fast she nearly headbutted Kimiko. "She totally meant for us to come with her!"

Sirah chose that moment to wander over, still shirtless from training. Sweat glistened on her abs.

"What's this about coming?"

Melisa glared automatically at her. Isabella was far less cold.

"Melisa's going to Yalmir!" Isabella announced. "We're all invited!"

"Hmm." Sirah's blue eyes fixed on Melisa. "Dangerous journey. Mountain passes. Possible darian bandits. You'll need protection."

Armia stood.

"We can protect ourselves just fine."

Sirah stepped closer, forcing Armia to crane her neck up. The darian warrior, the wild one, grinned. The height difference became immediately apparent.

"Sure." She flexed casually. "But what's a little extra help, huh?"

Armia's tail lashed.

"I've been training since—"

"Since you were a pup, I'm sure." Sirah circled her slowly. "Eh, I suppose you have decent muscle tone for one so small."

Armia's face was so shocked Melisa nearly laughed. In her whole life, that was probably the one adjective she'd never heard used to describe her.

Sirah's hand shot out, catching Armia's wrist.

"Soft hands. You fight with technique, not instinct."

"Get your hands off me."

"Make me," Sirah replied with a dangerous grin.

"Okay!" Melisa jumped between them. "Let's all calm down for a moment, alright?"

Javir emerged from her study, took one look at the assembled group, and immediately poured herself wine despite it being barely noon.

"Ladies, why is my garden full of chaos today?"

"Melisa's taking us to Yalmir!" Isabella declared. "Road trip!"

"I haven't agreed to—"

"We're going shopping for travel clothes!"

"Isabella—"

"Ooh, we should coordinate outfits! Raven, you'd look amazing in something other than black."

Raven blinked.

"I... like black."

"Everyone likes black. That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"Fashion! Self-expression! The opportunity to make kitsune sorceresses question their sexuality!"

"I don't think that's—"

"Trust me." Isabella's grin turned wicked. "I'm an expert at making people question things."

Melisa rubbed her temples.

"Can we please focus? This is a diplomatic mission. The future of human-kitsune relations could depend on—"

"On you being yourself," Margaret interrupted. "Which means bringing your family."

"Your very loud, very chaotic family," Javir added.

Melisa looked around the garden.

Her mother, already planning what to pack. Kimiko and Isabella, probably mentally cataloguing every pleasure house in Yalmir. Armia, still bristling at Sirah's proximity. Raven, somehow taking mental notes despite no one saying anything useful. Javir, already on her second glass of wine.

And Sirah, who'd apparently decided she was coming whether anyone liked it or not.

[This is going to be a disaster.]

"Fine." The word escaped before she could stop it. "Fine."

Isabella's squeal probably woke half the neighborhood.

"ROAD TRIP!"

---

Later, Melisa was packing her things.

She was, honestly, very excited to come back to Yalmir. Though she wasn't sure it could even be called "coming back" when she basically spent a week there when she first arrived in Eldora and then immediately moved to Syux.

Still, it was bound to be interesting, given how much more she knew about this new world she inhabited than when she came in.

"Ah, there you are." A voice called out behind her, and instantly, Melisa deflated.

"I'm busy."

"Clearly." Sirah walked over, leaning in and observing. "Intense battle you've got going on here... against your dresses."

Melisa angrily stuffed the rest of her clothes in and turned to glare up at Sirah.

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Better than spending some time with my mate? Not really, no."

"I'm not your... whatever the hell you think I am."

"Could have fooled me," Sirah shrugged, sitting down on the edge of Melisa's bed.

She spread her legs wide and Melisa's eyes went down to—

[Do NOT look there.]

... If she did, she probably wouldn't be able to take her eyes back.

"You're staring."

"I'm not." Melisa whipped around, grabbing more clothes. Her hands shook slightly.

"Your tail's doing that thing."

"What thing?"

"The swishy thing. I've noticed it does that when you're turned on."

Melisa's tail immediately went rigid.

"It does not!"

"Just did it again."

[Fucking muscled asshole with her stupid abs and her stupid confidence and her stupid—]

"Get out of my room."

"Pull me out." Sirah leaned back on her hands. The movement made every muscle in her torso flex. "Come on. Give it a shot."

Melisa's mouth went dry. She grabbed a random piece of clothing, one of Isabella's "gifts," a barely-there nightgown—and shoved it in the trunk.

"You're taking that?" Sirah's voice dripped amusement. "Interesting choice for diplomacy."

"Shut up."

"I mean, if your negotiation strategy involves seduction—"

"I said shut up!" Melisa spun around again. Bad move. Sirah had shifted forward, elbows on her knees, putting her face level with Melisa's chest.

[Too close. Way too close.]

"Gods, you smell good."

Melisa stumbled back.

"You can't just say things like that!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's—you're—we barely know each other!"

"We know each other quite well, I'd argue."

Heat flooded Melisa's face. And other places.

"Get. Out."

Sirah stood slowly. All seven feet of darian muscle unfolding spectacularly.

"See you at dinner, little mage."

She left. Melisa slammed the door and pressed her back against it.

[Fucking Sirah with her fucking observations and her fucking—]

She looked at her trunk. The lacy nightgown sat on top, mocking her.

[I'm keeping it. For practical reasons. Definitely not because the thought of wearing it makes me—]

"PACKING!" She said out loud. "I'm packing!"