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It was like a trance when their eyes met, drowning out the world around them until Cleo was only aware of the woman she was staring at and the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.
It took a less than gentle shove to snap her out of it. “Hey space cadet, drink too much?” The host, Amber, looked Cleo up and down and motioned her own cup towards her. “I didn’t take you for a lightweight.”
“I’m not, I-“ Her gaze flickered over to the woman she’d been staring at for a mere heartbeat, but Amber caught the motion and turned her head to follow it.
The host groaned, moving to facepalm but stopping just before hitting her forehead. God forbid she fuck up her bangs. “I didn’t invite you here for you to be a womanizer again.”
Cleo, exaggerating her denial, made a wide motion with her own cup. “You’re jealous I have a shot and you’re stuck accidentally hitting on gay guys.”
“Oh my god it was only three times.”
“Yeah! Guess how many times I’ve accidentally done that?”
“You don’t even like men.” Amber snatched Cleo’s empty cup, scowling dramatically. “If you’re going to fuck her, don’t do it in my house. Take her to your apartment.”
“I would never desecrate your home like that-“
“You have. Three times. Actually, fuck that. Don’t bang her at all. You’re what, a couple months from graduation? You should be studying, not turning my parties into a lesbian hookup spot.” Despite the banter, Amber waved Cleo towards the woman, whispering to her friend briefly before stepping away. “She transferred here for her last semester because her school didn’t have enough professors for her classes. I think she said she was studying Health and Wellness.”
A meteorologist and a med student. An idiot would make a pickup like about them both being women in STEM. Cleo wasn’t drunk enough to be an idiot. She wasn’t drunk at all.
The med student smiled as Cleo approached, seemingly having expected her to come over eventually. Cleo looked her up and down, a little surprised by the tight pants and cropped shirt. She assumed med students were all a bit more “holier than thou” and liked to dress modestly and lecture you on what an important field of work they were going into.
But this stranger, with her short black hair and slightly tanned skin, didn’t seem to mind the way Cleo’s eyes lingered on exposed stomach and shoulders. In fact, she flashed a smile and looked down at the meteorology student, leaning back against the wall as she was approached. “Is it too boring to ask your name and major?”
“Cloé Valier. But everyone calls me Cleo. Meteorology. Yourself?”
“Mya Ambione. Pharmacology. Cleo seems like an odd change for your name. Not a fan of Cloé?”
“As a kid I always misspelled it. My parents started calling me Cleo as a joke, and it stuck. People misread my name anyways.” Mya smiled with teeth this time, and Cleo made a brief mental note of how pronounced the other woman’s canines were. It was cute.
“So tell me about yourself, Cleo.”
“Is this an interview now?”
Mya’s face flushed ever so slightly. “I’m not good at flirting…”
“Oh? You want to flirt?” Cleo got close to the other woman so they weren’t even half an arm’s length apart. “You’re hot, so I’m sure whatever you say will impress me.” She winked softly. “I’m easy to get with if I like you.”
Mya’s earlier across-the-room confidence seemed to shatter, and she averted her gaze with a flustered expression. “Get with?”
Cleo took a step back to give the woman space. “If you’re not comfortable with that, I won’t push it.”
“N-no, I-“ Mya took a deep breath, one finger nervously tapping the side of her cup. “Wasn’t expecting it to be so straightforward already.”
“…Already?”
“I mean, at all. From you. I usually make the first move.” That surprised Cleo. This girl, attractive and tall and fit from the looks of it, had a more uncertain personality. The idea of her making the first move was difficult to imagine. Mya must’ve noticed her confusion. “I’m not usually this jumpy, I promise. It’s just been awhile and I’ve been too busy with school to really get out there since moving. It’s hard finding new hookups.”
Whistling in amazement, the shorter of the two looked Mya up and down again. “So you don’t mind casual stuff?”
“Subtle.”
“You just mentioned hookups, I’m bringing this little chat to its natural conclusion.” She held up three fingers. “A: You say no and I leave it at that. B: You say ‘Oh, well, maybe some other time. I don’t know you well enough tonight.’ and give me your number and I leave it at that. Or C: We get out of here.” Cleo was admittedly a bit rusty when it came to flirting as well. “If you’re comfortable with that.”
Mya was either enticed enough or had low enough standards to grace Cleo with another laugh. “How generous of you!”
“Well there’s a lot more I can give than just compliments and attention.” Emboldened by that laugh and sharp toothed smile, (what was this, did she suddenly have a thing for fangs?) Cleo reached one hand out to brush it against Mya’s waist, bringing their bodies close.
Mya, being the taller of the two, had to tilt her head down to keep eye contact. “Are you certain you want this?” Her tone was strangely serious, but Cleo found the way she spoke to be strangely alluring.
“Need proof?” She spoke softer now, as soft as a party would allow while still being heard. She was leaning closer, tilting her head up and to the side without much thought. Their lips were a whisper away.
Mya paused for the briefest moment, but accepted the kiss. It was soft. Cleo meant for it to be brief. She’d intended to pull away and make some shitty quip about how it was just a sample, and they could do much more at her place. But when she pulled away, she found herself going back in for another rather quickly. Not only that, but with more passion than she intended.
It seemed to startle Mya too. She made the softest sound into Cleo’s mouth, one the woman couldn’t quite identify the meaning of, but soon kissed her back. Closed lips opened. Chaste turned to hunger and soon tongues were slipping past lips and teeth to press against one another.
Cleo pushed her body against Mya’s, pressing the taller woman to the wall as the kiss turned into an embarrassing makeout session. Despite logic and reasoning screaming at her that this was a public party and that she needed to have some god damn self respect and control, Cleo didn’t stop herself. Couldn’t stop herself. She didn’t want to. Her leg pressed between Mya’s thighs, earning a muffled groan that she would’ve never heard over the music if her own tongue wasn’t practically down the woman’s throat. Mya didn’t just stand there dumbly and take it. Her hands traveled boldly down Cleo’s body, following the curve of her hips before grabbing her ass.
“You have to be fucking kidding me.” That was the first thing Cleo heard through the fog of hormones and embarrassingly intense desperation as a new hand gripped her shoulder and yanked her back. Amber. “Get a fucking room and suck faces there. If I have to watch you guys border on dry humping for another half an hour I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Half an hour?” She asked breathlessly, wiping her lips and glancing back at Mya. The other woman was panting softly, eyes dilated as she fixed her hair with one hand.
“Close enough. It’s not like I started a stopwatch.” Amber rolled her eyes, and shoved Cleo towards the door. “Out. Out out out out out do NOT do anything here I am not listening to that again. I love you and I’m happy for you, but do NOT subject me to that. I’m not a fucking voyeur.”
Cleo reached for Mya’s hand as they were ushered out. Before the door closed, Amber quickly mumbled something about being safe and calling and to call her if needed, and with a faint creak of the door closing they were alone on the porch.
Mya spoke for the first time since they stopped making out, finally remembering lips could be used for more than one thing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“For us to get kicked out? She’s dramatic, but it’s her house and I’ve definitely pushed my luck.” It was a little cold outside, and she squeezed Mya’s hand with a huff. “If the mood isn’t completely dead… my apartment is just a couple blocks away.”
There was something in Mya’s expression that was unreadable. Bewilderment? Hesitation, maybe? Cleo’s own internal emotions twisted as well, and she sucked in an awkward breath as her chest tightened unexplainably. Was she just nervous to go through with this? It wasn’t her first time! Far from it, really. The door was right there, she could just go back into the party and forget the whole thing.
Mya parted her lips to speak, her voice faint. “I sh-“ She paused, and Cleo watched with mild fascination as the taller woman’s pupils constricted briefly, before dilating again. It was like watching a cat tracking a toy. “I don’t see why not.” That sharp smile again, and Cleo felt her chest flutter as the tightness lessened slightly.
“Right this way, Ms Ambione~” She winked, but her face scrunched up ever so slightly. Christ, why’d she say that? It was so stupid. She wasn’t being herself, not entirely. Maybe she’d drank more than she realized. Mya was looking her up and down, perhaps equally perplexed by the choice of phrase. With a cough and a shuffle of her feet, Cleo was quick to just get on with it and get home. “It should only be a couple minutes to walk there.”
—-
It felt like seconds. Less than that. Everything blurred strangely as the two made their way down the sidewalk. Cleo was acutely aware of how loud her pulse was in her ears. Yet each time she stopped, Mya would pause as well and simply look at her. The tightness in her chest would fade, and they’d walk again only for it to intensify after a second or two. But despite the starting and stopping, they were at her apartment complex in what felt like a blink of an eye.
Cleo fumbled with her keys dumbly, her brain foggy. It didn’t help that Mya was so close. So, so close. She could feel the woman’s breath. Or maybe she was just hearing it? Her senses seemed to be ebbing and flowing with various intensities.
She didn’t even recall opening the door and stepping inside. She couldn’t remember the moment she’d taken off her shirt before pinning Mya to the wall and tugging at hers. Mya’s pupils were dilated so intensely that her irises were consumed by the darkness, leaving only a pool of black. It didn’t strike Cleo as odd. It should’ve. It absolutely should’ve.
They kissed. They kissed and more clothes were off that Cleo didn’t remember removing. Somehow they ended up in her bedroom. Had they not just been at the door? No, now they weren’t even kissing anymore. Cleo was on top of Mya, the other woman on her bed looking up at her, eyes no longer dilated. Cleo’s hands were on her chest, and she watched Mya’s lips move. Speaking. Right, she was speaking. What was she saying? It took immense focus to hear her.
“Are you sure?”
What a weird question. Cleo blinked, before hunching over to pepper a faint kiss to Mya’s collarbone. Her answer was mumbled against the skin. “Of course.”
“No, I need to know. Please. Please, are you really sure?”
The fog lifted slightly, time returning to a proper speed for a few heartbeats. Cleo straightened up, clarity blessing her enough for her to read Mya’s expression. Guilt. Guilt and anticipation. Mostly guilt. Why? She realized this was a mistake, there was something amiss, and shifted her weight to pull herself off the woman’s lap.
Mya sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes dilating into dark pools again. All at once the fog in Cleo’s mind returned, and she stopped her retreat. Her lips moved without a thought behind them. The answer was automatic. “I’m certain. I’ll prove it.”
—
She just blinked. That was it. One blink and suddenly everything was different. They were still on the bed, with Cleo straddling Mya. Only now her weight was pressed down onto the other woman’s face instead of her lap. Any questions about how she got there or what was happening were pushed away as a long tongue pressed inside of her.
Cleo groaned, leaning forward to grip the headboard and grind her hips. “Right there-” Her voice quivered and she tried her best to breathe despite the tightness in her chest returning with renewed vigor. The unnaturally long tongue curled and pressed into her, and sharp nails gripped her thighs to keep her in place. She looked down from where she was hunched, eyes briefly meeting the pure black irises of Mya. “I’m close-”
Another grind of her hips.
But no, now it wasn’t against Mya’s face, but on her palm. Sharp nails had dulled and slipped inside of her, finding a perfect rhythm as she rocked back and forth. Their bare bodies were pressed tight against one another, with Cleo wrapping her arms around Mya and buried her face in the crook of the woman’s neck. Her lips traced over bite marks she couldn’t recall leaving, broken only by soft moans and whispers of encouragement to Mya. “Good, keep doing- mmph fuck~”
Her legs trembled, and her mind spun. It shouldn’t have felt as good as it did. It didn’t make sense, but Cleo wasn’t sure if she even wanted it to. Instant gratification was quite the seductress. Once more her lips moved without her putting any thought behind it. “Make me cum again, and I promise to let you feel really good~”
Again? How many times had she done that already? The world was hazy and she bent forward, one hand pressing hard against Mya’s upper back. The other woman moaned a soft plea, or maybe a ‘thank you?’ It was blending together. Fingers pumped faster Cleo clenched her teeth.
But it was her own hand doing the work now, even though she’d just been on the bed. Mya was bent over Cleo’s desk, moaning softly against the birch wood as fingers slipped into her from behind. Her wrists were bound in front of her and tied to one leg of the desk, forcing her to lean forward and up onto her tiptoes. Holy fuck, when did they get here? A near inaudible voice in Cleo’s mind was desperately trying to point out how illogical everything felt.
She couldn’t remember tying her up.
Oh but it was just the heat of the moment.
Her forearm was much too tired for how little she’d done, as far as she was aware.
No, no. That was silly. She’d been here awhile. Of course she had been. Why question that?
The way she’d been speaking was off. Ever since she kissed Mya.
She was drunk. That was it. She was drunk.
Drunk off of one drink?
Why not?
Everything that had happened that night was such a blur. If it felt so good, why wasn’t there a vivid recollection?
What she remembered was what felt best. That moment she was nearing climax.
Why a moment of clarity now?
“Cleo, I’m-”
Her chest ached as much as her arm.. Her body felt foreign. Her legs felt weak. Despite this, she didn’t stop. No, she couldn’t stop. When she spoke, it wasn’t just unplanned, it was unwanted. Her body moved on its own, compelled by something beyond Cleo’s perception. “A little longer. You can take it a little longer, right? Such a good girl.”
Fuck, this was terrible. Fuck, it felt so good. Fuck fuck fuck what was happening where was she what was going on why can’t she move how did she get here why couldn’t she- “Stop teasing me, please-” Mya’s voice pierced through her thoughts.
“You begged me for this, darling.” Her hand pressed to Mya’s back pulled away and instead grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her head back and earning another moan. “You sounded so cute when you were on your knees begging me to- FUCK!?”
Her hand in Mya’s hair met something solid, and it snapped her out of her incomprehensible daze. She stumbled back, eyes wide as she fell against her bed and gawked in horror at Mya.
The other woman looked over her shoulder, confusion furrowing her brow. “Why the hell did you-” Her eyes, almost too dark to see beyond the shadows cast by the desk lamp, suddenly constricted. She looked between Cleo, and then the ropes, pulling against them. “Oh, fuck-”
The dark gaze or sudden clarity were the last of Cleo’s concerns. No, what took precedence over all was what Mya had suddenly become. Her body, bare and slick with sweat, was mostly human. Mostly. From her head, deep blue horns protruded out of her messy hair. From her tailbone was, well, a tail. The fangs in her mouth were sharper than Cleo thought when they’d kissed. Her nails were more akin to claws as she struggled with the rope.
Cleo screamed. She screamed louder as Mya suddenly snapped the ropes and lunged for her.
There was a tussle, the both of them now wrestling on the bed in conflict rather than the hungry desperation they’d felt for one another before. The exhaustion Cleo had felt was even more intense than before, and it didn’t take long until she was pinned on her stomach. Mya reached around to cup a hand to Cleo’s mouth, her strength so intense that a wave of hopelessness crashed through Cleo at the mere feeling of the woman’s grip around her.
“Stop. Stop screaming, please stop-” Cleo didn’t. In fact, she tried to scream louder, thrashing uselessly beneath the other woman. “Stop, stop please I just need- oh my god please-” The tightness in her chest suddenly became so intense she could barely breathe, and Cleo whimpered before she finally stopped resisting. She heard Mya let out a gasp, and the tightness alleviated. “Okay. Okay, good. I was worried you’d… anyway. I’m going to move my hand. Please don’t freak out, okay?’
And she did. For a few seconds, both just took deep breaths and kept their eyes trained downwards. As Mya began to sit up slightly, Cleo snapped her head back with as much force as she could muster. There was a dull thump as her skull collided with Mya’s nose, followed by a second thump as she used Mya’s pain and shock to her advantage to sit up suddenly and shove the woman off of her, toppling her off the bed and onto the floor.
“Cleo, wait-” Mya was scrambling to right herself, one hand clutching her nose as blood seeped between her fingers. Cleo didn’t listen, and threw herself off the bed in the opposite direction. Still naked, exhausted, and slightly dazed, she did the first thing that came to mind.
She locked herself in the bathroom.
After shoving her index and middle finger down her throat a few times with no results other than horrific dry heaving, there was a knock at the door.
“Are you alright?”
The fucking audacity. “No! You fucking drugged me you piece of shit!”
The scoff she heard on the other side of the door had Cleo floored. A scoff? A scoff?? “I did NOT drug you.” The other woman complained.
“Oh, so I just accidentally took drugs and started tripping out mid hookup. When did you do it? HOW did you do it? My drink? And injection?” She quickly checked her arms for any punctures. Nothing. And she couldn’t remember if she actually drank anything after approaching Mya.
There was a pause followed by some shuffling on the other side of the door. “I didn’t drug you.” Her voice was quieter now. “It’s complicated. But if you keep freaking out like this I know you’ll never believe me!”
“Of course I won’t believe you!”
“Think for a second! What kind of drug has side effects that vanish the second you get a little startled?”
Cleo stammered for a few moments, dumbfounded. “I don’t know? You’re the med student! And I don’t exactly roofie myself recreationally!”
“If you were roofied, you’d barely be able to move. It’s sedative. It makes you sl-“
“I know what a sedative is, Mya. Fuck. Just…” Cleo closed her eyes and pulled her knees to her chest, trying to compose herself. “What did you do to me? What else are you planning to do to me?”
The pause that followed was uncomfortably long. “I didn’t plan any of this. You went and consented and when we kissed I-“
“I consented to a hookup, Mya. Not whatever… whatever that was.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I couldn’t control it.” A beat, and she caught herself. “No, that sounds like I’m avoiding accountability. I’m not! I’m just… oh god I’ve never had to explain this to someone before.”
“Cut the bullshit or I’ll scream for help again.”
“I’m a succubus.”
Nothing from either side of the doorway. Mya could be heard shuffling awkwardly, cracking her knuckles individually as she waited for some kind of response. Some kind of reaction.
Cleo reacted as anyone would. “You are so full of shit. I’m going to tell the school board about this and then you’ll-“
“I can prove it! I mean, I’ll try to prove it! You just have to open the door and I’ll show you!”
Cleo began rummaging through the cupboards, trying to find anything she could use. Her phone was still in her bedroom. All that was there were various medicines, cleaning supplies, makeup, and other various bathroom essentials. “You just confessed to being a demon that fucks people to death. I’m NOT going out there.”
“That’s a misconception. Nobody dies. They just get tired. Or sick. Or-“
“Not happening.”
Mya was pacing back and forth, judging by the sounds of her steps fading and approaching. “I can’t safely show you if you don’t open the door.”
Cleo was doing her best to loosen the shower rod as she spoke. “What counts as unsafely showing me?”
“Well, because we- because I just fed, I have extra strength. I debated tearing the door open but I didn’t want you to lose your deposit.”
“How considerate.” The shower rod finally popped free, and the curtain clattered into the tub.
“Are you alright?!” Mya grabbed the door handle, jostling it briefly.
Cleo froze, panicking for a second at the idea that Mya really could rip the door open. “I’m fine! Don’t break the door!”
The jostling ceased. “Right. I’m sorry.”
“Let’s say I do believe your “succubus” claim. How does that change anything?” Curtain rod in hand, she began to approach the door.
“It’s a common misconception that succubi are totally in control during… feeding. It’s more instinctual.” With a slow and cautious hand, Cleo turned the lock to the bathroom as Mya rambled. “I can’t remember much of anything between us first making out and you freaking out. Except brief moments of clarity, but those were-“
With a yell, Cleo ripped the bathroom door open with one hand, and swung the curtain rod down hard with the other.
Mya’s hand grabbed her wrist, stopping the assault in less than a second. Her grip was terrifyingly strong, and her arm didn’t so much as tremble as Cleo began to try and pull away. When she spoke, her tone was one of genuine hurt. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Aren’t YOU trying to kill ME?” The shorter woman sputtered, panic flaring up in her chest.
“No! I keep trying to explain that to you! I didn’t…” Mya paused long enough to twist Cleo’s wrist and force her to drop the metal rod. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Now that they were face to face again, Cleo’s mouth felt agonizingly dry. She was painfully aware of how wide her eyes were, and how small she felt. Mya’s bare chest was covered in blood, but her nose had stopped bleeding. It didn’t even appear bruised. Her eyes were no longer dilated. Most notably though, dark blue horns protruded from her top of her forehead. So it wasn’t some panicked hallucination. Flicking her gaze down to the rod, she watched slack-jawed as Mya used her tail to push the makeshift weapon aside. “You really are-“ She couldn’t even finish the sentence.
Mya released her grip, stepping back as she placed her hands on her hips. “See? I said I could prove it if you opened the door.”
“Succubi are real?” It was still hard to grasp. Cleo could only stare dumbly.
Mya shifted her weight nervously, her confidence faltering as the human gawked. “It’s not exactly like the myths, but yes.”
“Oh my god. You’re going to turn me into some kind of food source, aren’t you?”
“Wha-“ Mya took another step back, clearly offended. “No! Fuck, dude. No. God I know I can’t make it right but please believe me when I say I’m NOT here to ruin your life or brainwash you anymore!”
“AnyMORE?” Cleo took a step back of her own.
“I mean- I… brainwash isn’t the best word. Compel, more like. I Can share my feelings and emotions with you, and intensify your own.” She curled her tail in front of her, and fiddled with the tip of it between her fingers. “I thought I was getting better at controlling it. I’m still kinda new to all this. But when we kissed I just got so overwhelmed and-“
Cleo slumped back against the wall, rubbing her eyes to make sure she really wasn’t hallucinating. “How are you new to it? You’re like… 22?”
“I turned 21 in January. And it didn’t start until I was twenty! I’ve only had a little over a year to adjust and… a-and when we kissed I hadn’t actually fed in awhile because of class work and moving and-“ She spoke faster and faster until she took a deep breath. “Please don’t report me. I’ll do anything! I want to live like a human. As close to a human as possible. So I need my degree and a clean record and-“
“But you’re not… you’re not human.” Cleo’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Mya’s hands clenched and unclenched. “I know. I feed about once a week to keep myself satiated. It’s a pretty frequent reminder.”
Cleo’s head shot up. “Oh, boo hoo!” Her words oozed sarcasm. “No pity for the people you take advantage of?”
“It’s not taking advantage! I… I never… I always ask!”
“Ask, and then what? Fuck with their brains until they can’t decline?”
“It’s not on purpose!” Now Mya was shouting, her tail lashing madly. Silence fell between them once again. How frequent were these tense pauses? “Normally I just give a guy a blowjob or let him fuck one round. Guys are easy! And they enjoy it! They just get tired afterward, that's all.”
Cleo rolled her eyes. “It’s like you don’t even see the issue.”
Mya groaned, turning away from the human. “You don’t get it. I don’t have a choice. If I don’t do it, I’m worried I’ll really hurt somebody. The hunger is fucking unbearable.” She reached for her clothes. “I’m not gonna mind control you or anything. I always try to hold back on that. But please, please don’t tell anyone. About this,” She motioned to the two of them “-or about this.” She motioned to her horns.
Cleo stood now, grabbing Mya’s hand. It was nothing more than a flick of her wrist for Mya to escape. “Does anyone else know?”
“No. Only you. Honestly you’re the only person who’s freaked out before or thought anything was wrong. I usually do one round, they pass out, and I get the hell out of there.” She slipped her underwear on, and reached for her bra, pausing as she seemed to finally remember the smears of blood on her chest.. “It’s not like they forget everything, either. I usually have it under control. I don’t know what happened tonight.”
Cleo watched her try to rub the blood off, and sighed. “You can shower before you leave, if you want.”
Mya’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because I’m not a bitch? And having a tail and horns while soaked in blood is extremely conspicuous.”
“You can see my tail and horns?” She touched the base of her horns as if she’d forgotten they were there.
“They’re pretty obvious…”
“No, nobody can see them. Not even other people I slept with. Did you see them before I told you I was a succubus?”
“Are you kidding? I grabbed one of them! Of course I saw them. I probably saw them while we were fucking without realizing.”
Mya’s tail twitched, and she glanced between Cleo and the exit. “If this is another lame attempt to kill me, I will mind control you to let me escape.”
“Do you want the shower, or not?”
“Yes please.”
—-
After taking some time to get the curtain and curtain rod back in place, Cleo waved Mya into the shower, shut the door, and fell onto her bed with a huff. A heartbeat, then two, and then she grabbed her pillow and screamed into it.
Fuck! What the fuck! What the fuck was she supposed to do?!
She banged a succubus! There didn’t seem to be any lasting effects, except that the scratches down her back were starting to sting, and her forearm was still sore. The need to sleep was overwhelming as well. Mya had explained that, hadn’t she? It was just a way of draining energy.
A horrible, dubious way. How much of that had been her? How much was mutual delirium? Was Mya telling the truth about also not having control over what happened? Her thoughts were the most awake part of her body as they raced. The exhaustion was hitting her harder now that she was laying down. No, she had to stay aware and make a plan.
She was the only one that knew. Mya was desperate to keep it a secret. She seemed genuine, but what if she was somehow controlling her to just think that way? Could she even trust her own thoughts? The brain fog from before had definitely cleared, so she was at least certain it wasn’t the same headspace she was currently in.
Her limbs felt heavy. Her eyelids drooped. It was stupid to fall asleep. It was stupid to let Mya stay even a couple minutes longer. That woman was dangerous. She had to be.
What would she do to Cleo if she left herself vulnerable?
The jolt of panic with that thought wasn’t enough to rouse her. Heart in her throat, Cleo drifted to sleep.
—-
When she awoke from a dreamless sleep, she felt nauseous. Groaning, she moved slightly to reposition herself. There was weight pressing down on her. Panic soared again, and she flung herself upright.
Her blankets fell to the floor. Nothing. Nobody was there. She must’ve pulled the blankets onto herself in her sleep. Or maybe Mya…?
As she reached for her phone to check the time, a note caught her eye. The message was scribbled hurriedly by a spare pen in curly, messy handwriting.
‘I’m sorry. Again. I should’ve tried harder to stop when I snapped. You don’t have to forgive me. Let me know if I need to do anything to keep this between us. Please.’
A phone number was scrawled across the bottom. Cleo groaned, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand as she picked up her phone. It was well into Sunday afternoon.
It took her reading the note seven times before she decided how to even begin approaching the situation. She took a couple minutes to check herself over. Her teeth were normal. There weren’t any branding or new tattoos magically appearing on her skin. No overwhelming desire to crawl to Mya and beg to fuck her. No new hickies or bite marks that weren’t there before Mya went to shower. She’d been asleep, exposed, vulnerable. And nothing happened.
The bare minimum, of course. But it was something. Had Mya truly had evil intentions, wouldn’t she have finished Cleo off last night? Probably could’ve turned her into some kind of sex pest.
So what was the plan from here?
—-
An hour later, she called the number.
“Ambione speaking.”
“Mya?”
“Oh,” the change in her tone was clear. A bit of a nervous edge rang in her voice. “Cleo, what is it?”
“Are you alone right now?”
“…Mhm.”
“This… succubi thing. How confident are you about your control over it?”
“Extremely, before last night. But it’s not like I’m going to snap and pounce on some poor guy. I’m half sensible.”
Cleo took a few deep breaths. “I don’t think you should go sleeping around with people who don’t know what you are.”
Mya’s voice grew a bit snippy. “Easier said than done, you know.”
“Listen. Listen, okay? What I’m saying is-“
“If I don’t feed, there’s gonna be a total shit show out there, Cleo!”
“-that you should test different-“
“It sucks but it’s a necessary evil! What else am I supposed to do, blast lead through my skull?”
“-ways to relieve the hunger by trying-“
“If I can get my degree I can work in a lab and find a fucking cure! Or something!”
“-sex with somebody who can minimize contact-“
“But if you tell anyone I’m fucked! Totally fucked! And I know I’m not the only succubus out there, so I have a real chance to fix a lot of people!”
“-and who knows fully what they’re agreeing to-“
“Cause I know damn well I’m not the worse one out there! At least I try to find people who want it!”
“-which is why I think we should do stuff together to figure out a method.”
“So forgive me for not jumping at the opportunity to- wait, what?” Mya finally stopped ranting, her brain processing what Cleo said. “But last night-“
“Listen. We wait until you’re a bit weaker, physically. Then, if I feel unsafe, I can at least defend myself. We can avoid direct skin contact. Have like… the safest sex on Earth.”
“When you word it like that, it sounds stupid.” Mya sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Why the change of heart?”
“If you were an honest threat, I don’t think I’d be capable of calling you right now and having this conversation.”
Another one of those painfully quiet pauses. “How do you know I’m not fucking with your mind right now?”
“You, uh-“ She made a squeezing motion with her hand before remembering it was a phone call, and nobody could actually see it. “Squeeze. That’s what it feels like. Pressure on my mind and in my chest. I don’t have that right now. I mean, I feel nauseous, but it’s not like… like last night.”
“Squeezing…” Cleo wondered if Mya was making that same motion. “Right. I guess I do.”
“So how long until you’re weakened?”
“Well, it’s gradual. But it’d say I’m below my natural ‘human’ strength by day seven. Day ten is when it’s unbearable. For comparison, I was almost at day nine when we hooked up.”
“Okay. Okay, hear me out. Day seven or day eight, we try… something. We’ll get condoms and dams and wear gloves and keep as many clothes on as we can. No kissing or biting or even prolonged eye contact.”
“That sounds like a nightmare-“
“It’s your best shot, isn’t it? If you keep sleeping around, either you’re going to hurt someone, or someone’s going to take advantage of your needs.”
Mya must’ve been cracking her knuckles again, judging by the sounds on the other end of the line. “Fine. Fuck it. You’re right.”
“Good. Okay. Next Sunday, then. Or Monday after class.” Cleo closed her eyes. “I’m going to put a lot of trust in you. I’m also gonna buy a knife for my own sake.”
“I understand. Next Sunday, then.” There wasn’t an immediate goodbye, but one final drawn out pause. “Um… Cleo?”
“Yes, Mya?”
“If it’s okay, do you uh… want to get dinner first on Sunday?”