Chapter 2

The living room was a total mess.

The succubus was sprawled out by the couch, not moving at all.

His tail was limp on the carpet, the scales dull and lifeless.

Was he dead?

I poked him in the waist with the broom handle. "Hey."

There was no response. I poked him again.

He rolled over, his face white as a sheet, lips chapped and flaky. Only his chest was barely moving.

I grabbed my phone and texted customer service: [What am I supposed to feed him? Raw meat or cooked?]

They replied: [Saliva, sweat, or blood. Anything that comes from your body is his energy source.]

I texted: [What kind of twisted setup is this? I want a refund, right now.]

Customer service started playing the pity card.[Hey, returning him is a huge hassle, and with him this weak, no delivery guy would take him.

[Just help him out. Even a little spit would give him a chance to bounce back.

[Saving a demon is worth a thousand good deeds, ma'am.]

The guy on the floor suddenly twitched.

His tail curled up in a pitiful little coil, quivering as it nudged against my calf. It felt like he was pleading for me to save him.

I was too soft-hearted for my own good.

I couldn't let him turn into a corpse right in my house.

I went to the kitchen, filled a glass with water, and held it in my mouth.

I crouched down in front of him and gripped his chin.

His face was almost unreal. Even on the brink of death, that otherworldly beauty still made my heart race.

I closed my eyes, leaned in, and shared the water with him, mouth-to-mouth.

The moment our lips touched, the guy who'd been sprawled out like a corpse suddenly jerked awake. His eyes snapped open. Those purple, slit pupils glowed with an eerie light.

He clamped his hand on the back of my head. His tongue invaded my mouth, greedy and relentless, devouring every drop of moisture I had to offer.

I tried to push him away, but he was way stronger than I expected.

The taste of blood spread through my mouth. He finally, reluctantly released me.

Silver threads of saliva clung to his lips as he let out a satisfied sigh. "Thanks for the meal, Master."

I wiped my mouth, almost puking from the taste. "Get the hell away from me."

But my words seemed total gibberish to him.

*****

To keep him from starving in my house, I had no choice but to start "feeding" him.

But I had boundaries. This was the only time after that. After that, it would definitely not work.

I pointed at the glass on the table. "From now on, you can drink from my water or eat whatever I leave behind."

His name was Silas.

When he heard that, the light in his beautiful eyes faded.

His tail drooped, sweeping back and forth on the floor. "But that's barely any energy at all."

"Take it or leave it. If you don't eat, you'll starve." I threw him an old T-shirt. "Put this on. Stop wandering around naked in front of me."

Silas looked a bit put out, but he still followed my orders.

Once he slipped on the shirt, it hid his body. Seriously, the kind that could get someone arrested, except for his tail.

Since the pants didn't have a hole for it, his tail had to curl up inside the waistband, leaving a huge lump right at his waist.

After a few days, I realized this guy was actually pretty handy to have around.

He took care of everything around the house, and his cooking could outshine a five-star chef.

He had a real knack for picking up on my mood. Just one look from me, and he could tell if I needed a drink or if something was bugging me.

Honestly, if it weren't for that tail always getting a little too handsy, I might've let him stay.

*****

One Saturday night, I was chilling on the couch, binge-watching my favorite show.

Out of nowhere, something started nuzzling against my foot. It felt cold and slick.

I glanced down. Silas was obediently kneeling on the carpet, wiping the coffee table.

But at some point, his tail had somehow snuck out. It was slithering up my ankle like a snake.

It had already snaked its way into my pant leg.

That gave me the creeps. "What are you doing?"

Silas looked all innocent, but there was a seductive flush at the corners of his eyes. "Master, my tail's itchy."

"If it's itchy, go scratch the wall. Why are you rubbing up against me?"

"Only your warmth can make it stop itching."

He got up and sidled closer, his voice so soft it was almost dripping with sweetness. "Master, can you help me wash it? There's so much dirt stuck between the scales, and it's really uncomfortable."

I stared at that glossy black tail of his. Seriously, he'd been dragging that thing all over the place these days. No one knew what kind of germs it'd picked up.

I was a total neat freak, and remembering how that thing slid up my pant leg made my skin crawl. "Go to the bathroom."

*****

Steam swirled thickly through the bathroom.

Wearing rubber gloves and armed with a brush, I scrubbed Silas's tail.

"Be gentle, Master." Silas pressed his hands against the wall, his back arched and body curled up tight. Sweet, needy moans escaped his lips.

"Keep it down. If you keep making those noises, I'll chop your tail off." I scrubbed even harder, the brush rasping over his scales.

He trembled even more, his knees going weak. He nearly dropped to the floor.

When he glanced back at me, his eyes were glistening, and there was no pain. He was clearly enjoying it. "Master, you're really rough."

I couldn't take it anymore. I threw the showerhead at him. "You pervert. Wash yourself."

I bolted out of the bathroom.