[Nymph Grove] Intro (Patreon)

content: gender neutral reader, horde of male nymphs, wc: 600+

Something has been on your mind ever since you joined the Monster Hotel staff. While touring the outskirts of the estate, you noticed one patch of dark green expanding in the far distance, which contrasted starkly to the flat, open hills surrounding your building from all other directions.

"Is that a forest," you'd asked your Centaur Manager.

“...It is.” His smile dropped for a mere second, and his pace increased. “Let’s not waste our time with unrelated matters.”

To your dismay, the other monsters were just as reluctant to speak to you about your discovery. A frown would abruptly crease their features, and they’d stumble their way out of your curiosity. What was it about this forest that earned such a response from everyone?

“Oh no, dear, no. Don’t even mention that place.”

The Warden held you in his enormous lap, wrapping one arm around you protectively.

“Is it such a dangerous place?” you pressed.

“For us? Not at all.” He looked away for a moment, pondering. Perhaps avoiding the subject would only add to your eagerness, and he couldn’t take any risks. “In the heart of the forest, there’s a nymph grove.”

“Nymphs? What’s so scary about that?” you stared at him incredulously, imagining a beautiful, ethereal faerie resting near a pond.

“I suspect you’re thinking of something else, (Y/N). These are terrible creatures, rabid animals lurking in the dark and waiting to pounce. They feed on other monsters and sometimes won’t hesitate to tear their own kind apart. They could sniff your little human form from miles away. Never, ever leave the premises without us, alright?”

The tall, masked figure extended his little finger upwards, inviting you to make a promise. You returned the gesture without hesitation. It was rather obvious and of common sense that you wouldn’t voluntarily sign up to be a meal for some strange beasts.

…Or so you thought. In the middle of the night, you found yourself carried away by your very own legs, pulled by a peculiar impulse of unknown origins. Within the depths of your soul, you could hear the echoes of a luring voice - a foreign song calling you from beyond the tall gates. Were you stuck in a dream? As you reached the first trees of the forbidden forest, you realized the music ringing in your ears was more than just the product of an imagination stretched thin. Something was indeed calling out; you could hear the rapid rhythm of drums and a chorus of male voices intertwining with the wind.

The faint glow of the fire guided you further. At last, you could see an opening, a glade bathed in moonlight. You stopped in your tracks, gawking at what seemed to be a ritual unfolding before you.

Humanoid aliens danced around the flames, spreading out their leathery wings and flicking dragon-like tails against the ground. Their smiles were wide, revealing rows of razor teeth. They must’ve been the infamous nymphs the Warden warned you about. Monstrously majestic, you thought at the time, entranced by their unusual appearance.

Then everything came to a halt. You glanced down at the branch that had snapped under the weight of your foot, then looked up to the many pairs of eyes now resting on you. More importantly, you noticed the piles of entrails and bones scattered among the creatures. Good Lord, were you going to end up like that?

“There it is!”

Before you could react, a pair of burly arms raised you up and nonchalantly carried you to the group of men. He held you up as if presenting his most treasured trophy:

“Our prayers were a success. Behold, our tribe’s new mate.”

“What’s that,” one of them croaked. “A human?”

“Oh, I heard they’re delicious,” someone else drawled with hunger.

“This one’s for breeding only,” the leader concluded as a thunderous order.

A cold shiver crossed your spine. Would it have been unwise to present them with your own input? Then again, feeling their predatory gaze on you, watching the drool pool from their greedy mouths, you couldn’t help but feel a certain yearning blooming in the pit of your stomach.