15. Comrades
FIFTEEN
COMRADES
Lukys
“Vagan!” I shout, following the rocky waterline along the river bordering his territory.
Eventually it will turn into a lake between the mountains, and I will be deep within it.
As I slip around tree trunks and through the jagged path, I call out the Blue Coral’s name.
If he is here, he will hear me. It is only a matter of time.
The mountains echo my voice, strengthening it, prolonging it.
Anyone in the area will be able to hear me.
The Blue Coral will have to come just to make me stop.
“Vagan, we must speak!” I yell as the water catches my eye. It is like unbroken blue glass, and I see no naga within it. There is no splattering of Vagan’s bright orange hair.
My teeth grit. “Vagan!” If I do not speak with the Blue Coral soon, I may not be able to return to my nest before tomorrow morning.
Or I may have to turn back and leave without speaking with him at all.
I do not want to leave Elena for longer than necessary and I have already left her far longer than I am comfortable with.
“Vagan!” I shout again as I head to where I believe his grotto is located.
I pause on the ledge of where the river becomes a lake and look to the steep mountains across it.
Spotting some of the machines from the soldiers’ encampment we destroyed, I peer past them for any spaceships that might have landed near there.
Any new soldiers. Seeing nothing but hills and empty forest, I am relieved.
“Lukyssss.”
I twist as Vagan emerges from the trees, his shocking orange face and bright blue body at odds with the earth tones of the forest. I straighten. It does not matter what is around him, everything is dull next to the Blue Coral. He has some of the toughest coloring to camouflage outside of the water.
Unlike my own skin and scales, which is bleak next to Vagan’s, I can hide easily in many environments. I am invisible at night.
He stops a short distance before me, glancing at the lake. “What do you want?” He releases a low hiss with his next breath, his dark eyes returning to me. “Why have you come here? Is something wrong?”
His gaze drops to my middle and narrows.
I straighten further, releasing a low hiss, considering the positioning of the Blue Coral’s tail, and wondering if I need to worry about an attack. Thankfully, he is not giving off signs he may fight me. Responding in turn, I keep my tail relaxed.
Vagan’s black gaze drifts to my face. “You are growing a knot.”
My jaw clenches. “I am.”
“Have you found a female?”
“I… have.” I knew I would have to admit this to him, but I also knew he already had a female of his own and would not be seeking another. I do not think the Blue Coral would come for mine. “She… is why I am here.”
Vagan rolls his eyes. “I am not surprised. Not with a bulge like yoursssss.” His stance relaxes.
“Not surprised?” I ask, relaxing as well. “Did you also have trouble feeding yours too?”
Vagan leans forward, the side of his lips twitching. “So, you have a female and she will not eat.”
“Yessss,” I huff, happy I do not have to explain to him why it is an issue.
“I have tried many things. Fruits from the bushes, fruits from the trees. Rabbit meat. Fish. Does she want deer, pig meat? I have not sought those out yet, but is that the trick? Do I have to impress her with wolf or bear? I will do so if I must, but she is fading and I fear I am running out of time.”
“Wolf or bear might work.”
“Fading? What do you mean? You have a human female with you?” I hear a woman’s voice from behind the Blue Coral. A dark-skinned female with blue eyes walks out from the trees and stops at Vagan’s side.
Shelby. Vagan’s bride.
He turns to her and hisses. “I told you to stay behind.”
Shelby puts her hands on her hips. “It’s just Lukys and I want to know why he’s here just as badly as you do.
” She is wearing blue pants similar to Elena’s and a loose faded black tee shirt.
Her dark brown hair is tied back and braided.
Curvy, with well-defined muscles lining her bare arms, she appears healthy and strong.
And well fed. Elena has not looked like Shelby since I first saw her. But Elena is also smaller than Shelby.
Vagan lifts his chin. “I would have shared what I had learned.”
Shelby’s bright blue eyes temporarily stun me when the sunlight makes them gleam.
“Yeah, but you might not ask the right questions.” Her gaze drops to my bulge, and her dark skin pinkens as she draws back.
“You said fading—” she says quickly, returning to the subject from before and clearing her throat.
“What do you mean? Is she sick, hurt?” She looks around. “Where is she?”
“No.” I coil my tail in front of me. “Neither. She is also not with me. She simply will not eat. I have tried meat, fish, and fruit, and she accepts nothing. I have given her water to drink and bathe with and she refuses it.”
Shelby’s eyes narrow. “Has she told you why? People don’t just stop eating unless there’s a reason.”
I straighten as her squinting gaze takes me in suspiciously.
“I will not say.”
“Lukyssss,” Vagan warns.
“Did you do something to her?” Shelby asks, and Vagan, leaning forward, pulls Shelby closer to him.
I throw out my arms with exasperation before Vagan does something stupid, like attack me. “I have done nothing to her except take her to my nest where she can be safe.”
Shelby and Vagan are silent for a moment before Shelby sighs and palms her face with her hands. “And did she come with you willingly?”
My nostrils flare.
Blue light emanates from her eyes before vanishing. “No wonder she won’t eat! She’s probably scared out of her mind! Look at you, look!” She points at my bulge. “If I were stuck in some stranger’s nest with a hard-on like that facing me, I’d refuse to eat too!”
We all peer down at my straining skin and scales, stretched to the max. It is not a pretty sight.
Vagan and I share a look and hiss at the same time.
He tugs Shelby further into him, wrapping his tailtip up her leg. “Do not ponder him there. That is not for you. Mine issss.”
“I cannot help it,” I growl, annoyed. “But maybe if Elena would eat, I could focus on making her less afraid of me.”
Shelby shakes her head, placing her hand on Vagan’s arm reassuringly. “Have you told her that?”
“That I cannot control the way my body reacts to its mate?”
“Maybe don’t say it like that… Anyway—that’s not the point. The point is that you took this woman, most likely against her will, and now she’s refusing to eat and nothing you do is helping the matter. Well, I know something that will certainly fix your problem.”
The taut muscles along my tail loosen. “You do? I have to impress her with a bear? I knew it…”
“No! Let her go! For crying out loud, let her go back to wherever you took her from. That’s my advice to you.”
“If I do that, she will be in danger. Her ship is running out of suppliessss, and it is out in the open where she cannot easily hide from prying eyes.” Then there are the males, Levy and Greg. And my clan. “She is in my territory. I have a right to claim her.”
“You have no right to her at all, whether she is in your territory or not! We all saw the ships come down. We all know The Dreadnaut is gone. Everything is chaotic and now it appears you have a person in need of help. You should try doing the right thing and start helping her instead.”
The Dreadnaut? “I am helping her. I am providing for her a devoted protector and a well-fortified nesssst. She has more food and water than she can eat or drink. She did not have to risk herself to retrieve these.”
“In exchange for what?”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“What does she have to do to get your protection and your home? Your help?” Shelby snaps, her gaze dipping to my middle again.
I stiffen. “She has to be mine…”
“That is the problem.” Her eyes flash again.
“I hope to god you haven’t touched her. She does not want to be yours, Lukys.
Let her go and help her because she’ll need it, and if you don’t fuck things up further, maybe she’ll someday forgive you.
This was a bust. Males.” Shelby waves her hand in annoyance as she walks back into the forest.
I look at Vagan.
“I do not envy you.” He releases another low hiss. “I had my own battle with Shelby, but it is nothing like yourssss.”
I sigh, frustrated and anxious I have made a grave mistake. Whether that mistake was coming here or being told what my own misgivings are telling me. I fear it is the latter.
“I do not want to let her go,” I growl.
“I know. But if I have learned anything from Shelby in the time we have been together, she is usually right. Let your female go, but make sure she is safe, and show her how convenient it would be if she had you in her life. You came here to get her to eat but perhaps you should stop. She will eat if she makes the decision to do so. Shelby likes making up her own mind… That is all the help I can give.”
I consider the Blue Coral’s words.
My reasons… No one, least of all Elena… sees them.
I will have to show her. Do as the Blue Coral suggests and show her.
I tilt my chin. “Thank you, my friend.”
“Good luck, Lukyssss.” Vagan coils his blue and orange-tipped tail under him, turns, and follows his mate into the woods.
After he leaves, I make my way back toward my mountain, racing against the sun now descending toward the horizon.
I will release her.
But I will not let her go.