Chapter 39 Blood at Dawn #2
I twist around, ready to tear the naga to shreds, only to find Kodyx. Sighing in relief, I re-face Julia but tilt my head back toward him. “He issss with me.”
She eyes him warily, then glances over her shoulder at the others behind the barricade.
As she does so, the sun beams over her face, lighting up her soft features in a golden-brown hue so breathtaking I am stunned on the spot.
Her rich brown eyes gleam with momentary amber, though when her gaze comes back to me, there’s worry marring her expression.
“He looks like the others that have been attacking us.” She surveys past me, on edge, like she’s expecting to see more of them, before turning her attention back to me.
Her brows furrow as she takes in my shoulders, arms, and chest. “What the hell happened to you?” she breathes.
“Krellix,” she adds with a hint of shock, her gaze dropping to my tail.
“You’re hurt—everywhere.” She reaches for my hand only to stop and pull it back.
“Do not worry about me,” I say, my voice gruff, still taking in her beauty, still feeling the sheer relief that she is here and safe in front of me. Uncaring of my wounds—I have been ignoring them already for hours—I grab her to me and embrace her tightly.
“Krellix!” she gasps, trying to push away.
I clasp her harder, bury my nose into her hair and breathe her in, shuddering all over. “My female.”
She stiffens then slowly eases in my embrace.
All the while, I watch the humans behind the barricade as they watch us back. There are still guns aimed at us. Several of the humans shout but I ignore their words, gripping my female to me and slowly guiding us around to shield her, should they decide to shoot.
She rests her brow against me as she places her hands on my hips. “I missed you.” Releasing her slightly allows her to blink up at me. “We need to talk.”
As much as I wish for that as well, the sound of hissing coming off in the distance must delay it.
I tighten my hold on her for a brief moment, then separate us.
“Yessss but it issss not yet safe.” I turn my face in the direction I hear the naga.
“Go back to the others until I finish clearing out the camp.”
“Clearing out the camp? You’re hurt as hell.” She eyes me up and down, frowning. “It’s dawn now. Let us finish taking care of them—”
“No!” I snap.
She flinches, then purses her lips in irritation.
“—I will make sure the rest of them are dead. It is my duty. Tell the others to wait as I root out and kill them.”
Her frown deepens as she scrutinizes mine. “Duty?”
I lift my fingers to trail them over her cheek. “To my female…” I tell her.
Her expression slowly clears as she takes in my meaning. She. Is. Mine.
She nods, understanding, accepting, and takes a step back.
As she does so, she pulls the weapon strapped to her shoulder forward.
“Okay. But I’m going with you. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you…
Not after finally seeing you—” she glances around and waves her hand “—after all of this.”
I jerk my chin towards the others. “No. We will talk after.”
She ignores me, starting to walk away with her weapon up. And as she takes another step and I sweep my eyes over her curvy form, I shake my head. I have forgotten how tenacious she can be.
Hearing the naga move closer, I pivot to my right, giving in. In combat, Julia will do as I say and she also has Kodyx watching her back. Between that and her own skills, she will be safe enough. “Stay with Kodyx and do not engage unlesssss necessary.”
“Understood.” She pauses long enough for me to take the lead.
With Kodyx at my side and slightly behind, Julia takes the same position on the opposite side of my tail.
The growing hiss is coming from the other side of a partially-collapsed building in front of me. I duck around it and head straight for the noise. The other naga appears around the second corner just as I lunge forward to ambush him head-on.
He startles as I pummel into him, giving me enough time to wrap my tail around his middle and drag him to the ground.
Instantly, the sound of three more nagas erupts, coming from the camp path to my left.
One drops to the ground dead as Julia’s rifle goes off.
She is shifting to shoot another when the naga under me hits me in the side with his tail, drawing my full attention.
I quickly end his life before the last naga reaches me.
And just as he does, Julia drops him with her weapon.
After a moment of making certain the nagas remain lifeless on the ground, we look at each other.
“I can be useful,” Julia huffs, and smiles. “I just need a clear shot.”
I nod my head sharply and drag my eyes off her before I get distracted by her charming bravado.
We eradicate the remaining nagas in the camp in short order, finding the last few feasting from the bodies of those killed earlier.
And as I send Kodyx back to the forest to wait for me, and Julia heads to the tunnel to tell everyone that it is safe to return above, I clench my hands and fight the same urge I have been fighting with little reprieve from the beginning.
The urge and instinctual need to grab my female and carry her back to my nest. To leave everyone and everything behind so I can focus on nothing except her.
“I’m glad you’re here. I’ll be back soon,” she says, staring at me hard before she turns away.
Repressing the need to go after her, I head to the entrance, where I begin dragging the corpses of the nagas away from the camp.
But as I get closer to the forest, the memories of our times within rise…
and the pressure to mate alongside them.
A desperate frustration fills me—so intense I flee, flee from the encampment, flee from her.
Because if Julia returns to me right now, I will take her, regardless of her wishes.
I want and need her so badly, it hurts.