Chapter 15 Venom
Venom
Moving was fucking hard. My muscles were locked into place, my energy quickly leaving me. My body was desperate to shut down until warmth returned. But I couldn’t. Not while I had my mate with me. I had to guard her. Look after her. Provide her with food.
What a silly idea she had, cooking for me.
Did she not know that females were not supposed to trouble themselves with such mundane, menial tasks?
We’d have to learn much about our different cultures.
And while I was open to trying some of her traditions, I would not budge on this tonight.
I was going to make my first meal for her.
And if she let me, I would give her the first dose of my venom.
I wasn’t looking forward to that conversation, but it needed to be discussed.
She had to know what nagas were capable of.
But first, I had to persuade my muscles to move. I reached out for the pouch, every cell screaming in protest. Fuck. I gripped it with shaking, clumsy fingers, praying to all the gods that I wouldn’t drop it and embarrass myself. There was no way of hiding my weakness. It was too cold.
“You open it by pulling this tab,” I explained.
My tongue was sluggish. Soon, I’d be unable to talk.
But if I was lucky, this ration hadn’t lost its instaheat properties yet.
“Then you twist the seal at the bottom which starts a chemical reaction inside. See the steam? Make sure not to get your hands above a pouch while it’s processing or you’ll burn yourself.
The food will be ready in a click or two.
You’ll find utensils attached to the side, under that label. ”
I sat the ration down in front of my mate and opened a second one for myself.
Disregarding my own advice, I held my right hand above the pouch.
My scales could handle the heat. Warmth seeped through my scales, travelling up my arm.
I wriggled my fingers, suddenly more flexible again.
It wouldn’t last long, but I would enjoy it while I could.
“What kind of food is this?” my mate asked. “It smells kind of fishy.”
“I cannot fully read the label, it is not written in Intergalactic Standard. Maybe it is a dialect the early game makers spoke. If I’m not mistaken, this word means ‘avian’. But I could be entirely wrong. Does it matter?”
She gave the pouch a sniff. “I suppose not. It’s edible for me, right? It won’t poison me?”
No, but I might.
I cleared my throat. “No, it won’t. But before we eat, I have to ask your permission to…” I sighed. She was going to get scared. But this could save her life. I had to.
I slowly extended my fangs to their full length, watching her closely. “Nagas are venomous. The venom contained in my fangs can kill.”
She did not look scared, only curious. “Could you kill the monster that chased me?”
“A prondu? Unlikely. But my venom would hurt, maybe even paralyse. It would be enough to give me the time to get away. That’s more important than killing the beast. It is not evil by nature. Only hungry.”
Clare grimaced. “It looked very hungry.”
“The game makers would have made sure that it was. It looks better on camera if the monsters are crazed with hunger, taking risks they wouldn’t otherwise.
But going back to my fangs. The venom in them might not be enough to kill a prondu, but it would be lethal to you. Not that I would ever hurt you. Never.”
“Then what is the problem?”
“I know I said I would not talk about it again, but it is important. A naga’s venom has healing properties for one person only: their mate. We don’t know what we will face out there tomorrow, or in the days to come. I want to be able to help you should you get injured.”
She cocked her head to the side, her gaze fixed on my fangs. “Do you want my permission to bite me in an emergency?”
“Yes, but that is not all. If I bit you now, it would kill you. Your body needs to get used to my venom first. It will be enough for me to add two drops to your food. You might feel a little queasy afterwards, but having a full stomach should help. And I… I will need to drink your blood.”
Now she looked a little scared. “Please don’t tell me you’re a vampire?”
“What’s that?”
“Bloodsuckers that can turn into bats. Well, it depends on which story you read. Dracula is very different from Edward. Anyway. Are you a vampire?”
“I can assure you that I am a not. All I need is a drop of your blood so that my body can change the venom’s toxicity into something that is no longer lethal to you. I suppose it’s like I’m teaching my venom that you are my mate and that you are not to be harmed.”
“Only one drop?” She seemed relieved.
“I promise. I will prick your finger and you shall hold it over my mouth. I cannot mix your blood with my food like we will do with my venom. It has to be fresh.”
“You are a vampire,” she muttered, but it was light-hearted, not with fear. “Are there any other side effects I should know about?”
“Nobody has ever done this with a Peritan,” I admitted. “But we are mates, Glycon be praised. We are destined to be together. You will not-“
She held a finger to her lips. I stopped talking, even though I wasn’t sure what she was doing. Was she about to bite her finger to provide me with her blood?
I pulled the axe from beneath my blankets. “Do not bite yourself. We shall use the axe.”
Clare gave it a doubtful look. “I wasn’t about to bite my finger. That gesture was meant for you to shut up. You were talking mates again. You really have to stop doing that.”
I wanted to argue. Tell her that we were mates.
That this was real. She had to feel it. Surely, she felt it in her heart, in her soul.
We were meant to be together. Now and forever.
It didn’t matter that we were different species, coming together in the deadliest place in the galaxy. None of it mattered. She was my mate.
“If we’re using the axe, then I’m going to do it myself,” she said. Before I could stop her, she’d pressed her left thumb to the blade, nicking her skin. I could smell her blood immediately. It was sweet, so very sweet, like ripe fruit on a summer’s day.
I made myself smaller and bent my head back, exposing my throat. If she’d been a naga, she knew that I would only show such vulnerability in the presence of my mate or my parents. I opened my mouth, my fangs still extended, and waited for the drop of her lifeblood.
I felt a little self-conscious. Until now, I had tried to keep my forked tongue out of sight.
There were many species across the universe who saw it as a symbol of evil – not that I'd ever understood why.
But nagas were generally misunderstood, so it shouldn't have surprised me.
We were seen as tricksters, criminals, the worst of the worst. I was glad that my mate had grown up on a backwater planet where she wouldn't have been exposed to such rumours.
The moment the drop of blood hit my tongue, bolts of electricity raced all across my body, down to the very tip of my tail.
I gasped for air, taken aback by the severity of the reaction, before I managed to pull back control.
I closed my eyes for a moment to enjoy the feeling of bliss now spreading through me.
The blood tasted of iron and commitment, a promise of bonds too strong to break.
I swallowed it, savouring the taste, then looked at my mate with a smile.
"Thank you. It means more than I can put into words."
She pointed at her ration pouch. "I guess it's time for you to add your venom now?"
I pictured a prondu, rearing up and about to attack. My venom glands shot into action, pushing the liquid down into my fangs. I expressed two small drops, letting them fall into her food. This was not the traditional way of doing it, without witnesses or official ceremony, but it would have to do.
She stared at the pouch with an expression I interpreted as curiosity, but it could have been distaste.
Peritans were clearly a species not used to drinking each other's blood.
Not that nagas did that regularly. We had a reputation for all sorts of nasty behaviours, but sucking blood was not one of them. What had she called it? Vampire?
"To your health," she said and raised the pouch to her lips. I watched tensely, my breath stuck in my throat, as she swallowed the first mouthful. There was no way for me to tell if the blood had done its job. Please, Glycon, let this work.
Clare grimaced. "Not the best meal I've ever had, but also not the worst. What is this stuff?"
"A carefully chosen mix of nutrients that offers optimal sustenance to a wide range of species. At least that's what they usually contain. It's not real food, it's made in a lab. But it will keep us going for a while."
"Are you not going to eat yours?" she asked, nodding at the pouch I was still holding. Most of the heat had dissipated, but the food would hopefully still be lukewarm.
I could think of better things to eat – the lush taste of her blood still swirled in my mouth – but I needed the warmth.
I could already feel the muscles in my tail lock up again.
The blankets weren't enough to keep me at the temperature I needed to function.
The ration packs would keep me going for a bit, but not all night.
If the game makers attacked us during the night, I would be defenceless. The thought of not being able to fight for my mate chilled me more than the cool air.