Chapter 7 #2
“Thunder Rock Village is not a safe place for you and the other Hu-mansss,” Zathar said in a hushed tone.
“You must stay close to me at all times. The other females will want to challenge your right as my mate, they will kill you if they can.” I really hated the sound of that, I never asked to be his mate.
I was pretty sure I still didn’t even want to be his mate but from the sounds of it, that wouldn’t matter to the women of his Clan.
Zathar had more to say as we walked, explaining in whispers how he and his friends had been cast out for the lack of a mate.
At a certain point, the males lost their value if they couldn’t reproduce with a female and males tended to be more numerous than females.
It sounded extremely harsh but Zathar didn’t sound upset about his situation, he was far more worried about what the Queen had in store for us now.
“She’s going to lock you up somewhere while she plots, she’ll separate us if she can.
I am her firstborn son, and I have status.
The female I mate has as much right to be the Queen’s heir as her own daughters…
That’s why she’s so upset.” I got the message, I was not queen-material.
But if Zathar was already an outcast, why did it even matter?
Couldn’t she just send us on her way and forget we existed?
All thoughts of what was about to happen fled my mind when the trees opened up to show us the village nestled in the valley below. It was a small town with several dozen thatch-roofed houses, enclosed behind a palisade of thick gray poles; whole trees stripped of branches by the look of it.
I could see many Naga move behind that wood wall, some even on top of it; guards watching over this little place.
Smoke was curling from chimneys and a town square opened up in the center of it all, with many houses facing the center.
I got my first glance at Naga children playing in the stream of clear water that bisected the place like a shimmering ribbon.
When we neared the gates, shouts went up and soon it was a whole spectacle, everyone lining the dirt road to watch what the Queen brought home.
I heard shouts and jeers, laughter and mockery at the sight of us, and at the sight of Zathar’s sigils glowing for me.
They thought he had bad luck or was sick in the head for having a mating response to a creature such as me.
How could he continue to want me under such pressure? When his own people made such claims about me, felt such distaste for my scaleless, tailless being. Surely he wouldn’t want to keep me after this, especially if his mother offered him a place back home?
“Don’t listen to them,” Zathar hissed at me, his face grim and his grip tight as he cradled me in his arms. “I don’t care what any of them say or think. You are beautiful and soft and tasty, and you are so very very brave. They don’t know what they’re missing. I am the luckiest male there is.”
Ooh, he sure knew how to say all the right things.
I felt myself grow hot with the flattery, did he really think I was pretty when I looked so different from a Naga female?
Did he really think I was brave? I didn’t feel brave, I felt terrified out of my mind.
When I met his eyes, the azure orbs were narrowed, watching his Clansmen angrily but they instantly softened for me.
“You mean that?” I asked him, desperately wanting to believe it was true, that someone could actually think such good things of me.
“Yes, every word of it, Vera,” he answered huskily, “I will get us out of this, I promise. And then I will claim you and fill your belly with my seed.” Oh woah, that went from romantic to steamy in a heartbeat but the answering heat in my body told me that I kind of liked that too.
Zathar was direct, I had to give him that.
Maybe that meant that I really could take his words at face value.
I just hoped he wasn’t going to regret picking me over his Clan later.
Our parade ended at the town square in front of a house.
There was a commotion I couldn’t quite see from behind the many backs of our Naga escort.
It became clear when Zathar was urged to the door where the Queen gestured a graceful hand at the dark interior.
“Leave it here, you and I need a private talk.” She didn’t wait for an answer, simply turned around, chin raised haughtily in the air, and glided away.
Zathar remained frozen in place in front of the opened door, his expression shrewd as he considered his options.
I was pretty sure there was only one, he had to be cunning to get us out of this jam, and that meant not fighting right now.
She was locking us up for the time being, not killing us.
I hated it, hated the thought of yet another prison, but I knew I had to be brave.
He thought I was, now I had to prove it.
“It’s okay, go. Better to figure this out without any bloodshed, right?
” Zathar nodded, but he still looked very conflicted, his grip on my body growing tighter like he really didn’t want to let me go.
On impulse, I cupped the side of his face, feeling the softly pebbled texture of the fine scales that covered his cheek.
Leaning up, I captured his lips with mine in a quick kiss. “Go, put me down.”
He hissed, his eyes growing wide and his tongue flicking out to taste the air. Long and agile, with a forked tip, I was suddenly very curious about what he could do with that thing. “What was that?” he murmured, both of us ignoring the sounds of shocked gasps and outraged murmurs from around us.
“A kiss, don’t you do that?” I said, but my last words were muffled when he slammed his mouth back against mine, his own version far more awkward but flatteringly eager.
I opened my mouth, licked at the seam of his, and then his forked tongue came out to play, tangling around my own.
The muscle was unexpectedly powerful when he gave a gentle tug that caused an answering shaft of heat in my belly.
When we pulled apart, his tongue was flicking at the air, drawing scent back into his mouth with each pass.
Eyes like molten lava, he let me slide down his long, serpentine body until my feet touched the ground, my legs a little unsteady after that mind-blowing initiation.
As my belly slid along his groin I thought for just an instant that I felt something wet kiss my skin where my shirt had ridden up.
But once I was standing I didn’t see anything that could explain the sensation.
The guards flanking us were out of patience with our goodbye.
One gestured angrily with his spear at the open door, another pushed his way between Zathar and me, talking rapidly at him and pushing him in the direction the Queen had gone.
Neither dared to touch me, yet, and I wasn’t going to risk it.
With a final wave at him, I darted through the door.