Chapter 15 Khal
Khal
Sleeping when everyone else is awake absolutely sucks. I've missed out on so much since I flipped my sleep schedule. The only positive is that my night vision is unrivaled. Diaval comes a close second, but he's not naturally nocturnal like I am.
Feray sits there and eats two whole plates of food before she tells the others to stop refilling her plate. Affectionately, she rubs her stomach, calling it her food baby. Everyone, including myself, stops and stares at her as she smiles, looking down at the slight distention of her stomach.
I can imagine her swollen with my child, looking down at it with so much love that it makes my heart want to explode with joy. Shaking my head, I clear those hopeful thoughts. One day in the future, once we're sure all the danger is far behind us, I can worry about creating life with my mate.
Diaval uncharacteristically pulls Feray to him and points to the stars in the sky. I'm guessing he's teaching her about astronomy and how his people used to navigate the night skies. Every once in a while, words drift to me as I scan the meadow we've chosen for the night.
"Something on your mind, Khal?" Easton makes me jump at his sudden intrusion into my thought process.
My eyes drop to the earth below my feet, then I look around.
"If it's not too much trouble, can you scorch this section of earth?
" I motion to the area I intend to shift in and coil up with Feray.
"It would be easier to watch for danger and give me level ground to coil up for Feray to get a good night's sleep. "
"Not a problem. Just have a drink and some food ready for when I shift back."
Easton steps away from the group and literally bursts into flames.
Feray gasps and jumps at his theatrical shift.
The next thing I know, lithe hands are gripping my t-shirt tightly, and I feel the heat of her body pressed into my back.
"I saw him in flight when he rescued me.
It was as terrifying as it was intensely beautiful.
" She whispers as he takes to the air and starts circling before laying down a stream of fire like a flamethrower.
I pull her alongside me and tuck her under my arm.
Looking over my shoulder, I notice Torben is having a similar reaction to the fire as Feray.
It must be something to do with fur-bearing mammals having a fear of fire.
Diaval steps up beside Feray on her other side and takes her hand in his. "He would never hurt you." His voice is pitched low, and she looks over at him and nods, still occasionally trembling in my arms.
"Is the fear of fire a mammal thing?" I glance over at Diaval briefly before watching Easton practically glass the area for Feray's safety.
"Yes. Their fur will burn in seconds, and their soft skin will peel off their muscles, eventually exposing bones and tendons."
Diaval's clinical explanation almost turns my stomach.
Feray's reaction takes the cake—she's standing there looking up at him like he's a hydra.
"That wasn't even a thought!" She screeches at him, then moves to the opposite side and tucks herself back under my arm.
Her reaction gets Torben to step forward and press himself against her opposite side, rubbing her back.
"Then what is it?" Diaval queries.
"Her friend was badly burned in a fire." Easton says after he shifts back and adjusts his tie.
I remember hearing mentions of the satyr and what happened to him. Her fear of fire didn't make sense until right now. Easton approaches and offers her his hand. Feray gives me a squeeze before going to him. He runs his hand over her hair, and her feather ignites.
"My flames can no longer harm you. You are their life and reason for living.
" A small font of flames manifests in his hand, and he holds it out in front of her.
For several moments she stares at the fire, then hesitantly reaches out.
The flames wrap around her hand, not touching it at all—as if there's some sort of shield around her skin.
"That's amazing..." Her breathy tone makes all of us pause as she plays with his fire.
"Keep in mind, my flame—regular fire can still burn you. Mine cannot. There is a difference." He tilts her head up and presses a kiss to her lips gently. "We should turn in for the night. Khal, what do we need to do?"
I glance from Diaval to Easton. "Cover your eyes until I thump my tail on the ground. I need to get the membranes over my eyes. After that, whenever Feray is ready, she can climb up and get herself comfortable."
As I walk away, I see Torben coming over with a sleeping bag that looks extra fluffy. He takes hold of Feray and spins her away from where I am, pulling her close. Looking at him from behind, I can't see her at all.
When the others turn away, I start my shift.
My shift feels excited, happy to be able to tend to and care for our mate.
I'm not sure how the other species feel when they shift, but for me, it feels like stretching taffy—the pull of my skin, the stretching of my muscles, and a warmth that flows over me.
Out of habit, I close my eyes so as not to accidentally turn anyone to stone. When my shift is complete, I make sure all six nictitating membranes cover my eyes before I open them slowly. I rise above the others and tap my tail on the ground to get their attention.
Diaval looks me over, then touches my scales.
"Good strong armor." He raps his knuckles against the scales and nods.
"Definitely strong armor. I'm sure Feray will be safe within your coils.
" Having the wyrm's seal of approval makes my shift feel pride for once instead of shame for what we are.
Torben releases Feray, and she rushes over to me. I lower my head.
"There's my giant spicy danger noodle." She shifts her nails to claws and starts preening my face as I move my body to form coils.
"Can you tighten your coils a bit more? I'm going to lay her sleeping bag in the middle." Torben motions to my body. Feray releases my face, and I coil up tighter, making sure to leave a protected area in the middle.
"Looks perfect, man..." Torben uses my scales to climb my coils. He looks down into the dish I've created and lays out the sleeping bag for her. Once the bedding is complete and he's satisfied, he climbs back down.
Feray goes between her three other mates and kisses them each good night before she comes to stand alongside me, looking up at my coils.
I watch with bated breath as Feray, my dearest mate, begins her ascent up my basilisk's armored coils.
Each scale is a dark, ink-black masterpiece of nature's design, rough and rugged from countless battles.
The moment her fingers touch the first scale, I can see the determination in her eyes, and I'm filled with profound pride.
She's not afraid of us.
As she continues upward, I can't help but admire the intricate pattern of my scales.
They overlap like shields, offering both protection and a striking visual display of power.
Their texture, rough to the touch, reminds me of all the challenges I've faced and overcome—as a criminal and as a creature who has been put through hell to get to this point.
I feel the weight of responsibility on my serpent form, knowing that she trusts me in my most deadly manifestation to keep her safe. It's a bond of profound trust, a testament to the unbreakable connection that binds us together as mates.
My heart swells with pride as I realize that, even in this deadly form, she sees not just a fearsome creature.
She sees me as a protector who would move heaven and earth to keep her out of harm's way.
Once inside my coils, she strips out of her sundress and shifts to her white wolf.
She shakes out her fur before circling around the inside of my coils and lying down.
Lowering my head, I grip her dress with my teeth and lay it outside my coils over a lone bush.
If anything is hunting by scent, her dress on ground level will distract them.
"Expecting guests?" Easton moves to stand before me and the lone bush untouched by his flames.
Nodding my head, I stare in the direction we came from.
"I don't trust them either." Easton looks in the same direction. "Turn this place into a sculpture garden if you have to. Diaval and I will clean up whatever mess you make protecting Feray." I nod again and lower my head over Feray, protecting her the only way I know how.
Later in the night
My basilisk's coils, sensitive to the subtlest vibrations, twitch with eerie awareness that something wicked slithers closer to our camp.
I tense, feeling a shiver of unease ripple through my bond with my creature.
Gently, I raise my head, careful not to make a sound, and my gaze darts across the shrouded wilderness that envelops us.
The night is alive with shadows, a theater of obscurity where unseen danger lurks.
Through my basilisk's keen thermal vision, I discern bluish, ghostly shapes shifting and advancing in our direction.
I narrow my eyes, confirming my worst fear—vampires, the sworn enemies of our mate's kind.
The icy grip of dread tightens around my heart.
Without hesitation, I raise the alarm, issuing a low warning hiss that reverberates through the quietude of the night. It's a signal to my bondmates, a clarion call to brace for the imminent onslaught. Our shared connection to Feray pulses with primal urgency, conveying the impending peril.
Diaval, Easton, and Torben, wrapped in fitful slumber, are awakened by my ominous cry.
Their eyes snap open, pupils dilating with instinctive readiness.
In the dim moonlight, their expressions harden with determination.
As they scramble to their feet, Easton's and Torben's shifts burst free of their human forms. The four of us form a vigilant circle, united by our shared bond and a deep-seated resolve to protect Feray.
In the black canvas of the night, the approaching vampires draw closer, their malevolence and thirst for blood palpable. We stand as a formidable wall against their impending assault. The clash between our species is an ancient one, steeped in blood and shadow, and tonight, it will be written anew.
As the first wave of vampires lunge from the shadows, Easton unleashes the fiery fury of his phoenix.
With a powerful beat of its wings, it rises above us, feathers aflame, casting a brilliant inferno across the landscape.
The night itself ignites, and the vampire horde is engulfed in a searing cascade of flames.
Their agonized howls pierce the air, a stark testament to the destructive might of Easton's elemental form.
Torben's Kodiak, an embodiment of sheer power and ferocity, rears up on its massive hind legs.
Its colossal form dominates the scene, and with a deafening roar that reverberates through the forest, it bellows its war cry.
The ground trembles beneath its immense weight.
He charges headlong into the throng of vampires, slashing and mauling with primal, untamed might.
Diaval, ever the strategist, quickly retrieves his concealed cane from the back of the SUV.
With a flick of his wrist and a swift pull, a gleaming saber blade springs forth from its hidden sheath.
He moves with the grace of a seasoned duelist, striking down vampires with a dancer's precision.
The blade slices through the air, a swift and deadly instrument of defense.
Behind me, I hear the eerie sounds of vampires closing in. In an instant, I lower myself, shielding Feray with my body, and my nictitating membranes flicker down, freeing my eyes.
With a swift, practiced motion, I lock my gaze on the approaching foes, and the ancient power of my basilisk surges through me.
Several vampires are caught in its irresistible grip, their forms gradually hardening into stone.
The transformation is a gruesome spectacle, their expressions of malice forever etched into their stony visages.
Amidst the chaos and the clash of elements, my bond-mates and I stand as a united front against the vampire onslaught.
Our unique gifts give us an edge against our attackers.
Thankfully, Feray remains curled tightly in a ball, secure in my scales.
I don't sense any fear from her. The only thing I can sense is anticipation and the desire to get out of my coils.
We wait almost twenty minutes after the last attack before we finally lower our guard and I let Feray's wolf out of my coils.
Her wolf walks straight over to her sundress. She shifts back and gets dressed. Her eyes search the battlefield, and I can almost see the moment she withdraws. Deep down, she's blaming herself for putting everyone in danger.
How are we going to convince her otherwise?