He searches me with his eyes, reading me, squinting like it’s hard to see me through the glass and I wonder if it has to do with the sunlight reflecting off of it. Still, I’ve never come out here like this before to see who’s watching and waiting. I typically stay in my room when the others aren’t around.
While the naga studies my face, I blatantly study everything I can about him in return. I swallow to steady my nerves.
He’s beautiful, lithe like Vruksha and Vagan, but muscular enough to indicate some amount of strength.
He cocks his head and his white hair tumbles over his shoulder. “I would treat you well,Julia.”
I barely hear his voice through the reinforced glass but jolt slightly back anyway.Of course he knows my name…
It has become apparent that those nagas who don’t immediately attack others on sight have a penchant for gossip. This one might have also approached Zaku about me.
Taking a deep breath, I tilt my head and nod, letting him know without words that I hear him. Since I have yet to figure out exactly what I’m doing, I don’t want to give anything else away.
There’s movement to the left and another naga emerges from out of the trees.
Like the one in front of me, I’ve also caught sight of this male before. He slips across the yard at a slow pace, his gaze flickingbetween me and the silvery-blue naga. This male is identical in appearance to the first except for one detail: he has black hair instead of white. Despite the two males being of the same clan, the one approaching isn’t haughty in his swagger at all.
With a furrowed expression, he seems annoyed. Feeling companionship to that annoyance, I face him outright, giving him my full attention. He shifts his gaze away from me and looks around like he’s searching for a trap.
The first naga shifts to the side to partially face the other male as he pauses before the window. He briefly glances over his shoulder at the forest behind them. Next to each other, it’s clear that they are cousins if not brothers.
As the second slowly re-faces me, I see the first one scowl. Opening up my straining hands and flexing out my fingers on my lap, I decide right then I’m not diving into that mess. I don’t need two males—related males even—vying for my attention. Ditching them would be infinitely harder if they’re thinking about sharing.
I’ve been told male nagas are territorial and possessive.I feel their eyes bore holes into my body as I peer behind them and at the forest.
Doing my best at giving off an appearance of calm assessment and not one of anxiety, one of the males hisses loud enough for me to hear, and I turn to shoot him a look right when another naga appears. My gaze wavers between all three. The new one, approaching slower than the first two, watches the two silver-blue males warily. His stance turns offensive when the blue nagas turn and bare their fangs menacingly at him.
“Stop!” I stand and call out before they attack each other. “I want to see all of you!”
All three turn to me at the same time, and with narrowed eyes, regard me for a long moment.
Stepping away from the chair and the first two nagas, I approach the glass and walk toward an empty space for the newer male to meet me at. As he slowly slides towards me, the brothers continue to bear their fags and hiss at him in warning. I pay them little mind, now focused on the newest arrival.
With colors of various grays and greens patterning up and down his body, this third naga is just as handsome as the silvery blue ones, though far less striking in overall appearance. Rather than having white or black hair, the newest sports short brown hair, tousled messily around his tapering cheeks. He’s dirty, with dusty spots marring his face, chest, and arms. With muscles that are more defined, he ignores the silvery blue nagas, clearly unafraid of them. I stiffen from his blatant perusal of me.
Feeling all of their eyes on me, I swallow thickly and try my best to hide my unease.
It took one very desperate naga to break the glass. What could three nagas do working together?
I usually have no qualms about being checked out, but tonight is different. Tonight may lead to something that might alter the entire course of my life.
I need to make sure I choose the right naga—ifI’m going to choose one.
“Don’t hurt each other,” I tell them loudly. “Not tonight.”
Over the next hour, more show up to approach the glass and, as it becomes more apparent what I’m doing, the males outside seem to be willing to allow it… to a point, still keeping their distance from one another and snapping at those that get too close. And as more arrive, it seems to me either word has gotten out or there’s far more nagas watching me from the forest than I, or anyone, realized.
A brief brawl breaks out between two males that are similar in appearance to the gray and green third male, but otherwisethere seems to be an understanding growing between them that I’m going to choose one.
Whether I do or not, I’m not going to let them fight it out and decide for me, that’s for sure. I’ve had too many choices taken from me that with this, I refuse to have it out of my hands. The idea of letting Zaku or anyone else choose a naga for me makes me nauseous. I’d rather rely on my gut intuition, it’s rarely failed me in life. I may not want to lose my… freedom… but I’m still going to choose one if I’m forced. Me, not them.
I’m feeling a little forced.
I’m feeling a little desperate.
If I choose, I can hedge my bets better by escaping later with my life. I’m wanting a naga who might not actually want me back, or isn’t smart, or seems distracted. I’m searching for the easiest target to leave when I inevitably escape them and figure out a way back home.
Thankfully, the Boa doesn’t appear and as the remaining sunlight fades and the fireflies emerge, some of the stiffness in my shoulders melts. The nagas in front of me may be large and intimidating but none of them compared to the Boa.
