Page 4 of The Naga Outcast’s Unwanted Mate

As the pod opened in front of me, I hurriedly focused my attention on the woman. She blinked awake, freezing while she took in her surroundings and the hulking shadow, glued to my back. “It’s okay,” I started, hurrying to explain our dire situation, and that so far these males didn’t seem like a threat. With a glare over my shoulder, I added, “We’ll figure that part out later.”

The female was lithe and strong and with practiced moves she jumped from her pod. “I’m Kalani,” she declared, her dark eyes scanning the wreckage of the ship before settling with a fierce look on the male behind. “I will help get everyone out. Careful, they look dangerous.”

She made no fuss at all as she slunk between the pods on light feet and started urging the female I’d woken and the one other that had climbed out of their pod to the tear in the hull. I noticed that it was a guy, so we weren’t all girls, and only two pods remained to be opened. I hurried to the nearest one, yanking myself out of Azure-Eyes’ grip to get there. He seemed willing enough to let me go this time.

Bending over the pod I got to work, pressing the buttons to make its occupant wake up. It was another female, but this pod had taken some dents and scratches from fallen debris so the glass was clouded. I hoped she was alright in there, I needed to get her out fast because whatever it was the snake-men were doing at the front of the ship, it was causing more water to run inside. I could hear it burbling and swishing.

Something bumped into my ankle, causing me to stifle a scream, but it was only the light blue and silver tip of a tail. It curled against the bare skin of my ankle, and I wondered if it was Azure-Eyes’ way of making contact without quite encroaching on my damn space so much. When I cast a look his way, I saw that he was lifting a huge chunk of debris out of the way so that his smaller friend could slide in and lift out an injured woman. Mr. Midnight was doing the same from the other side and the way their impressive muscles strained as they worked, it definitely had my eyes linger for a second longer than necessary.

The thunk of the cover of the pod opening had me turn to look at the pod’s occupant, the woman inside it small and frail-looking. If I had to guess, I’d say she was not exactly healthy. She struggled to open her eyes, her dark lashes feathering against the deep bruising beneath each eye. “Woah,” she muttered, staring up at me in surprise, “Aren’t you Vera Clayborne? I thought you got executed.”

Taken aback by her statement I floundered a little for words. “I am, and I thought I was executed but the UAR screwed us over a second time.” I updated her in a few short sentences about the situation while assisting her into sitting up, she ruefully eyed her legs as she started using her hands to pull them free of the pod. They were thin, lacking any kind of muscle definition, and with some horror, I realized this girl probably couldn’t walk at all. That had to be terrifying, to be that vulnerable in this situation.

“I’m Naomi,” she offered, sticking out her hand while she bravely started to slide out of the pod, balancing on the edge with what looked like a well-rehearsed move. I shook her palm, “Not to be rude, but you probably aren’t going to be walking fast are you?” Her eyes had a determined gleam to them as she declared that she’d keep up.

“Iave, pick her up and get her out of here,” I heard Azure-Eyes demand of his hulking friend. I didn’t like the sound of that but the male swooped in almost immediately, startling me with his speed. Naomi didn’t utter a sound as the huge, strange alien slung her into his arms, though I saw how wide her eyes had gone. “It’s alright! So far they’ve been helping us,” I tried to reassure her. I had absolutely no idea if that would continue to be the case or if they were going to sacrifice us to a volcano or eat us at a later point in time. Right now, they seemed the be our best bet for safety, and my odd attraction to Azure-Eyes was making me recklessly desperate to just trust them. Stupid idea, never let your damn ovaries do the leading.

I rushed for the last pod, catching sight from the periphery of my eyes of the smaller male slithering after Naomi and Midnight out of the wreckage. He was cradling the injured female they’d dug out from the front carefully in his arms, a concerned expression on his face that warmed me. Didn’t look to me like that one had thoughts of eating us in mind.

Right as I reached the last pod, close to the huge tear in the side of the ship. The entire vessel lurched and shook, and a wave of black water washed up over my feet. I grabbed for the pod but missed by a hair as the trembling of the ship got so bad that I went tumbling down into the murky depths filling up the wreckage.

A hard appendage curled around my midriff and yanked me upright, spluttering and spitting out water. I was disoriented for a moment because everything around me had shifted, only the band of scaly flesh around my middle remained the same. “Hang on, I’ve got you mate,” a deep voice rumbled.

I was hanging in his tail, azure eyes blinking at me from somewhere above me. It was even darker than before but I could just make out that the entire vessel had tilted, now it was almost vertical in the water. That tail had me dangling suspended above the surface and from the only source of light, I could just make out the shadowy shape of a pair of wide shoulders.

Then something fell from above, clunking me in the head, and everything went dark.

Chapter 3

Zathar

My heart was pounding in my throat when my female suddenly went limp in my grip. How badly was she hurt? I hadn’t even seen what had hit her, but our situation was dire. Our exit was tilted such that the only way out was now a several-foot drop into the deep water, an icy swim, followed by a steep climb.

I heard Corin and Iave call for me, urging me to hurry; they’d seen the first Bitter Storm warriors approaching through the woods below us. Not good, they would outnumber us, and I doubted they’d do anything good to these strange new people we’d found.

Curling my tail up, I pulled the female’s limp form in close until I could lift her beneath one arm. My eyes told me there was a red smear on her temple, a cut from where something had hit her. I didn’t like the look of it, but the taste of her salty, metallic blood on my tongue was enticing. With her under one arm, I pulled myself through the hole, my long tail curling and twisting to find purchase. Draping my body just right, I let us slide down the slick side of the vessel and into the water, breaking our fall with my muscled coils.

She gasped and spluttered as she hit the water, rousing a little; much to my relief. She had only been out for a few seconds altogether but that was still far too long. I curled her just so in my arm that her head remained above the water, coiling my body to propel us as fast as I could to the nearest climbing spot. A wave caught us, sending us to the rock wall far faster than I anticipated as the vessel finally sank completely beneath the water.

I braced for impact, hitting the rocks with my tail and shoulder but shielding the fragile female with her soft, warm skin. Skin that was rapidly cooling in the near-freezing water, her lips turning an alarming shade of purple and blue. Grabbing on, I hauled us over the edge, helped at the last moment by Corin’s tail as he slung it in my direction, yanking us onto soft pink grass. “You made it, thank the stars.”

We had made it, but my female was shivering in my arms, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to rouse. As I lifted myself up off the ground, cradling her to my chest, I eyed the approaching warriors. They had fanned out, hoping to surround us. Their red scales shimmered in the sunlight, their obsidian blades black and sharp. “We’ll head for Vangor pass,” I instructed Corin, “You carry the injured female.” I indicated the wounded woman we’d pulled from the wreckage.

“Iave, you carry the one with bad legs,” I instructed, casting my eyes about to locate my other friend. He was between the humans, squaring off against a dark-skinned female and one slightly bigger male that stood at her side. The other two females were on the grass, sitting down with pale, scared looks on their faces. They were arguing, but Iave was hissing in our tongue, while the newcomers spoke in their oddly lyrical language. I doubted any of them understood each other, but the effect was dramatic and they hadn’t even noticed the approaching warriors.

“Iave!” I yelled, pointing my hand at the row of menacing Bitter Storm males. They were grinning furiously, their teeth painted black, spears readying for a throw. Iave’s eyes went wide and his hand went to his ax, but this was no time for fighting. He seemed to conclude the same thing because he dipped and lifted the female with bad legs into his arms, throwing her over one shoulder as if she were a sack of goods. “Vangor?” he demanded, proving he’d heard me after all.

For a brief second, I wondered if the pitiful group of crash survivors was going to protest, especially the male and the tough-looking female. A look at the approaching warriors seemed to make up their minds. With Iave and Corin each with a burden in their arms in the lead, the others scrambled to follow. I was the last, with my mate in my arms, but I made sure to protect our rear.

A wave of spears came flying at us through the air just as my female fully roused. She let out another of her earsplitting shrieks, making my sensitive hearing ring. As far as defensive mechanisms went, not the most effective, but it was definitely uncomfortable. While I swung my body left and right, dodging the falling obsidian spears, I could tell the Bitter Storm warriors were briefly derailed by the sound.

My female hadn’t been the only one that screamed, some of the others had as well. The male and the brave warrior female had yelled in angry tones, not nearly as impressive, more reminiscent of cursing. They must be able to temper their fear response better. If I wasn’t so worried about making it out of here, I would have wanted to ask my mate about this difference.

Ahead, Corin was the first to slide between two narrow rock faces, out of range of the Bitter Storm spears. Iave paused, freeing his ax with one hand while he kept hold of the small injured female with the other. He was urging the refugees through, which they did in a mad scramble to get to safety. The only one who paused was the warrior woman, she stepped up at his side with a fierce glare, yanking a knife from a sheath at Iave’s hip and brandishing it in front of her.

I smirked as I rushed past them, no wonder my friend had gotten so intrigued with her stasis pod. They seemed well-matched and I was happy for him. This would heal the chasm between us and end the arguments we’d had over how to find a mate. I was very ready to be done arguing with my friend, it would leave more time to woo my new mate.

“Kalani, careful!” my female said, “Those look like they’re not here for a friendly chat.” I didn’t pause for the female to respond back but slid myself and my precious burden between the tall rock walls with only a little room to spare. I trusted my friend to follow us through the narrow crevice immediately after us.