Page 9 of The Naga Outcast’s Unwanted Mate

“But it doesn’t work like that for the others! Does it?” I pointed at Reid and Cosima who were staring at us with fascination. “You’re not touching them so you can talk!” I said and tried to stalk away. The tip of his tail still clinging to my hand meant I didn’t get much further than fifteen feet before I was yanked to a stop.

Zathar hissed, the sound angry and threatening, causing Cosima to whimper in fear. I didn’t feel scared, he could hiss and growl all he wanted, I wasn’t going to let him push me around. Even if he was a big snake with huge muscles. Even if he was our host and currently our best bet at survival.

“You should not be thinking of touching others, only me!” he said, while his tail pulled on my fingers. I stumbled forward, and then again as he kept on pulling. I dug in my feet, pulling back as hard as I could but my soft shoes slid across the smooth stone floor. With my free hand, I tried to wrest my captured fingers from his tight grip, but apparently, he shared some traits with a boa constrictor or something.

“Hey! Let her go!” Reid yelled out, rising to his feet and stalking over, his chest puffed up, his fists clenched. Well thanks, buddy. You yell at me, and now you’re coming to my defense? Make up your damn mind. I didn’t need him to rescue me, I fought my own battles.

Zathar’s growl rattled through the cave, deep and primal. My skin broke out in goosebumps and the fine hairs on the back of my neck rose. “Stay out of this, male,” he said, not that Reid could understand the words. He made sure the human understood the sentiment by pulling one of his short swords free and angling the blade tip straight for Reid’s throat. There was no clearer threat.

A final yank sent me tumbling forward so quickly that I realized he’d been holding back before, letting me put up that little fight. Probably because he thought my resistance was funny. I collided with his chest and shimmering lines along his pecs and belly lit up with a glow that was nearly white. “Is my mating display not good enough for you? Have I not shown you what a capable male I am?”

One arm curled around my waist, pinning me to his body, and the other still pointed his sword at Reid. The man had raised both his hands in the air in a sign of surrender and was slowly backing up, his eyes huge. “Are you okay, Vera?”

I was far from okay but I shrugged and nodded at him. My panties were soaked and that was not at all what I wanted to be feeling right now. I was angry damn it, not turned on by that display of strength. But seriously, what guy had ever asked me if he was good enough for me? No one. Mating display… My God, he was serious, he wanted me for his mate. Then I was struck with that familiar sense of inadequacy. All of this just meant he wanted me because his whatever things lit up on his chest, it didn’t mean he wanted me.

“I’m not your mate, Zathar,” I told him, but my fingers were digging into his chest, holding him instead of trying to push away. He growled at me, his tongue flicking out so far that it almost touched my nose. The look in his eyes could only be called heated and I was struck with the horrifying thought that maybe, like a real snake, he could actually taste scents with that tongue.

“Yes, you are.” He hissed, and his head dipped lower, his jutting chin horns grazing his own chest. “Mine. Forever.” I was convinced he was going to kiss me, stake his claim, and steal a little part of me. But he didn’t, his forehead brushed mine, the bumpy texture of his scales smooth and warm against my skin. The gesture was gentle, almost sweet.

“You only want me because your chest lit up like a Christmas tree,” I shot back, but much softer this time. I was suddenly aware of how much of a spectacle we were making; everyone was staring and Reid and Cosima could understand every word I said, we hadn’t exactly been quiet.

“That is not true!” he denied, but when I tried to yank myself out of his arms, he let me go. That was all the confirmation I needed; it was true. He didn’t know me from Adam, so that was all it could be. My face felt hot from embarrassment. If my mother was here, she’d have plenty to say about how much I’d screwed this up. How stupid I was for even hoping a little.

Shuddering, I fought to hold back my wild tangle of emotion, and spinning on my heels, I ran.

Chapter 6

Zathar

My mate ran off with the beginnings of those watery leaky eyes. I was pretty sure that was a normal function of her body, considering how often the other female did that. With Vera, it made my chest feel tight, and my belly ached. She was sad, and those leaky eyes just made that more clear. I didn’t know how to comfort her, how to prove to her that I did want her. Her, the strange two-legged creature with the pale hair and the soft curves.

When I moved to go after her, the male had the guts to rise to his feet and block my path. It would be very easy to fight him and let out some of this frustration with a few well-aimed punches. Not that the male would make for a good wrestling partner, he had no tail, so it wouldn’t be a fair fight.

Vera had not gone far, she had only left the chamber and then frozen in place. She was safe there because no predators or critters ever entered the Caves of the Ancestors. That didn’t mean I didn’t worry as long as she was out of my sight. I circled the chamber several times, trying to ease the frustrated energy inside of me.

“I healed her, you know,” Corin assured me. He was still at the pilot’s side, carefully repositioning her leg and splinting it with the supplies I’d brought. I was lucky to have him here with me, with his training to be a Shaman, he was the only one who could use the healing device, or attempt any other remedies. It had always felt extremely unfair that my mother had blocked a true apprenticeship for him. Nobody knew why she had done that.

“Thank you,” I said, and I circled the room for another lap. It was making the other two stare, and the female flinched when I crossed behind her. They were behind this, I knew it. Vera hadn’t questioned my touch, my presence, until after I’d left her to gather supplies. They had said something to her.

When she walked back into the chamber, it was with her head held high, her face composed. She was beautiful and she was fierce, especially when she glanced at Reid and me. I was glad I wasn’t the only one on the receiving end of that glare.

She walked right up to me and I had to force myself to hold still, to freeze in place, and not reach for her with my hands and my tail. She had no idea just how desperately I wanted to have her in my coils, and she also didn’t know how many rules I’d broken by doing so already. If she were a Naga female, she would have bitten my head off by now.

“Listen,” she said, as she pressed the tip of her pointer finger against the center of my chest. Or rather, she jabbed me with it as if she intended to stab me with her blunt little claws. I tilted my head, angling one ear her way to indicate that I was doing as she said. My breath stalled in my lungs in anticipation.

“You think I’m your mate, but I don’t agree with that. But I understand that communication is important so I’ll concede to impersonal touch to facilitate that. That’s all. Got it?” She spelled out her terms with a determined frown on her face, her pale blue eyes flashing fire at me. Ah, so she was going to try and deny this, was she? Pretend that I hadn’t tasted her arousal in the air, and scented her attraction?

It went against every instinct in me to agree, but if she needed to think she was in control for a while, that’s what she’d get. “Fine!” I said, but I clasped my hand over hers, pressing it fully against the center of my chest, my heart. “For now.”

I let her go and purposely moved away, settling next to Corin on the hard floor. I angled my head so I could still see her from the corner of my eyes, but I made sure not to fully glance her way. Corin huffed out a low chuckle, no doubt highly amused by my current lack of success with my female. He was smart enough not to comment, turning the conversation to Iave instead. “Do you think he made it out of there?”

I hoped so, Iave was the best warrior I knew; he wouldn’t go down without a fight. On top of that, I was positive that the dark-skinned female was his mate, even if I hadn’t seen his sigils glow. Protecting his mate would make him extremely driven, and it was talked of among my fellow hunters and warriors that having a mate could make a male more powerful. I hoped that was the truth, and that Iave could draw on that right now to keep both those females safe.

Behind me, I heard Vera talk with the other two in her beautiful melodic language. I wished I could understand what they were saying. I wanted to warn the male to stay away from her, I didn’t like how close they were sitting. When they started yawning, I got up to gather more furs for them to lie down on.

Not long after, the two females were fast asleep near the heat source. The male was lying down but I was sure he was still alert. He didn’t say a word when I gathered Vera in my arms and took her to my nest. Good, he knew where she belonged, that was one down. Now I just needed to convince my mate.

She didn’t need to have a heat source to stay warm when she could sleep in my coils inside my nest. I would provide her with everything she needed, starting with a better place to live. One that was not the Thunder Rock Village, even if my mother might let me back into the fold now that I had a mate. I fell asleep with the taste of her on my tongue and my head filled with thoughts of the future.