Page 17 of The Naga Wanderer’s Wounded Mate

Jasmine laughed, the sound smothered behind her hand, her pretty brown eyes dancing with mirth. “I came this close,” she admitted, lifting her thumb and forefinger and holding them close together. “That was definitely one of the silliest bunches I had the misfortune of taking under my wing. They paid well, though, and we made it back alive and unharmed.” She narrowed her eyes at me, then added, “And I know you wouldn’t have left them behind either. Tan their hides, yes; abandon them, no. That’s not in you, Ekkire. You’ve got too big a heart.”

We were both silent after that, but it was a very warm, companionable silence. I mulled over her words and could not place them. Big heart? She really thought that? I thought she underestimated my dislike for company and for stupid behavior. Jasmine was competent, clever, and had earned my respect. That made all the difference. Those men? I would have left them at the foot of that cliff, chased by the bear creature.

“You’re wrong, you know,” Jasmine said quietly. We were almost at the end of this tunnel, and the light at the end of it was getting brighter. Dove was circling around us, rummaging between rocks and in the dirt, foraging for insects and worms she found with her sharp nose. I had kept a careful eye on her to make sure we did not lose her.

“Am I?” I asked, my hands shifting to adjust her in my grip. I wanted to make sure her leg remained elevated so the swelling stayed down. Now that the Hura bark was working, I had to be extra careful in case she didn’t realize in time that something was wrong.

“Yes, you’re still thinking you would have abandoned them, but I know you wouldn’t. Just like you never abandoned me, and just like you’ve been trying to get to that outpost to help your friends there. You’re a good guy, Ekkire. I see it. I see you.”

She reached up, and her hand brushed the side of my face. She caught me completely by surprise when she leaned up and pressed her mouth to my cheek. The sensation lanced through my body, a path forming from cheek to cock like a flash of lightning. I groaned, my scales rattling in surprise along my spine. “Jasmine… what was that for?”

“Because I decided I like you,” she said. She liked me? “You’re not what I expected.” I didn’t know what to think of that, though she was not what I had expected either—in a good way. Now I wondered if this was what Zeidon had felt when he’d found his mate, Farah.

The exit loomed, however, so I focused on that. Debris littered the tunnel floor, and the last three doorways we passed had collapsed entirely, forever hiding what secrets their rooms might have held. We were very fortunate that carved arches strengthened the main tunnel we were in. Though cracks ran along the walls in places, it had held. The light at the end came filtered through a narrow slit; rubble and dirt had collapsed into the tunnel, almost entirely blocking it.

When we reached it, I flicked my tail through the soil and rock and concluded it might have been here a long time. The entrance had perhaps been further buried, but the earthquake had not started that process. I was going to have to dig us out, but that shouldn’t take long. Though I was big, I always managed to slip through surprisingly small holes. Jasmine was just a tiny little human; she might already be able to crawl out through the existing gap.

“Stay here,” I said, and lowered her to the ground, carefully settling her on the floor and laying out her splinted leg. “I am going to widen the gap and then scout,” I added, unease filling me at the thought of leaving the cover of the caves. I was not certain where on the mountain we were coming out, though I felt certain we’d traveled in the general direction of the outpost. If someone from Thunder Rock knew about this exit, unlikely as it was, they could be lying in wait outside.

Jasmine frowned. “I don’t have any arrows, but if you put me near the gap, I can still watch your back.” I eyed the empty quiver hanging from a strap on her belt and wondered about the wisdom of this. She was definitely a good shot, and I would gladly have her offer that kind of support. She was also badly wounded, and placing her on that uneven, unstable mound of rock and dirt wasn’t going to be good for her.

“I don’t scent anyone,” I assured her. “I don’t think we need to worry; it’s just a precaution.” I wracked my brain to come up with a solution that would make her feel useful. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I didn’t trust her or believe in her skills. Already, I could see that fury, that quick anger, sneak back into her gaze. She had so much to prove, this female. “I swear, Jasmine. I would say the same to any other hunter. I do not doubt your skills or your strength.”

Her shoulders slowly lowered, and then she nodded. “Fine. Go. Be careful, Ekkire.” I clenched my fists around my trident, worried I’d upset her anyway, but certain all the same that this was the right choice. Shrugging my backpack from my shoulders, I placed it next to her, and then I pulled out a ration bar and dropped it in her lap.

Her mouth tilted in a smile, and that finally made me leave. I slid up the crumbly slope, weapon at the ready, my body growing tense. I knew how unlikely it was that Thunder Rock knew of this exit. I didn’t, and I’d been in these hills far more than any of them. I braced myself for the worst anyway.