Page 5 of Baby for the Serp General

“You are no captive here,” he said calmly. “In time, you will see the truth.”

“The truth?” She shoved away the dish, appetite clearly lost. “The truth is, you’ve taken everything from me—my freedom, my body, and my future. Don’t pretend your pretty cage changes that reality.”

Zath rose swiftly, fighting to control the lash of anger in his tail. “I would treat you as a revered mate, not some lowly slave.” He towered over her, though she didn’t cower. “You try my limits, human.”

Natalia stood abruptly, reckless challenge flashing in her eyes. “Then end this farce between us. Take what you will by force. It’s what you conquerors do best, isn’t it?”

They froze, gazes locked, as the air practically simmered between them. Then he turned away with a hiss of frustration. “I won’t dishonor you, or myself. Even if you insist on provoking me to it.”

He didn’t miss the flicker of surprise that broke through her anger before her expression shuttered closed again. Without another word, he excused himself, shaken by how easily she could goad him. He would need to reinforce his patience and self-control. Much depended on it.

***

ZATH’S DETERMINATIONto court Natalia was tested daily. She was as prickly as avrashand twice as stubborn.

She was slow to trust, and he found it difficult to understand her perspective. Humans were so fragile to Serps. Yet they were resilient, adapting to the harsh conditions on their ravaged planet.

Humans were fascinating, with their varied skin tones and hair colors. Natalia’s hair was golden like the sun, her eyes an unusual green. Her body was petite and delicate, yet she possessed a fierce spirit. So many emotions. It was perplexing to him, and he despaired of ever being able to understand her, or for her to understand him.

Still, he kept trying. A few afternoons later, she was reading in the main living area of his quarters when he arrived early, having finished his shift sooner than expected. She looked startled and a tad wary but didn’t immediately flee to her room. He counted that as a victory.

“I bring gifts,” he said, holding up a basket.

Natalia eyed it warily. “Gifts?”

“Human food items. I thought you might enjoy them.” He looked down at the various items, finding most of them unappetizing to his carnivorous palette. “There are fruits, vegetables, and sweets. I was told these are favorites among humans.”

Natalia approached slowly, peering into the basket. Her eyes widened as she recognized the contents. “How did you get all this? This stuff is hard to come by now.”

He preened, pleased by her reaction. “I synthicated it, of course. We can make anything with the basic building blocks of life—or nutrients.”

She looked surly for a moment. “The rebels don’t usually have fully stocked synthicators, so I haven’t had an apple in years.” Her fingers hovered over it as though she was at war with herself.

“It’s yours,” he said gently. “Please, eat.”

Natalia snatched the fruit, biting into it with relish. Juice ran down her chin, and she licked it away, moaning softly. The sound made both of his hemipenes spasm and start to stiffen, and he struggled to hide the reaction.

“This is delicious,” she said, taking another bite. “Thank you.”

Zath inclined his head. “I am glad you’re enjoying it. There is more where it came from.” He froze in surprise when she cautiously extended the apple in his direction.

“Would you like a bite?” She seemed almost shy about asking.

Though he didn’t require fruit, he leaned forward, taking a cautious bite. The crisp flesh burst with sweet juice on his tongue, and he made a sound of pleasure. “I see why you enjoy this. The texture is interesting, though it does nothing for my nutritional requirements.”

She laughed. “If you want empty calories...” Her fingers hovered over the basket for a moment until she selected a chocolate. Seemingly on impulse, she brought it to his lipless mouth herself. “Try this.”

He opened to allow her to place the morsel inside. The rich flavor exploded on his forked tongue, and he moaned in appreciation. “That is truly exquisite. Sweet and decadent.”

Her eyes gleamed with amusement. “I think you like human food as much as we do.”

“Perhaps I do.” He lowered his voice, leaning in closer. “But there is one thing I like even more.”

Natalia’s pulse visibly pounded, and her pheromones changed, perfuming the air and making him flick out his tongue to taste/scent her. His hemipenes swelled, aching to emerge.

To his disappointment, Natalia stepped back, breaking the spell. “I should...go rest.”

“Of course,” he said, keeping his voice calm. “I will see you at the evening meal.”

---