Page 19 of The Naga

"What?" Khush asked after I'd been staring at him for a particularly long stretch, and the hint of insecurity in his voice jerked me out of my musings.

His eyes searched mine, as if trying to figure out what I was thinking. I shook my head, a smile curving my lips, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Nothing. I just realized how graceful you are. It's…enticing."

Khush's eyes widened, and he jerked his gaze away. I smiled as the tips of his ears turned pink, and tightened my arm around his, leaning into him for a moment.

Clearing his throat, Khush stopped walking, then pointed up at the tree we'd stopped under. "This one is my favorite. I spend a lot of time in its branches." His eyes flicked to mine, then skittered away, and I smiled to myself before gazing up at the tree.

I couldn't quite tell what type it was, but it had thick, arching branches, and I could very easily imagine Khush perching on one of them, his tail wrapped around the limb for stability.

"I wonder if I could climb it," I mused, pretty sure I'd fail. The trunk didn't seem to have any kind of footholds at all.

"Would you like to? I could take you up to the branches," Khush offered, and I turned my gaze on him.

"Really? Yes, please!"

Smiling, Khush unlinked our arms before wrapping an arm around my waist and picking me up, his other arm going under my knees. I shrieked in surprise before throwing my arms around his neck, and he smiled down at me before sliding closer to the tree.

I glanced down to see how he did it, and he wrapped his tail around the trunk—a tail that looked suspiciously longer than it had moments ago—before using it to creep up the trunk. Hemoved faster than any snake I'd ever seen—and I'd seen a lot; just check my YouTube history—and within moments we were on a thick branch, and he placed me beside him, waiting until I was settled to remove his arms from around me.

"That was amazing!" I exclaimed, grinning up at Khush. His tail was wrapped around the branch behind him, about a foot of the end part hanging off it.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he said, taking my hand in his. Smiling, I squeezed his hand, holding onto it tightly as I looked around from my new spot. When I left my apartment this morning, I never would've guessed this was in store.

Meeting Khush was—without a doubt—the best thing to ever happen to me.

Eight

Khush

"So...are you freaking outyet?"

We'd been sitting on the branch for ten minutes now, enjoying a companionable silence, and I couldn't stop myself from asking the question. I'd never been human, but I could empathize enough to know that I'd told Dustin a lot of things today, things that had completely changed his worldview. He was bound to be freaking out a little, no matter how well-adjusted he was.

"Maybe a little bit," Dustin said with a laugh, glancing over at me. "Not about us. I'm more sure about this now than I was this morning."

"Me too."

Dustin smiled, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Then he turned his head forward once more, as if he found it easier to talk that way. I could relate to that, since every time I looked at his eyes, I found myself getting lost in them.

"It's just a lot, you know? I never imagined magic could be real, never even gave it a thought. It's amazing how much is hidden from our eyes and we have no clue. I'm guessing there are more supernatural beings out there, living among the humans?" Dustin asked, shooting me a cautiously curious look, as if he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to know.

"There are. Most of them keep to themselves, though some species are more social than others. The supe population is very low compared to humans though, hence the secrecy."

Dustin winced, making a face. "I can only imagine what humans would do if they found out about the existence of magic."

I hummed. Humans didn't really have the best track record when it came to cohabitation. Hell, they couldn't even be nice to their own kind. Why would we expect them to treat us well?

"Exactly. That's why for everyone's safety, only a human mated to a supe—and in rare cases their family—can know about the supernatural community."

"It's a good rule," Dustin agreed, then glanced over at me. "Thank you for welcoming me into your world."

"It was my pleasure," I assured him, squeezing his hand. He smiled, and then chuckled when I shifted my tail closer so I could tangle the end of it with his legs.

"Your scales are so smooth," he murmured softly, reaching down to touch my tail and almost slipping off the branch.

I grabbed him, my arm tight around his waist, and he pressed into my hold, glancing up at me. "Thanks."

I shook my head, and went to pull away, smiling when Dustin leaned with me. Hearing the unspoken message, I left my arm around his waist, holding on to him as his fingers trailed over my scales.

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