Page 29 of Naga Warrior's Mate

Dernin’s tail whipped out, catching the fighter’s ankle.The man stumbled, catching himself against the wall.“My apologies,” Dernin said, his voice low and dangerous.“My tail has a mind of its own sometimes.”

The fighter scurried away, leaving Dernin to make his way to the barracks undisturbed.His thoughts drifted back to Alaysia—her soft hands on his wounds, her musical laugh, the press of her lips against his knuckles.His mate.The word echoed in his mind like a prayer.

The barracks were mercifully quiet when he arrived.He coiled his tail beneath him on his sleeping mat, letting his eyes drift closed.

Tomorrow he would be one step closer to winning her freedom.But tonight, he could rest easy knowing he’d finally found what he’d been searching for his entire life.

Sleep claimed him swiftly, and his dreams were filled with flowing red hair and the scent of roses.

Chapter 15

Dernin

Thetrainingdummysplinteredunder Dernin’s tail strike the following morning.Wood fragments scattered across the floor as he coiled back, his muscles burning with raw power he’d never felt before.His golden scales gleamed with sweat in the dim light of the workout room.

His senses felt heightened, sharpened.Every movement, every sound, every scent registered with crystal clarity.The mate bond thrummed through his veins like liquid fire, making his strikes faster, his reactions quicker.

He grabbed another training dummy, setting it up with efficient movements.His tail whipped through the air as he circled his target, analyzing weak points.Back on Nirum, training had required intense focus.Now that focus came naturally, instinctively.

The scent of roses drifted through his mind—Alaysia.His mate.His muscles coiled tighter, power surging through him at just the thought of her.This new strength, these enhanced senses—they had to be because of the mate bond.

His fist shot out, crushing through the dummy’s chest.The wood gave way like paper beneath his knuckles.

“Save some equipment for the rest of us,” someone muttered.

Dernin’s head snapped toward the voice, a low growl rumbling in his chest.The other fighter quickly looked away.

He returned to his exercises, but his thoughts kept drifting to Alaysia.To protecting her.To winning her freedom.Each punch, each strike, each movement was for her.The mate bond sang through his blood, driving him to be stronger, faster, better.

His tail coiled around a weight bar, lifting it with ease.Weight that would have challenged him before now felt like nothing.His body hummed with untapped potential, ready to be unleashed in the ring.

“Never seen you like this before,” a passing fighter commented.

Dernin’s eyes narrowed.“You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Sand crunched beneath Dernin’s tail as he entered the ring.His opponent, a burly Velken with cybernetic arms, cracked his metallic knuckles.The sound echoed through the arena, but Dernin’s focus remained razor-sharp.Yesterday’s blow to his ribs might as well have never happened as his body now thrummed with raw energy.

“Ready to die, snake?”The Velken’s mechanical arms whirred.

Dernin’s tongue flicked out.Every sense heightened to supernatural levels.The crowd’s roar faded as his gaze lifted to the private viewing box.

Alaysia.

Their eyes met across the arena.The mate bond exploded through him like lightning, setting every nerve ending on fire.Power surged through his muscles, making his scales ripple with golden light.His tail coiled with newfound strength.

“Come find out,” Dernin growled.

The Velken charged.His cybernetic fist whooshed past Dernin’s head, but Dernin moved like water.Each dodge felt effortless, time seeming to slow as he weaved between the mechanical strikes.

His tail swept out, catching the Velken’s legs.The crowd gasped as the larger fighter crashed face-first into the sand.Dernin’s fist connected with the back of the Velken’s head before he could recover.

“Is that all?”Dernin’s voice carried across the arena.

The Velken staggered up, spitting blood.He telegraphed his next punch so clearly, Dernin almost laughed.He caught the mechanical arm mid-swing, crushing the metal in his grip.Sparks flew as servos ground to a halt.

One more look at Alaysia.The mate bond sang through his blood like battle drums.His tail whipped forward with devastating force, catching the Velken square in the chest.The impact sent him flying into the arena wall with a sickening crunch.

The Velken didn’t get up.

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