Page 17 of Naga Healer's Mate

Nirrn’s scales bristled at the pain in her voice.His protective instincts spiked, making his tail coil closer to her.

“They killed him.My mother, too.My little sister.”Her fingers dug into her arms.“I was fifteen.I managed to hide, but I watched…” She swallowed hard.“I watched them destroy everything I loved.”

“Islae.”He reached for her, but she shook her head, a tear escaping down her cheek.

“I promised myself I would continue his work.Help those who can’t help themselves.”Her chin lifted then, defiance blazing through her grief.“The clinic was my way of honoring him.Of making sure his legacy lived on.”

The mate bond thrummed between them as he absorbed her words.The fierce protectiveness he felt for her intensified, mixing with a deep admiration for her strength.

“That’s why I work alone,” she added softly.“I can’t… I can’t watch anyone else I care about die in front of me.”

His hand found hers in the firelight, his larger fingers entwining her smaller ones.She stiffened slightly but didn’t pull away.“You carry too much weight alone,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.“I don’t want you to have to do that anymore.”

The firelight danced across her face as she turned to look at him, vulnerability raw in her eyes.His tail curled closer, creating a protective circle around where she sat.

Nirrn’s muscles rippled with tension as her brown eyes searched his face.The mate bond thrummed, urging him to pull her close, to wrap his coils around her and never let go.

“Why do you care so much?”she whispered.“About me, about all of this?”

His tail shifted restlessly.The truth burned in his throat—that she was his mate, that every cell of his being recognized her as the other half of his soul.But the words wouldn’t come.Not yet.Not when she was still raw from losing everything.

Instead, he let out a slow breath.“On Nirum, there are expectations.Warriors are revered.Healers…” His scales rustled as he adjusted his position.“We’re respected, but not in the same way.My father wanted me to join the military, to be something I’m not.”

“But you chose healing instead.”

“It chose me.”His eyes reflected the firelight.“I could feel the energy flowing through bodies, could sense where the pain lived.Fighting never came naturally to me.Healing did.”

Her fingers on her free hand brushed against his scales, sending electricity through his body.“So you came here?”

“I thought working at the central surrogacy clinic would give my life purpose.”His tail coiled tightly around them both.“Help others build families, maybe find my own.But all I found was emptiness.Watching others move forward while I stayed still.”

The fire crackled between them as he gathered his thoughts.His hand wrapped tighter around hers, engulfing it completely.

“For so long, I believed my purpose was to use my healing for what others needed or wanted.But now, I have never felt more purpose than I do here—with you.”

The words hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning.His scales shimmered in the firelight as he watched her process his confession.

Chapter 10

Islae

Islaestaredintothedancing flames, her heart thundering against her ribs at Nirrn’s words.She could feel his eyes boring into her with a burning intensity that made her breath hitch.

“I…” The words got stuck in her throat.A thousand responses swirled in her mind, but none seemed adequate.She wanted to tell him how his presence had changed everything, how his support made her feel less alone in her mission.How for the first time since losing her family, she felt like someone truly understood her.

Instead, she met his gaze and offered a small smile, hoping he could read in her eyes what she couldn’t voice aloud.The heat from the fire couldn’t match the warmth spreading through her chest as his tail shifted closer, barely brushing against her leg.

She stood abruptly, breaking their connection.“I should get some more rest.”Her fingers trembled as she smoothed down her fresh clothes and turned away from him.

“Islae.”His deep voice stopped her retreat.“You don’t have to keep pushing others away.”

She paused, her back to him, feeling the weight of his gaze.“I’m not pushing anyone away.I just…” She turned slightly, catching the way his powerful form coiled in preparation to follow her.“I just need some time to think.”

His scaled chest rose with a deep breath.“Then go think.But know that whatever you decide, I will be here.”

The quiet certainty in his voice made her heart stutter.She nodded once and headed toward their shared chamber, her mind racing with possibilities she had never allowed herself to consider before.

As she walked away, she heard him shift behind her, his scales scraping softly against the ground.The sound reminded her of how different they were, yet somehow, those differences had stopped mattering.In the brief time they had known each other, he had become more than just an ally.He had become essential.

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