Page 13 of Naga Healer's Mate

His eyes traced her features, memorizing every detail.The mate bond hummed contentedly within him, even as worry for her safety gnawed at his thoughts.He’d never felt such a strong need to protect anyone before, but then, he’d never had a mate before.The very concept still stunned him.This fierce human was his other half, whether she knew it yet or not.

“Sleep well,” he whispered, his tail tightening slightly around the couch.“I’ll keep you safe as long as I live.”

Nirrn’s tail twitched as Islae stirred on his couch, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks.He’d spent the last few hours watching over her, memorizing the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the way her brown hair spilled across his cushions.

“How long was I asleep?”She pushed herself up, wincing as the movement pulled at her burns.

“Three hours.”His scales rippled with concern as he noticed her discomfort.“The medicine should have helped with the pain.”

“It did.”She touched the bandage above her eye.“Thank you.”

The simple words caused his chest to tighten.He slithered closer, his tail curling restlessly.“We can’t stay here.”

Her eyes snapped to his.“What?”

“The Jorvlens will connect me to you soon enough.This place won’t be safe.”His eyes met hers.“I’ve heard whispers from my patients about an underground refuge.A place where humans hide from Jorvlen persecution.”

“And you want us to go there?”Her voice held a note of skepticism.

“You think I’m letting you face this alone?”

She crossed her arms.“I don’t need—”

“Someone burned down your clinic.”His voice remained steady, but his tail coiled dangerously tight.“They tried to kill you, Islae.This isn’t about what you need anymore.It’s about keeping you alive.”

The mate bond pulsed inside him as she stood, swaying slightly.His hands shot out to steady her, the contact sending sparks through his scales.

“Why are you doing this?”she whispered.“I still don’t understand why you would risk everything to help me.First with my clinic, now with my safety.”

Because you’re mine, he wanted to say.Because every fiber of my being exists to protect you.Instead, he said, “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

She studied him for a long moment and then nodded.“Where is this refuge?”

“The old mining district.”He moved toward his medical supplies, gathering what they might need.“We’ll have to be careful.The streets will be closely watched.”

“I know how to move unseen.”

“So do I.”His tail twitched restlessly as he finished packing.“Just stay close to me.”

She stepped closer to him, and his body responded instinctively, his scales shifting toward her presence.“Then lead the way.”

His hand found her waist as they moved toward the door, his protective instincts flaring at the contact.Whatever came next, he would keep her safe.The mate bond demanded nothing less.

Chapter 8

Islae

Thestenchofsmokestill clung to Islae’s clothes as she followed Nirrn through the winding tunnels beneath Jorvla’s slums.Water dripped from rusted pipes overhead, each drop echoing through the darkness.Her legs ached after walking for what seemed like miles, but she pressed on steadily.

“Watch your step here.”Nirrn’s massive form blocked most of her view of the tunnel ahead, his orange-scaled tail leaving intricate patterns in the dirt as he moved.“The ground’s uneven.”

Her fingers traced the rough stone wall, steadying herself.“I can handle a few bumps in the road.”The words came out sharper than she meant, her throat still raw from the smoke inhalation of the clinic fire.

“I don’t doubt that.”His golden eyes caught the light that filtered through the metal grates above as he glanced back at her.“But there’s no shame in accepting help sometimes.”

She really wanted to argue, to maintain that fierce independence she’d worn like armor all these years.But the image of her clinic engulfed in flames kept flashing through her mind with each step.The hundreds of patient records, the carefully organized medical supplies, the safe haven she’d built for the less fortunate of Jorvla—all reduced to ash in a matter of minutes.

“Stop.”Nirrn’s tail curled protectively around her as voices echoed from a connecting tunnel ahead.His shoulders tensed, and his scales glinted in the dim light as he pressed her against the stone wall.

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