Page 21 of Naga Healer's Mate

“The bread here is surprisingly good,” he said, breaking the silence.

“Mm.”She picked at her food, still not meeting his eyes.

He shifted restlessly.“Islae.”

“Don’t.”She finally looked up, her brown eyes guarded.“We should just forget what happened in the garden.”

His scaled shoulders tensed.“Is that what you want?”

“It’s what needs to happen.”She pushed her plate away.“We can’t… I can’t…”

“Can’t what?”His voice came out deeper, more commanding than he intended.His tail wrapped around the base of the table, his orange scales gleaming.“Can’t feel something real?Can’t let someone care about you?”

Color flooded her cheeks.“You don’t understand—”

“I understand perfectly.”He leaned forward, his large form casting a shadow over her.“You’re afraid.But pushing me away won’t make those feelings disappear.”

She stared at him, her breath catching.The mate bond pulsed between them, and for a moment, he thought she felt it, too.But then she looked away again.

His frustration mounted but he forced himself to remain still, to give her the space she needed.He would wait.She was his mate—his body, his soul, every scale on his body knew this truth.Eventually, she would feel it, too.

Chapter 12

Islae

Islaewanderedalonethroughthe underground city’s winding tunnels later that afternoon.The kiss between her and Nirrn replayed in her mind—the warmth of his scales beneath her palms, the surprising softness of his lips, the way his powerful body had tensed when she touched him.

“Stop thinking about it,” she muttered to herself, ducking under a low-hanging crystal that cast prismatic light across the earthen floor.

But she couldn’t stop.Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the intensity in his golden gaze, felt the ghost of his hands hovering at her waist before she had pulled away.The connection between them thrummed like a living thing, defying her attempts to dismiss it as mere attraction.

She paused at a junction where bioluminescent fungi painted the walls in soft blues.A group of human children ran past, their laughter echoing through the tunnel.One small girl stopped, offering Islae a tiny glowing flower.

“Thank you,” Islae said, accepting the delicate bloom.Its petals pulsed with gentle light, reminding her of how Nirrn’s scales had caught the garden’s glow.

“You’re the healer lady,” the girl said.“The one the big orange Niri brought.He looks scary, but he’s nice.He showed us how to make the flowers grow better.”

Islae’s chest tightened.Of course he had.Even here, he was helping and caring for others.Just like in her clinic and when he’d saved her from the fire.

“Heisnice,” Islae agreed softly.

The girl skipped away, leaving Islae alone with her thoughts.She pressed her small back against the cool wall, closing her eyes.The kiss had felt right in a way that transcended logic.When their lips met, something deep within her soul had finally clicked into place, like finding its other half.

“It was a mistake,” she whispered to the empty tunnel, but the words rang hollow.The truth was, she’d never felt more complete than in that moment, despite their differences.Despite everything she’d told herself about not needing anyone.

“I can’t,” she said aloud, but she wasn’t sure what, exactly, she was denying anymore.

Later that night, Islae finally slipped into their shared chamber.Nirrn sat coiled in the corner, his massive frame somehow making the small space feel even more intimate.His golden eyes tracked her movement as she settled on the opposite side of the room on the narrow bed.

The single lamp cast dancing shadows across his orange scales, highlighting the powerful muscles of his chest and shoulders.Her fingers tingled, remembering how those scales had felt beneath her touch in the garden.

“You’ve been gone a while,” he said, his deep tone sending a shiver down her spine.

“I needed time to think.”She pulled her knees to her chest, trying to ignore how the air seemed to crackle between them.

His tail shifted, the scales gleaming as he adjusted his position.“And what conclusions did you reach?”

Instead of answering, she found herself studying the way his abdomen flexed as he moved—smooth skin there, unlike the scales that adorned his broad chest and arms.The dichotomy fascinated her.

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