Page 11

Nirrn

Nirrn woke first, and his eyes soon adjusted to the dim light of their small room.

Islae’s warmth pressed against his chest, her head tucked beneath his chin.

He coiled his tail more securely around them both as his fingers traced the curve of her shoulder.

He marveled at the softness of her skin compared to his scaled form.

The mate bond pulsated gently between them.

A smile spread across his face, remembering what she said last night about how being in his arms felt familiar.

His clever mate was beginning to sense the mate bond on her own.

But he would tell her she was his mate soon enough.

He just needed to wait for the right moment.

She stirred, her eyes fluttering open. When she looked up at him, a genuine smile curved her lips, making his heart flutter in his chest.

“Morning,” she murmured, making no move to pull away from his embrace.

“Did you sleep well?” His voice came out a little rough, still thick with sleep.

“Better than I have in…” She paused, her smile faltering as reality crashed back. “I can’t believe my clinic is really gone.”

Nirrn tightened his hold on her. “The Jorvlen patrols will be searching every district right now, looking for us, since we were spotted somehow escaping through the tunnels yesterday. We need to stay here, at least until their fury dies down.”

She pushed up on one elbow, her hair falling in a curtain around them both. “How long?”

“A few more days, perhaps.” His hand came up to brush her hair back, unable to resist touching her. “Haven is well-hidden. We’re safe here for now.”

“You keep saying we.” Her eyebrow arched.

“Yes, we.” His tail shifted and drew her closer to him. “I’m not leaving you.”

She studied his face, her expression softening. “You really mean that. Don’t you?”

“Every word.” The mate bond pulled at him, urging him to tell her everything. But not now. Instead, he settled for a simple truth. “You matter to me, Islae.”

Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t look away. “You’re different from any Niri I’ve ever met.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“I’m still deciding.” But her smile returned, warming him from the inside out.

Nirrn’s tail curled lazily around them as he stared at her beautiful smile. “I found something yesterday while exploring Haven. Would you like to see it?”

Her eyes lit up with curiosity. “What kind of something?”

“Let me show you.” He slipped from their shared bed, offering his hand to help her up.

He soon led her through the winding tunnels, his scaled body easily navigating the narrow passages. The mate bond hummed stronger whenever she was close, and he had to concentrate to keep his tail from wrapping around her protectively.

“Just through here.” He pushed aside a heavy wooden door, revealing a hidden garden bathed in ethereal light.

Bioluminescent vines crawled up the carved stone walls, their leaves pulsing with gentle blue-green light. Crystal formations jutted from the ground, refracting the glow throughout the space. Strange flowers bloomed in patches, their petals translucent and delicate.

“This is incredible,” Islae whispered, stepping into the garden. “How is this even possible down here?”

“Haven’s builders were clever. They created these self-sustaining ecosystems throughout the refuge.” Nirrn watched as she approached a cluster of star-shaped flowers, their centers glowing like tiny moons.

Her fingers reached out to touch one of the blossoms, and his breath caught. The way she moved—precise yet gentle, just like when she worked on her patients—stirred something primal in him. Her hands were built for healing, like his, but a grace in her movements made his scales tingle.

The mate bond tugged, urging him to close the distance between them, to wrap her tightly in his arms. But he held back, his tail twitching with the effort of restraint. She needed this moment of peace, away from the chaos of her life.

“Thank you for showing me this,” she said, turning to face him and giving him a small smile. The bioluminescent light played across her features, making her eyes sparkle. “It’s nice to forget about everything else, even if it’s just for a little while.”

His chest tightened at her words. He would give anything to keep that smile on her face, to protect her from the harsh reality waiting beyond these walls of the underground sanctuary city.

Nirrn soon settled onto the stone bench nestled in the corner of the hidden garden. Islae sat beside him, close enough that her thigh pressed against his scales. The contact sent electricity racing through his body, making his muscles tense.

She leaned forward, reaching out to touch one of the glowing flowers. “These remind me of the night-blooming jasmine my mother used to grow.”

The soft curve of her neck caught the ethereal light, making his hands itch to trace the delicate line. His tail shifted restlessly, wanting to wrap around her waist and pull her closer.

“Tell me about your mother’s garden,” he said, his voice deeper than usual. The mate bond thrummed between them, growing stronger with each passing moment.

“She had this tiny patch behind our house.” Her fingers brushed the luminescent petals. “Even after working all day, she’d spend hours tending it. Said beauty was worth fighting for, even in the darkest places.”

When she sat back, her shoulder pressed against his chest. The thin fabric of her shirt did nothing to mask her warmth. His scales rippled in response, and he had to fight the urge to envelop her in his arms.

“Like you,” he murmured, his breath stirring her hair. “Fighting to heal others, even in the darkest corners of Jorvla.”

She turned her head to look at him, their faces inches apart. “I’m not—”

“You are.” His tail coiled around the bench, bracketing her without touching. “Your strength draws me to you, Islae.”

Her breath hitched, her pupils dilating as she met his golden gaze. The air between them grew thick with tension. His scaled shoulders flexed as he fought the primal urge to claim her right there.

She shifted slightly, and her hip pressed against his abdomen where his scales gave way to smooth skin. The contact sent fire racing through his veins. His tail twitched, nearly wrapping around her waist before he caught himself.

“Nirrn,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

The way she said his name made his control slip another notch. He gripped the edge of the bench.

Her brown eyes searched his golden ones, something unspoken flickering in their depths.

Before he could decipher her expression, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

The tentative touch sent electricity crackling through his entire body.

His scales rippled with pleasure as the mate bond surged between them, stronger than ever.

Acting on pure instinct, his hand cupped the back of her neck, his fingers threading through her soft hair.

His tail finally gave in to its urges, coiling around her waist to draw her closer.

The kiss deepened as she parted her lips, and a low growl rumbled in his chest. She tasted like sunshine and possibility.

But then suddenly, she jerked away, stumbling to her feet. The loss of contact left him cold. His tail dropped limply to the ground. His muscles coiled with tension as he watched her retreat a few steps, her arms wrapped around herself.

“I-I shouldn’t have done that,” she stammered, not meeting his eyes.

His chest tightened. He hadn’t expected her to kiss him, but now that she had, his body screamed at him to pull her back into his arms. Still, he forced himself to remain seated, knowing she needed space.

“Islae.” His voice came out rough with restraint. “Look at me.”

She shook her head, backing up another step. “We should go. The market will be busy soon.”

The mate bond ached between them, but he understood. He could sense her fear—not of him but of connection itself. Of letting someone close enough to matter. After losing her family so tragically, her walls were built high and thick.

He gathered his composure and rose to his full height, his tail unfurling behind him. “The market it is then. You must be hungry.”

Relief flickered across her face at his easy acceptance, though her cheeks remained flushed. As they made their way out of the garden, his tail twitched with the effort of keeping distance between them. But he would wait. His mate was worth waiting for.

Nirrn slithered silently behind Islae through Haven’s bustling market. His eyes followed her every movement, watching how she kept a careful distance between them. The mate bond throbbed like a physical ache in his chest, demanding he close that gap.

The market vendors called out their wares, but he barely heard them. His mind kept replaying the kiss—the softness of her lips, the way she’d melted against him for that brief, perfect moment. His scales rippled with the memory, and his tail twitched with the need to wrap around her again.

They gathered food from various stalls—fresh bread, some kind of underground-grown vegetables, and dried meat.

Islae barely spoke two words to him, keeping her eyes down and her shoulders tense.

Every instinct in his body screamed at him to pull her close, to tell her about the mate bond, to make her understand why that kiss had felt so right.

Instead, he followed her to a small table in the communal eating area, his massive form coiling beside the bench while she perched on it. The space between them felt like a chasm.

“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.