Page 19 of Naga Warlord’s Mate (Nagas of Nirum #3)
Andear
The water had washed away the sweat and tension of the night, but it hadn’t erased the heat between them. Andear set Priscilla down on a soft towel and began to dry her off with deliberate care. His hands moved slowly, almost reverently, over her skin, memorizing every curve and every scar.
She watched him, her green eyes wide and unguarded, her chest rising and falling with the rhythm of her breath. Her heart pounded, a steady beat he could feel beneath his fingertips. Her body was still humming with the aftermath of their passion, and he could see it in the way she trembled slightly, in the way her gaze lingered on him.
“You’re mine,” he whispered, the words slipping out. He didn’t regret them. He couldn’t. Not when they felt so true, so inevitable.
Priscilla turned her head to look at him fully, her lips parting to speak. For a moment, he thought she might argue, might remind him of her independence. But instead, she whispered, “I’m not going anywhere.” Her voice was soft but firm, a promise that settled deep in his chest.
He didn’t respond, not with words. Instead, he scooped her up again, his tail uncoiling to carry her to the bed. The sheets were cool as he laid her down, but he didn’t let her go. He slid in beside her, his body curling around hers as his tail wrapped possessively around her legs. He pulled her close, her back pressed against his chest and his arms around her. She fit perfectly against him, as if she’d been made to be right there all along.
Andear watched her closely, his gaze tracing the curve of her cheek, the way her lashes fluttered as she blinked. Her breathing slowed, her body relaxing into his hold. He could feel the steady rhythm of her heart against his chest, a reminder that she was here, alive, and his.
But beneath the satisfaction, beneath the possessiveness, was something else. Something he didn’t know how to name. It clawed at him, a restless, unfamiliar ache in his chest. He’d never felt this way before—not with anyone. He’d never allowed himself to. Warriors didn’t seek softness. They didn’t crave vulnerability. Yet here he was, holding her like she was the most precious thing in the universe, like he couldn’t bear to let her go.
“Andear,” she murmured, her voice drowsy but still sharp enough to cut through his thoughts. “You’re thinking too loud.”
He huffed a laugh, the sound low and rumbling in his chest. “And how would you know that?”
She shifted slightly, turning her head and looking at him over her shoulder. Her eyes were half-lidded but with a spark of amusement in them. “I can feel it. You’re all tense. Like you’re gearing up for a fight.”
He tightened his hold on her, his tail flexing around her legs. “There’s no fight here,” he said softly. “Not unless you’re planning to start one.”
She smirked, a small, knowing curve of her lips that made his chest tighten. “I might. If you keep brooding like that.”
He leaned in, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. “Careful, little human. You’re in no position to challenge me right now.”
She shivered, her breath hitching, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she pressed back against him, her body warm and inviting. “Maybe I like being in this position.”
Andear growled deep, a rumble that vibrated through both of them. He nipped at her ear, his fangs grazing her skin just enough to make her gasp. “You’re playing with fire.”
She turned fully in his arms, her hands coming up to rest against his chest. Her eyes met his. Before she could say anything, he kissed her, his lips claiming hers with a fierceness that left no room for doubt. She was his, and he was hers.
Andear broke the kiss, his breath heavy as Priscilla’s delicate fingers traced the network of scars across his chest. Her touch was light, curious, sending ripples of awareness through his body. When she reached the deep scar that ran from his shoulder to his elbow, she paused.
“This one looks like it nearly killed you,” she whispered, her fingertips following the jagged line.
Andear tensed, his tail coiling tighter around her legs. No one had ever touched his scars like this—with tenderness instead of fear. It made him feel exposed in a way combat never had.
“Tell me about it?” Her voice was soft, but he heard the strength behind it. She wasn’t afraid of his past.
He caught her hand in his, stilling her exploration. “You want to know about war?”
“I want to know about you.”
Andear’s jaw clenched. The memories surfaced like blood in water, sharp and spreading. “That scar came from the Battle of the Twin Moons—a Xirath blade, designed to tear through scales.” His voice dropped lower. “I was leading a charge against their frontline. They’d taken one of our outposts and were using it to stage raids on civilian settlements.”
Priscilla’s fingers intertwined with his. “What happened?”
“I killed them all.” His gold eyes darkened at the memory. “But their commander got close enough with that blade. Nearly took my arm.” His tail shifted restlessly. “I finished him with my other hand.”
She pressed closer, her body warm against his scales. “You protected your people.”
“I did what warriors do.” He traced her cheek with his free hand. “We fight so others don’t have to. We bleed so they stay safe.” His expression hardened. “But peace came, and now we train for battles that never come while threats like the Xirath hide behind politics.”
“Is that why you let me train? Because you saw something in me worth fighting for?”
Andear’s grip tightened on her hand. “I let you train because you refused to be weak. Because you fight like you have fire in your blood.” He leaned closer, his breath like fire against her neck. “And because watching you prove everyone wrong makes my warrior’s heart burn.”
A blush crept across Priscilla’s cheeks at his words, but her eyes held steady. His tail coiled closer around her, drawing her nearer as she began to speak. Her voice was quiet but carried the weight of memories he could tell she’d never shared.
“Back on Jorvla, Mila was everything to me. When our mother died, she became my shield.” Priscilla’s fingers traced absent patterns on his scales. “She’d take beatings meant for me, work double shifts.”
Andear’s muscles tensed at the mention of beatings. His protective instincts flared, even though the threat was long past. He wanted to hunt down every person who’d ever harmed her.
“Kurg—our master—he was cruel but calculating. He knew hurting one of us was the best way to control both.” Her voice hardened. “But he underestimated us—Mila and me. We learned to be strong in different ways. She became fierce. I became quick. We survived because we had each other.”
“And Brivul?” Andear prompted, his tail flexing slightly at the mention of another male, even one mated to her sister.
“He saw what was happening. He and Mila... their connection was instant. But instead of just taking her and leaving, he helped us both.” She shifted in his arms, looking up at him. “That’s why we can’t let the Xirath bring that evil here. Nirum is supposed to be different. It’s supposed to be safe.”
Andear’s hand cupped her face, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone. “You speak of safety, yet you challenge the Xirath openly.”
“Because someone has to.” Her eyes flashed with that fire he’d grown to crave. “Mila protected me then. Now it’s my turn to protect others.”
The warrior in him understood this completely. His chest rumbled with approval as he pulled her closer. “Then we will protect them together. But know this—” his voice dropped lower, possessive, “I will not let you face them alone.”
Priscilla pressed her palm against his chest, right over his heart. “I know. That’s why I trust you.”
Those words hit him harder than any blade ever had. Trust. From a woman who had every reason never to trust again.
The mate bond pulsated between them, stronger than ever, a connection he could no longer ignore or deny. His tail coiled around her protectively as he brushed a strand of golden hair from her face.
“There’s something you need to know,” he said, his voice deep and rough. “About why I’m drawn to you. Why I can’t stay away.” His finger traced her jaw. “The Niri have what we call a mate bond. When we find our true mate, we feel it. Like lightning in our blood.”
Priscilla’s eyes widened slightly. “Is that what this is? This pull I feel toward you?”
Andear’s heart thundered in his chest. She felt it, too, even without knowing what it was. His mate. His. The possessiveness surged through him like a tide.
“Yes,” he growled, pulling her closer. “You’re my mate. The only one meant for me.” His tail tightened around her legs. “I tried to fight it at first. Warriors aren’t supposed to seek softness.”
“But you feel it, too? This connection?” Her fingers traced his scales, sending shivers through his body.
“Like fire in my veins.” He captured her hand, pressing it against his chest where his heart beat steadily. “Every time you’re near, it burns brighter.” His eyes locked on to hers. “You’re mine, Priscilla. My mate. And I will never let you go.”
She smiled, that radiant expression that made his warrior’s heart clench. “I felt it from the beginning. Even when you were being impossible in training.”
Andear rumbled a laugh, but his expression remained intense. “You challenged everything I thought I knew. About humans. About myself.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
The mate bond hummed, strong and undeniable. Andear had never felt more complete and more certain. His mate. His to protect. His to cherish.