Page 6 of The Emerald Boa’s Lover (Operation Colonise #3)

I will bite you

Charlie

The commute from where the travel basket dropped us off at the mid-level of Orna wasn’t long.

My eyes were wide as I took in the sight of giant snake men and women slithering back and forth across the main bridge.

It connected with long thick poles across various other buildings.

Just going about their daily lives. I saw some humans too, walking alongside the Ucfeni and some were receiving piggybacks to move along the interconnecting poles to the side buildings.

Dalahan greeted the Ucfeni we passed in his native tongue, and I wondered why, but they didn’t wear the translater gem necklaces that would translate for me.

I watched Dalahan pinch the sides of the gem to turn it back on as he asked me rather smugly ‘You’re staring again.

Like what you see?’ The marvel of the sky-top city was dimmed by his arrogant presence.

No matter. I didn’t need to like the snake-guy.

I just had to do my job, pass the sponsorship program and I’d soon be living in my own place.

Dalahan broke my musing by swinging to the left at the start of one of those inclined metal poles.

“You’re going to need to be carried. Or would you prefer to ride me?

” I laughed at his gall. That’s it. I’ve met the devil and he has emerald scales, green eyes, and way too much confidence in his bag-ability.

What frustrated me the most…was that his sexual arrogance was starting to make me wonder where that confidence came from.

Was it a bluff? Or was he cocky because he was a cock-master? Fuck I’m horny.

“I would prefer neither, but which would turn you on the least?” I folded my arms and made my stance known.

Dalahan chuckled and swung down in front of me to offer his back with his arms out ready to hold my legs.

I looked up to the sky, questioning my sanity for still going along with this, before putting my hands on his shoulders.

I hopped up onto his back in one leap and he hooked my legs with his arms. “Wow.” I threw my arms around his neck as he suddenly tipped forward and started bloody spiraling around this pole.

I did not like the time I spent underneath the bloody thing with gravity trying to pull me from his back.

I must have resembled a koala, the way I wrapped all my limbs around him so I didn’t plummet to my squishy death.

“Shit balls fuck-hurry this up already?!?”

“Relax sweet-thing.” He chuckled, pissing me off even more as we wound around the pole once more. It felt distinctly like a very unsafe roller coaster, the way we flew around the damn thing with nothing more than his muscles gripping and coiling around the pole to keep us moving.

“Why the fuck didn’t the travel basket go directly to your place?!”

“Direct transport from the grand palace?” He giggled at my child-like frustration. He had a point, I know. But damn it I wasn’t in the mood for logic when he wound back around the pole again.

“HOW MUCH FURTHER?!?!”

“So funny.” He hissed and it really pissed me off.

“I will bite you.”

“If you bite me I’ll be your first patient, and then I’ll require an apology shuck.”

I groaned with frustration at the scaly prick. After an eternity he slid up onto a platform and nonchalantly slithered up to the front door of his ‘nest’. I was probably as green as he was after that nightmare. “Are you alright there dear?”

“Fuck off.” He hissed with laughter and carefully lowered so my feet pressed to precious solid ground.

I know I spite myself by doing it, but I stumbled away from him and into the doorway.

My world span again and I clenched my eyes shut while I regained my sense of balance.

“I am not travelling like that every day to get to work. No way.”

“Relax Charlie.” He hissed way too close to me.

I turned my head to find he’d caged me against the door with a hand on either side of the round frame.

Man this guy likes to get in my personal space.

“We are aware of human travel limitations in Orna. Once I register us on the sponsorship system, an architectural engineer will come out to hollow a walkway down the middle of the pole for you. It will be done before morning.”

“Thank God.” I huffed and then did a double take of how damn close he was. “Excuse me? Respect my personal boundaries please?” I asked without an ounce of sincerity. He inclined his head to one side and his tongue flicked out toward me.

“Just so you are aware, Ucfeni are fantastic hunters. Even those of us who have taken up different trades, still have our natural predatory instincts.” I glowered, preparing myself for yet another pick-up line. “Which is why I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Enjoy what?”

“The hunt.” He flicked his tongue at me and connected with the end of my nose, making me shudder and scowl at the invasion.

“You taste so sweet. All the sweeter when I’ve chased you into submission and you let me rock your world.

” I blushed at my embarrassment and rage.

The semi I was developing was totally the result of cryosleep.

Not the fact that there was something sexy about his dominating display.

No, no no no. He is not my type. Not because he’s a reptilian alien, but because he’s a cocky prick.

“I’m three seconds away from punching you in the face and getting on the next transport shuttle back to—” Dalahan slid the rounded door to the right and sent me stumbling inside. “Bastard.”

“Yes, actually.” He answered oddly and chuckled at me as he swayed his bulk effortlessly into his home.

“Never knew my father, but my mother was blessed with patience and kindness. Being a bastard never did me any harm.” He twirled on the spot to wind his whole tail inside before rolling the door shut once more.

I used this time to shuffle to a comfortable distance from the jerk and looked around.

Okay, this guy had some style. I had to give him that.

Dalahan’s nest was a building made of very fancy looking blue marble with golden swirls in its depths.

It was polished too, from the shine of it.

The room looked like a 1960’s hippie’s wet dream.

Massive bean bags for just about every colour of the rainbow were piled together to the left.

A stack of books on a shelf was nearby for reading.

In the middle of the ceiling was a hole, for whatever reason, but there were also two ropes attached to a pulley system on the floor.

I had to reason there was one at the top as well. Was it for moving items back and forth?

Lined up against the right-hand side was a kitchen set.

Small and made of metal, like it was an afterthought, but fully functional from first glance.

The usual amenities. Fridge, freezer box, cooker, kettle, and sink.

I thought there were two fridges at first, but one was missing a door and was filled with empty shelves.

“Take off your shoes please.” I eyed him as he slithered past me to coil once around the silver pulley loop on the floor.

“You are not my first human charge. Ucfeni don’t use stairs like humans do.

This is how you will travel between each tier.

” He lifted away from one of the thicker ropes a smaller set that held a leather seat strap.

“You sit on this like a swing and pull down on the other rope to lift yourself up.”

“Oh.” I nodded at the system as I stepped out of my shoes and placed them by the door. “Oh.” I smirked and pointed at him like I’d solved a great mystery. “Your last human let you fuck him, so you think you’re going to have another ‘friend with benefits’ arrangement? Yeah, no.”

“Yeah, no.” He mocked me, and I really wanted to punch his wide fucking grin.

“My last human charge was female, and I’m homosexual.

She and I are still very good friends. I’m sure once you’ve settled in Tabitha will want to meet you and give you some survival tips.

” He chuckled at the pout on my face for not sussing his motives.

“Now, back to the tour?” Dalahan beckoned me with a finger, and damn I wanted to plant my feet in and refuse…

but I also wanted to snoop about my new home too.

I shrugged and walked towards the green sex pest. “This is the social room. Here is the kitchen set I ordered for Tabitha. Everything is clean and in working order. As is traditional in Orna, our buildings are a minimum of three tiers. And above ground level. The top tier of our city is the grand palace. The middle tier is for affluent and vital members of our society. The lower tier is the largest tier and has the bulk of our population. It’s very easy to get lost down there, so you’ll not go there without me for a long time.

” I nodded. I wasn’t eager to get lost in a place I could fall off the edge of a pole and become scrambled on the jungle floor.

“Back to our nests.” He smiled and his green eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

Oh yeah, he said he owns buildings and businesses.

This must be his passion. He pointed with both hands upward.

“The middle tier of most Orna homes are hygiene rooms. Mainly because we need to keep them clean, so we don’t have them connected to the entrance or exit of our homes.

We also need a lot of space as we spend a lot of time in there when it’s shedding season.

” Being a doctor my interest peaked at that.

“How often do Ufceni shed?”

“Every 2 or so months.”

“Does it come off in one go, or in sections?”