Page 29 of Naga Warlord's Mate

“You were stationed to protect her per my request,” Andear snarled, his tail coiling tighter. “Your failure will be addressed at dawn.”

The warriors worked in tense silence, removing the evidence of the attack. Andear’s gaze kept returning to Priscilla, watching how she held herself with quiet strength even now. The mate bond demanded he take her somewhere safe, somewhere he could guard her himself.

His tail coiled restlessly as he watched her soon settle on the training bench. She wrapped a cloth around her arm with trembling fingers, though her face remained set in stubborn determination.

The scent of her blood made his scales bristle. His primitive instincts demanded he hunt down every last Xirath in the city right now.

He slithered closer, his massive form casting a shadow over her. Without a word, he took the cloth from her hands, his movements precise despite the rage still burning through his veins. The cut wasn’t deep, but it was enough to make his jaw clench. Someone had dared to hurt what was his.

“Hold still,” he commanded, cleaning the wound with practiced efficiency. His hands, still stained with assassin blood, moved with surprising gentleness against her soft skin.

The mate bond thrummed, still demanding he take action to protect what was his. The thought of her alone in her sister’s house, vulnerable to another attack, made his tail lash against the floor.

Her pulse jumped under his touch as he secured the bandage. He could smell her exhaustion, the lingering traces of fear she tried so hard to hide. His little warrior refused to show weakness even now. It made his chest tighten with pride and something darker, more possessive.

Andear gripped her chin, tilting her face up until their eyes met. His voice dropped to a dangerous rumble. “You will move into my den. Tonight.”

The gold of his eyes had darkened to molten bronze. He’d let her have her independence before, let her prove herself in training. But this attack changed everything. The mate bond wouldn’t let him leave her unprotected again.

Priscilla’s green eyes widened at his command, but she didn’t immediately respond. Her silence made his tail coil tighter, his body instinctively moving closer, caging her against the bench.

“Excuse me? You don’t get to tell me what to do,” she finally blurted out. Her voice carried that defiant edge he’d grown to expect, the one that both infuriated and fascinated him.

He shifted even closer, using his size to dominate the space around her. His tail scraped against the stone floor as he moved, his muscles tensing beneath his dark scales. The mate bond demanded he make her understand.

“No, but you are under my protection now.” His voice rumbled low in his chest, his eyes fixed on her face. “I won’t let thishappen again.” The words came out as a promise and a threat all at once, meant for anyone who dared to challenge his claim.

The fire in her eyes blazed brighter. “So, I go from being a slave to now being caged in your quarters?”

The accusation hit him like a punch to the face. His tail tightened its grip on the bench leg until the wood creaked in protest. The primitive part of him wanted to simply wrap her in his coils and keep her safe in his arms, consequences be damned. But she wasn’t some helpless female to be commanded. She had proven that tonight.

His upper body tensed as he leaned even closer, his breath fanning across her face. “It is not a cage.” The words came out rougher than intended, thick with emotion he couldn’t quite suppress. “It is the safest place on Nirum.”

Andear watched as Priscilla’s shoulders slumped slightly, her defiant posture softening. The scent of her blood still made his scales bristle, but he remained still, waiting for her answer.

“Fine.” She ran her hand through her disheveled blonde hair. “But not because you commanded it.”

His tail twitched against the stone floor. Even now, she challenged him. The mate bond hummed with approval, even as his dominant nature bristled.

“I can’t stay at Mila’s.” Priscilla’s voice dropped lower, her green eyes distant. “If they found me there... my sister would try to protect me. Like she always has.” Her fingers traced the bandage on her arm. “I won’t put her in danger. Not after everything she sacrificed to free me from Jorvla.”

Understanding clicked into place. Andear’s tail coiled closer to her, not quite touching but offering silent support. Of course. She wasn’t yielding to his protection. She was protecting her sister. His fierce mate, always fighting for others.

“Your sister need not know of tonight’s events,” he rumbled. The possessive part of him appreciated that she would be away from Brivul’s household, away from other males’ protection. But he kept that thought to himself.

“I’ll need to get my things,” she said, pushing herself up from the bench.

Andear’s tail moved silently across the stone streets as he escorted Priscilla through the darkened city. His senses remained razor-sharp, scanning for any hint of threat.

He’d positioned himself between Priscilla and any possible danger, his towering form creating a protective barrier around her. The night air carried the scent of night-blooming flowers and cooking fires, but underneath it all, he caught the metallic tang of blood still clinging to her bandaged arm.

“Stay close,” he insisted. Through his comm device, he heard Vren confirming they’d begun repairs at the training center.

Priscilla’s soft footsteps beside him made his protective instincts surge. She moved with the grace he’d taught her, but she was still so small, so fragile compared to his warrior’s build. The thought of the assassins’ hands on her made his claws flex unconsciously.

They reached her sister’s house—a modest dwelling near the university district. Andear’s tail coiled restlessly as Priscilla approached the side entrance.

“Five minutes,” he rumbled, positioning himself where he could watch both the street and the house entrance. “Any longer and I come in after you.”

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