Page 48 of Naga Warlord's Mate

“For Nirum,” he growled, and launched himself into the air.

Andear’s tail propelled him, his blade singing as it cleaved through Xirath armor. The acrid stench of plasma fire filled his nostrils, mixing with the metallic tang of blood. His warriors fought with precision, but his attention kept returning to one figure moving through the fray.

Priscilla ducked under a plasma blast, her movements fluid like water. The training showed in every strike and every dodge. His chest swelled with pride even as the mate bond wanted him to protect her. She spun, her blade finding gaps in Xirath armor that even his experienced warriors missed.

“Your left, warrior!” he called out as a Xirath soldier charged her. Priscilla pivoted instantly, her blade catching the alien’s throat in a move he’d taught her. Blood sprayed across her armor, but she didn’t flinch.

The mate bond surged as a massive Xirath captain emerged behind her, its energy blade humming. Andear’s scales darkened with rage. His tail coiled and launched him forward, covering the distance in a heartbeat. His blade struck true, separating the Xirath’s head from its shoulders before it could touch what was his.

Priscilla whirled at the sound, her eyes widening briefly before narrowing. “I saw him coming.”

“Did you now?” Andear’s tail swept a fallen weapon aside as he positioned himself at her back. The bond thrummed between them, making his scales ripple. “That’s why you were still facing the other direction?”

She dispatched another soldier with a precise thrust. “I was getting to it.”

His blade caught an incoming plasma bolt, deflecting it back at the shooter. “Of course you were.” His voice was rough with pride and possession. She fought like a true warrior now, but she was still his to protect.

A fresh wave of Xirath soldiers pressed forward, their armor gleaming under the harsh battlefield lights. Andear’s tail coiled tighter. The battle was far from over, but with Priscilla at his back, he had never felt more alive.

Andear’s tail propelled him through another devastating strike, his blade cleaving through Xirath armor. Through the heat ofbattle, his gaze found Priscilla again. Their eyes met across the blood-soaked battlefield, and the mate bond surged within him, fierce and demanding.You are mine to protect,he thought, watching her dance through combat with lethal grace.

But as she dispatched another Xirath soldier with perfect form, he realized something that made his scales ripple with pride and frustration. She didn’t need his protection anymore. Before him stood a warrior who moved like death itself, each strike precise, each dodge calculated.

“Getting slow, warlord?” Priscilla called out as she spun past him, her blade finding a gap in a Xirath captain’s armor. Blood streaked across her face, but she didn’t even blink.

His tail coiled with possessive energy. “Teaching you to be faster was clearly a mistake.”

Around them, the tide of battle shifted. His warriors pressed forward, their coordinated attacks pushing the Xirath lines back. The enemy’s formations began to crack under the relentless Niri assault. Victory’s scent filled the air, sharp and sweet.

A Xirath soldier charged Priscilla from behind. Before Andear could move, she dropped and rolled, coming up inside the alien’s guard. Her blade found its mark under the chin, where the armor was weakest. The move was perfect. He had taught her that one himself in a private training session.

“I saw that look,” she said, falling back into position beside him. “Stop acting surprised every time I kill something.”

His tail swept a fallen weapon aside as he positioned himself closer to her—not because she needed it but because the mate bond demanded it. “I’m not surprised.” His voice rumbled with pride and possession. “I’m thoroughly impressed.”

The battle raged on, but now Andear fought alongside someone who matched him strike for strike. His mate. His warrior. His equal.

Andear felt Priscilla tense against his back, her muscles going rigid. The mate bond flared with warning, making his scales ripple with protective fury. Through the clamor of battle, his gaze followed hers to the shadows between two fallen ships.

There stood Zarlok, his scaled face illuminated by the eerie glow of plasma fire. The Xirath leader’s eyes fixed on Priscilla with such calculated hunger that Andear’s tail coiled with rage. He recognized that look. It was how predators eyed their prey before they pounced.

“Stay close,” Andear growled. The mate bond roared at him to strike, to tear Zarlok apart for daring to look at his mate that way.

“I’m not hiding,” Priscilla said, but her voice carried an edge he rarely heard. Her grip on her weapon tightened until her knuckles went white.

Zarlok’s thin lips curved into a cold smile. His forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air—tasting her scent. Andear’s scales darkened with fury as the Xirath leader’s gaze traveled over Priscilla’s form with murderous intent.

“Such spirit.” Zarlok’s voice carried across the battlefield, smooth as poison. “You would have fetched a high price in the breeding markets.”

Andear’s tail lashed violently, scattering debris. The mere suggestion made his blood boil over. “Look at her again,” he snarled, “and I will tear out your eyes.”

Zarlok’s smile only widened, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth. “The mighty Warlord Andear, brought low by a human pet. How disappointing.” His cold gaze never left Priscilla. “Though I must admit, she is... exceptional.”

The mate bond surged within Andear, demanding blood now. His muscles coiled, ready to strike, but Priscilla’s hand on his arm stopped him. She knew as well as he did that charging Zarlok now would leave them exposed to his guards.

“I am no one’s pet,” Priscilla spat, her voice carrying steel. “And you’re a fool if you think I’m afraid of you.”

Chapter 26

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