Free Web NovelChapter 7: First a Dog, Now a Snake
Kael shifted his weight, his muscles tensing like a coiled spring. He signaled with a sharp jerk of his head for Bai Nuan to step back into the shadows of the trees.
Nuan didn’t need to be told twice. She carefully lifted her elbow crutches, trying to keep the rubber tips from suctioning too loudly against the damp earth.
"No need to hide," the man in the purple silk murmured. His voice was smooth, carrying a mischievous lilt that made the hair on her arms stand up. Between his parted lips, a dark, forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air for a fraction of a second before vanishing. "I already caught your scent."
Kael didn’t bother with stealth anymore. He lunged out of the brush, planting himself firmly between the stranger and the treeline. "Who is hiding from you?" he growled, his voice a low, threatening rumble.
The stranger didn’t flinch. He just licked his lips, his golden, vertically slitted pupils darting toward the woods as Nuan slowly emerged, her crutches clicking rhythmically. Now that she had a clear view, her professional instincts cataloged the "survival" immediately.
From the waist up, he was a masterpiece of lean muscle and shimmering skin. From the waist down, he was a massive, powerful serpent, his scales a deep, iridescent violet that matched his silk robes.
"My, my... such furless, shiny, smooth skin," Eryx mused, his gaze raking over her. He turned her survival knife over in his long fingers. "It looks as if you have just finished a perfect shedding."
Kael’s growl intensified, a sound that started in his chest and shook the air. "Give that thing back! It belongs to Nuan!"
Eryx ignored the Alpha, his lower half gliding forward with a terrifying, fluid grace that didn’t disturb a single leaf. He flicked his tongue again, his eyes locked on hers. "Nice to meet you, Nua. I am Eryx. Eryx, the Silent Coil."
Kael scrambled to move between them, his protective instincts in overdrive, but Nuan surprised them both. Having handled countless snakes on Women vs. Wild, she wasn’t paralyzed by the sight of a few meters of scales. She swung herself forward on her crutches, meeting Eryx’s gaze with steady, unimpressed eyes.
"Bai Nuan," she corrected calmly. "Nice to meet you, Eryx. And thank you for the compliment. I do try to keep up with my skincare routine, even in a prehistoric jungle."
Kael stopped mid-step, his growl dying into a confused huff. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"I was just stating the obvious," Eryx replied, a small, dangerous smile playing on his lips. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Nuan didn’t look away. She pointed a crutch toward his hand. "I believe you’re holding something that belongs to me. And since I’m currently down one ankle, I’d really like my primary tool back."
[ New Potential Mate Detected: Eryx (Snake Beastman). ]
[ Status: Intrigued. ]
[ System Warning: Snakes don’t just ’give’ things back, Host. They trade. ]
’Great,’ Nuan thought, her grip tightening on the aluminum handles. ’First a dog with no boundaries, now a snake with a silk fetish. This world is a biological nightmare.’
Kael lunged forward, planting himself like a brick wall between them. A low, vibrating growl rattled his chest. "Do not speak with snakes, Nuan! They are scum!"
Eryx glided back an inch, a small, mischievous chuckle escaping his lips as he flipped the knife between his fingers. "My, my... did the big bad dog not notice that two creative people were having a conversation?"
he mocked, his eyes glinting.
"Tsk, tsk... tsk."
Bai Nuan clicked her tongue, maneuvering her elbow crutch to swing herself out from behind Kael’s massive frame.
"Stay behind me, Nuan!" Kael rumbled, his muscles bunching as if he were seconds away from shifting. "I’ll snap his spine in one bite."
"You won’t do that, Kael!" Nuan shifted her weight on her crutches, giving him a sharp look. "Snakes have multiple vertebrae—well, tiny bones that make up a very flexible, very long spine. Even a bad hit could injure him permanently! Don’t be a brute."
Kael’s growl didn’t stop, but it shifted into a smirk, his fangs peeking out. "Then I’ll just rip off his head and finish the job."
"Tsk! Why are you so desperate to kill him?!" Nuan hissed.
"He is holding something that is precious to you! It belongs to you!" Kael’s eyes were locked on the knife in Eryx’s hand.
’Aww... that line was actually almost cute,’ Nuan thought, her professional exterior wavering for a split second.
"I’ll talk and get it back, Kael," she said firmly.
She glanced at Eryx, who looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the sight of an Alpha being bossed around by a "furless" female.
"Eryx?" Nuan called out. She let go of one of her elbow crutches, and Kael—standing right behind her—immediately caught it, playing the role of a very muscular bouncer. She opened her palm toward the snake-man. "Give it back. Like a gentleman."
Eryx licked his lips, his golden eyes dancing.
"Such a perfectly carved tool... such amazing material. You should be with me and my people, Nuan. We have a better eye for such craftsmanship." He swung the knife through the air with a flourish. "If you come with me, I will provide a comfortable, warm-stoned den. One that won’t require any physical contact with a stinky wolf."
’Warm stones... right. Snakes are ectotherms. Cold-blooded. Their whole life depends on finding the right field report for heat.’
"Do not fall for his lies, Nuan!" Kael rumbled, pressing his chest against her back in a heavy, territorial display. "He is lying to you."
"Hm?" Nuan looked at him over her shoulder, then back at Eryx, keeping her palm open.
Eryx glided forward, his movements fluid and silent. Kael pressed closer to Nuan’s back, a territorial rumble vibrating through her. With surprising grace, Eryx gently placed the knife in her hand and glided back.
"Good boy," Nuan muttered, her fingers closing around the hilt.
"I’ll be back soon for this... borrowed transaction, Nuan," he said, flicking his tongue. He leaned in just enough to whisper so low it barely reached her ears, "I know this is your true form..."
Nuan’s eyes widened. Before she could react, he transformed in a blur of scales and vanished into the thick woods.
