Page 97 of Black Mamba

Then she went to her sister’s ship and curiosity and fear took hold.

But watching and waiting brings me a sense of calm. It is that calm that I need right now. Her sister is here, and with a ship, a large one that might take Elena away from me. I clench my hands.

The last thing I expected upon our return was to find her sister in my territory, searching for her. I never thought Elena’s sister would find us, and with a massive spaceship at that, one of the biggest I have seen. It has filled the entire meadow.

There is the chance that Elena’s sister will stay here, and I will have two females and the new female’s mate to take care of. I will do whatever is necessary to make Elena happy. The meat from an average deer could feed three humans for multiple meals, and berries, fish, and water are plentiful.

Perhaps Ixi can win the other female’s heart from her human partner.

It is what I have always sought to do with a bride—have young of my own but I did not expect to expand my clan with wayward humans. I just rehomed Levy and Greg, now I may have new humans to keep an eye on.

Elena circles the boulders outside my cave’s entrance as the evening shadows elongate over them. The sun casts the sky, the land, and my cave in a golden, reddish glow, signaling the arrival of twilight.

She is seeking me, my nest.

And now that she has arrived… I look down at my growing bulge.

My misgivings fade away.

I slip forward as Elena disappears under the vines and enters the flickering, firelit passageway beyond. I prepared for her arrival. I prepared to have her here tonight.

Torches line the walls leading deeper into my cave. The interior firepit is lit and there is a large pile of wood near it, ready to keep it fed. The smell of woodsmoke is subtle as it gets swept up in the cracks in the ceiling.

I do not have food. Not yet. I did not have time to hunt or forage.

But I have bowls of fresh water—to bathe her body with after I have thoroughly claimed it.

“Lukys?” she calls out.

I shift the vines aside when I lose sight of her within. Slipping across the threshold to the other side, I come upon her outside the cavern with the firepit. Her back is facing me when I slowly approach her.

She does not hear me, see me, or sense me. Not only that, the firelight is low, having been left unattended for too long.

“You have come to my nesssst,” I hiss, my voice raspy. Elena tenses and turns, meeting my eyes as I close the distance between us. “Of your own accord.”

Her tension fades as she leans into me and rests her head against my chest, catching me by surprise. “I told you. I promised I would stay with you. I meant it.” She wraps her arms around me. I embrace her, delighting in the warmth of her body.

“You no longer fight this connection between us.”

Rumbling, hissing thickly, I haul her into my arms and carry her to my nest. As I do, she leans in and kisses my chin, jaw, and neck. She then nips my earlobe, making my appendage throb.

“I realized when I was talking with my sister that I don’t want to leave with her. I don’t want to live in her shadow any longer. I belong with you. I belong here.” She shifts upward and brushes her lips over my ear. “I want to be where I’m seen, where I’m adored for being me, just me, and not living in the background of someone else’s life.”

“Good, because I have no intention of letting you go.”

“She did ask me to leave…”

I frown down at her.

“I told her I wasn’t deciding anything, that I was tired. Then I left.”

“You did not tell her you plan on staying?”

She shakes her head. “She may have lost it. She almost didn’t let me off the ship so I told her I’d return in the morning. My sister can be… dramatic. I plan on telling her then, after she’s had some sleep. There’s a… lot of emotions right now. I think some time will help.”

I nod and gently lay her on the fluffed-up hides of my nest, afterwards moving to the torches situated around the room and relighting them with fresh wood. She watches silently as I prepare the space. When I return to her, she is sitting upright in the center of my hides, tugging off her shoes, and pulling her shirt over her head. She tosses her clothes away, moving her hands down to wrangle out of her pants.

“You do not think you can convince her to stay? Does she have to leave?” I ask.