Chapter 13

~Nye~

The night before, Kamari consumed his thoughts. Nye lays in the nest of furs, indulging in Kamari's scent. Nye had to hold back the urge to shift.

Mating in the human world didn't come naturally to him. But when Kamari started moving her hips the way she did, his body went into a frenzy. A surge of primal instincts drowned him, and he was at her mercy. It interested him that mating seemed more pleasurable and exciting in the human body. It's a lot more enjoyable. Nye may not have entered her body, but his soul itched to be that close to her again.

"Nye." Koa's voice rips him away from his precious thoughts.

"What?" Nye growls.

"Kamari and you," Koa pauses, "Mating?"

Nye couldn't help but crack a smile. He almost forgot they were there with them. Nye sits up. "Not necessarily. It's quite enjoyable, though." Nye looks at Koa, who has a confused look on his face. Nye remembered that gaze when he started learning about humans himself. Their odd ways of life interested him for some reason, even though Nye disliked them. He always wanted to one-up them if they wanted to try and capture him, like his brethren.

"It seems that pleasure can take many forms here," and his thrill of pain transferred. It came from many battles and fights where the winner was the most damaged. Nye inflicted the most but could endure more because it never weakened him. It excited him and made it harder for his brothers to beat him.

Nye smirks at Koa. The youngest of them, and yet, Nye knew to watch his back around him. Sea serpents sniffed out any weakness before they attacked. Ambush creatures. Since Koa became part of his trio, he never attempted to take Nye's place.

"What are you waiting for, Koa?" Nye asks with a suspicious brow. He knew Koa understood him. Koa searches Nye's gaze with his almond-shaped eyes. "You've seen nothing that can give you an upper hand in a fight with me." Nye stares at the youngest one, only half a century old.

"I want to learn," Koa says, his voice silvery, but Nye can sense his calculating nature. "Kamari teaches me."

Nye slowly sits up, locking eyes with Koa, "You are beneath me. Touch," Nye makes a slashing gesture across his chest, "Is forbidden. I will put you in Aneth's place." Behind his back, Koa got close to Kamari, and seeing Kamari hold Koa's seed in her hands made Nye want to strangle Koa.

Koa stares at Nye for a long while, then slightly bows his head. If there was one thing Nye knew, it was the respect of power. His brothers knew what he could do to them, and with that knowledge, they remained alert and admired what he could do. But Nye never underestimated his brothers. At any given time, one of them could challenge him for leadership. That would end his time with Kamari, and he wasn't giving it up that easily.

Nye focuses on Aneth, who hasn't returned from his defeat. Aneth remained silent and in the shadows. Nye presumed he took his loss hard, but he accepted it. Yet Aneth stayed down for too long. Usually, he was nipping at Koa's heels, taunting him. Nye got up and walked over to Aneth, who looked up at him.

Nye gives him a sharp hiss and kicks Aneth's leg. Aneth glances at him, "Are you Ill?"

Aneth scrunches his nose, turning his head away from Nye. Nye crouches, grabs Aneth's chin, and turns his face towards him, "Answer me." Aneth swallows, then pulls away from Nye's grip; he slides the sleeve of the robe down, showing a nasty-looking gash. One Nye made himself, but the infection surprised him. Rarely did Dragons die from disease or sickness.

"Pain?"

Aneth grits his teeth in response. Since it never happened, Nye wasn't too sure how to handle it. He could take his brother's infection and wear it as his own, but that would make him vulnerable. And yet, he didn't want his brother to weather away. Dragons create their own Pride. Koa and Aneth are his family.

Nye stands up with a low growl. Fixing this without harming himself was going to be difficult.

The door from upstairs opens and closes. Kamari comes down, and Aneth is quick to pull up his sleeve.

"Hey," Kamari looks from Nye to Aneth. "What's going on?" She asks.

"Show her," Nye commands, knowing his brother's stubbornness. Aneth wouldn't have shown anyone until he drifted into a never-ending sleep. When Aneth does nothing, Nye grabs his other arm and drags him towards her, shoving him in front of her.

Nye grabs his sleeve and rips it open, exposing the gruesome wound. Kamari gaps, "Oh, Good Goddess." She looks at Nye, "Did you do this?"

"Yes. But I did not cause the infection."

Kamari's eyes narrow on him. Then she kneels before Aneth and tries to touch the wound. Aneth starts to growl, and Nye grabs his hair. "Don't think I won't snap your neck." After a moment, Aneth calms down and lets Kamari examine it. She stands up, "I have to go get some things. Stay right here."

Nye watches as she speeds up the stairwell. He lets go of Aneth's hair, "Your stubbornness will be your death."