Page 41 of King of Serpents

“I think I might have a bit of indigestion or something,” she explained.

Her comment was met with a flat stare, and for a moment felt as if she were being weighed and measured until the female suddenly cracked a smile and hissed softly in amusement. “If that is what you wish to call it. You are certainly suffering from something.”

Alex frowned back at her. “It certainly isn’t any of my business,” she muttered, which only drew more laughter from the guard.

“I thought we were speaking of indigestion. That concerns your bowels, does it not? What else could be any more your business than that?”

A hot flush crept up Alex’s neck. “Of course. I just meant that what Therxian is up to has nothing to do with me, so why bother mentioning it?”

“Ah.”

“In any case,” she pushed stubbornly onward, “it seems unlikely that he would have had the time to hunt something and bring it here when he is currently very much occupied.”

“Very occupied,” Buosoa hummed in agreement. “Breeding is a very lengthy process as each copulation takes considerable time as it requires both sants—the reproductive organs of the male that must each deliver the appropriate genetic material—to be burrowed into the receptive vent of the female.”

Alex’s stomach sank at the mental picture that conjured. Therxian intimately entwined with one of those beautiful, regal-looking Seshanamitesh females, his body undulating and contorting gracefully as he drove his cock into her waiting sex. It would be one of his own kind who would receive the full measure of his sexual passion, even if it meant nothing else to him. A hollow feeling sank into her chest, invoking a surprising upwelling of sadness that forced her to rapidly blink her eyes to hold back the tears. It was ridiculous to take it so personally—as if it was some kind of betrayal. She was merely a passenger in his life that was thrust upon him. Even if he was not pleased with what he must do, it was all part of his purpose in the shinara. He certainly wouldn’t have ever left the Vir mountains if he hadn’t been prepared to breed with a noble female and provide the next generation of his line.

Shockingly, reminding herself of that didn’t make her feel any better. Instead, her heart grew even heavier yet, and was quickly followed by a nauseated feeling that violently turned her stomach. She promptly braced herself against the wall as she doubled over with a groan.

“Alex, are you unwell?” the guard inquired politely.

Too politely. In fact, there was still a trace of mirth evident in her voice if Alex wasn’t mistaken.

“I think I’m going to puke,” she groaned.

“You appear unwell. Is it the meat? Is the smell bothering you? I could remove it if you like,” the female magnanimously offered.

Alex grimaced and shook her head as she forced herself to straighten and take a deep breath to steady herself. She wasn’t going to fall apart over something she had been well aware of, even if she had tried to ignore it and not think of it—not including the times she intentionally sabotaged his breeding pairings. But it wasn’t like he wasn’t entirely on board with it. She had been doing him a favor as far as she was concerned, as well as securing her own safety since she had been hiding there too. There was no need for him to find a way out since he no longer had a human in his nest to worry over being discovered.

“No, I’m fine,” she replied and refocused on the meat. “It is possible that I’m just hungry again.”

“Hunger is very inconvenient like that,” Buosoa agreed with a tip of her head. “It does not care what is rational or our attempt to suppress it into something more manageable. Do you not agree?”

Alex frowned at her, not missing the blatant innuendo, or the fact that female said it very intentionally that way judging by her sly smile.

“But hunger when embraced can lead to exceptionally enjoyable... flying,” she hummed.

Flying? Was that a euphemism among Seshanamitesh for...?

Burning heat flooded her face, and she swallowed thickly. “Don’t tell me that when I am offered to fly him that it meant—”

“To ‘fly a male’ is a term expressed with considerable relish among mated females that refers to exercising a male’s full potential while guiding him so that they may reach a high level of bliss together. I believe that Therxian would be very pleased with your... flying ability.”

“Oh, fuck,” Alex whispered, mortified.

Although she had spent some time casually among Seshanamitesh males in passing in the colony, they had always struck as being a quiet and intensely serious species. Being introduced to the ribald humor that appeared to be common among the females was nothing short of shocking. It wasn’t what she had expected at all. She had always assumed that the female of the species was grim and cunning... frightening, like the females that had come for Lori and her mates.

Buosoa grinned. “Tell the truth, little human. You would enjoy flying Therxian with his sants thoroughly plugging you and breeding you rather than some upstart female from a noble family.”

“Just kill me now,” Alex whispered to herself as she buried her face in her hands. Death would be a merciful end to her mortification.

Unfortunately, this thought was promptly followed by a very clear memory of seeing his exposed sex. She frowned, her head tipping with confusion.

“Sants? There are two? He has two pricks?” she said, her voice rising in surprise.

Once again, she was treated to one of Buosoa’s stares as the female studied her. “You have shared a nest with Therxian for many days now. How could you not know?”

“I didn’t exactly try to get a look,” Alex retorted. She shook her head. They were getting way off track. “How did this develop into discussing... that?”