Prey (Male!Naga x Male!Reader)

Chapter 20

When Y/n regained consciousness it was dark, and everything hurt. His body protested waking just yet, demanding more rest; demanding less pain and threatening to drag him back under the wonderful haze of unconsciousness. Unlike his body however, his mind was a live wire: alert and sparking. A million thoughts were running through his head. Thoughts like: my hand — I need to check my hand, and the naga: where is it? It was not in his direct line of sight.

A fresh spark of fear ran down Y/n's spine at the mere thought of the creature. Y/n would admit in the privacy of his own head; in the quiet intimacy of the surrounding darkness, he had gained a new understanding of just how much he was at the naga's mercy. Y/n did not really have a say in whether he lived or not — that had been made clear. Hell, the only reason he was still breathing now was because the naga deemed it so; because it had chosen to release him when it was on the cusp of crushing his windpipe. Y/n was unable to fight it off... Completely and entirely helpless.

His throat throbbed anew; it was sore every time he swallowed and there was a constant burning sensation pervading his trachea every time he drew in a raspy breath; a heavy taste of copper sat on the back of his tongue. He was certain his neck was bruised; very badly bruised.

Still, Y/n attempted to draw himself up, using his uninjured hand to brace his weight. He leant most of his upright body against the cage's bars, listening intently for any sign of the naga. Yet, all there was the hum of pounding water and his own strangled breaths. Y/n closed his eyes, grateful for the small moment of peace, leaning his hot forehead against the cool bars.

He nearly fell asleep in that spot — but with a little jolt, he snapped out of it. He still needed to check his hand. He opened his eyes, squinting through the darkness, trying to assess the severity of his injuries. Even though he could lift his arm, neither his wrist nor his fingers responded well to any commands. The muscles simply fluttered, fingers shaking wildly, and wrist falling slack with painful exertion. Y/n could vaguely see the outlines of all the little plastic shards that were still embedded deeply into his flesh.

Honestly, neglecting to take them out at this point had probably kept his bleeding to a minimum, but Y/n knew if they were left in too long, the injury would only become more severe and the risk of infection would increase drastically.

On the other hand, Y/n didn't have the tools necessary to treat this kind of injury. So, if Dr. Nilsson really was coming — if she was here soon enough — Y/n should probably just leave it as is. That didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch though.

Y/n sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth as he gently laid his injured hand down to rest against his thigh. Then his eyes felt shut again, mouth parted and head tilted back to keep his airways open, bringing a little comfort to his rough breathing. His throat was on fire.

Then came the dreaded sound of scales dragging against rock. Y/n was too familiar with it now; he felt like he could identify that noise from anywhere.

The naga was here; had been here the whole time. And now it was on the move, slowly coming closer. Y/n dreaded every single second following this revelation.

"Y/n," its voice came low, almost in tandem with the night's other ambient noises. It was too quiet to echo, but still it felt too loud in Y/n's ear; in his mind.

Ice cold fear shot down his spine. Y/n didn't even entertain the thought of replying. He could hear the naga draw closer, but Y/n didn't move; he didn't even open his eyes. He was too tired to face whatever waited for him.

But then Y/n could feel its presence: a pressure against his back, soft exhalations disturbing the fine hairs atop his head, and a whisper of tongue flickering against the helix of his ear. Y/n considered moving away; could sense the timorous uncertainty churning in his gut, but he didn't so much as twitch a muscle. It wasn't like he'd get away in time anyway if the naga attacked him. No, the creature was clearly faster than him, especially in the state Y/n found himself now.