Prey (Male!Naga x Male!Reader)

Chapter 26

The light of the sun burned Y/n's eyes blind. The (h/c) man had nearly forgotten how intense it was; that and the heat. It felt as if he had just stepped out of an oven and straight into the fire. Blinking until his vision cleared, Y/n subtly adjusted the limp body on his back — blood from Dr. Nilsson's arm staining his shirt dark red — and took another step out into the open.

Einar materialized seemingly instantly with a tranq rifle over one shoulder and an unreadable expression deepening the severe lines on his face. Y/n knew his heart was beating too fast and his palms were too sweaty. The (h/c) man was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Einar to call him out on his lies, and for everything to fall apart. The (h/c) man couldn't fight everyone off if they insisted on entering the cavern. It just wasn't realistic — and then Enlil would be — his heart raced.

And perhaps all that might've happened — if Einar's eyes hadn't then landed on Dr. Nilsson and saw the seriousness of her injury for himself. It provided a suitable distraction, or maybe an acceptable justification for the mission to be canceled. Whatever the reason, Y/n didn't face any kind of immediate interrogation or deception.

Instead, Einar abruptly walked over to relieve Y/n of his considerable burden. The well-muscled man carefully removed Dr. Nilsson's limp form and carried her himself. Y/n stumbled a little at the sudden release but quietly thanked him.

From there on out, everything went smoothly. The other men — all armed to the teeth — that waited out here with Einar, slowly creeped from their positions amongst the mangrove trees. They took the new change of orders with the ease of military soldiers. Questions were not asked. Y/n shuddered, eyeing their tranq guns and real, automatic weaponry. Nothing he could do against that.

Y/n could not put his staggering relief into words, glad they were just leaving. He followed the group; battered, exhausted, and behind them a few paces.

Everyone else was on alert, Einar having relayed to them that the naga was not in its den and therefore could be out and about. Y/n, for his part, was barely keeping his eyes open and his legs moving. With every step they took away from Enlil's den, the (h/c) man felt the tension ease in his body. Y/n knew he had to do this — that this was the only way he could save the naga.

He had to go back to the camp with Einar, pretend everything was okay, and keep the poachers away from the naga's den until the tranquilizer's effects wore off. Luckily, having shot Dr. Nilsson with the same drug, Y/n would have a good gauge of when that would be. Of course, by the time Dr. Nilsson recovered, Y/n would no doubt be facing some extremely dire consequences for his actions.

His stomach churned, imagining a million different scenarios each one more terrible that the last. But — Y/n's fists clenched — he'd make them see. He had to make them understand that this — all of this — was wrong. And even if he predicted failure in that pursuit, he still had to make the effort to try.

The closest camp was a new one: Camp Charlie, only a short distance outside of the mangrove swamp and along the beach. Y/n noted how out in the open it was — perfect for keeping a stealthy predator like Enlil at bay. The naga, no doubt, would prefer to leave the camp alone and pick them off when they ventured out.

Y/n also privately wondered if the closer location had made it easier for Enlil to kill more of the men stationed here; it would explain the many times the naga had come back to its den, covered in blood...

It was only when Y/n stepped into the camp, the (h/c) man suddenly wondered if there was anyone actually qualified to treat Dr. Nilsson's injuries. Shit, Y/n's stomach dropped straight to his feet. He hadn't even thought that far ahead. What if she ended up dying?