The Mate of the Naga Prince

Chapter 4: Magi

I slowly wake up, bright sunlight filling the burrow. I let out a soft yawn as I open my eyes, feeling a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around me. I look down to see Arthur holding me on his chest, completely asleep. I smile slightly, lightly brushing away a few strands of stray hair from his face. He stirs slightly, turning over so he's on his side, taking me with him. I hold onto him, expecting pain to shoot through my body, but I didn't feel a thing. Confused, I slowly sit up, and touched where my rib was broken, no longer feeling any sort of pain. It had healed over night. Or at least, over the course of a few hours. Arthur's arms wrapped around me again, pulling me back down. I let out a small yelp as he pulls me against his chest, still asleep. His tail coils around my legs, basically trapping me in his snuggle. I giggle and wrap my arms around him, embracing his warmth. His mouth hung slightly open, light puffs of his breath gently hitting my face. I smile, lightly dragging my hands down his body. It was hard for me to believe he was real. When I was younger, I was bullied in school for 'making up stories' about him. The counselors thought he was a make believe friend I made because I was a lonely kid. Soon, I began to believe them, thinking Arthur was just a figment of my imagination and as time went on, his memory slowly slipped from my mind. But... seeing him again, being in his strong arms, brought me a feeling of peace, of safety. Like, there was nothing wrong with the world as long as I was with him. I lightly rest my head on his chest, feeling his chest rise and fall with his breathing. A few minutes later, I felt his grip tighten slightly, a soft chuckle emitting from his chest. I look up at him to see his beautiful blue eyes looking down at me. "Well... Good morning to you too." He whispers, pulling me closer. I get chills from his soft voice, putting my arms up between his chest and me. I lightly bite my lip, resting my head on my arms. "Good morning Arthur..." I whisper. He chuckles again. "All my life I've wondered if I would wake up next to a mate. Next to someone I knew would make me happy. I began to lose hope... Till you came along." He smiles warmly down at me, lightly dragging his claws through through my hair. I let out a satisfied sigh, basically melting at his touch. I loved when people played with my hair. It was one of the quickest ways to make me pass out. I let out another sigh, pulling away from him. "Keep that up and I'll pass out again." I yawn, sitting up. He chuckles, sitting up with me. Soon, his eyes were filled with concern. "How are your ribs?" He asks softly. I hadn't even thought about that! I look down at where my ribs were broken, slowly removing the vine and leaves. My eyes widen in surprise. "They're... they're fine!" I laugh in surprise. He smiles. "I should hope so. Those leafs are used in healing rituals." He pulls me closer. I giggle softly. "That would explain why my ankle healed..." I whisper, refuring to the day we met. When my mom went to put a proper splint on my ankle, it was already healed. "Yeah. I used those same leafs." He chuckles. "You know... when we met... I felt an attraction towards you." He admits. I blush slightly. "Wh-What?" "The day we met... I saw you laying on the ground crying, your ankle trapped in that root... I knew I had to protect you. I didn't know why, but I knew I had to." I smile slightly, a blush forming on my cheek. "The moment you went home, I talked to my mother and that's when we got into the topic of mates." He chuckles slightly. I giggle. "So.... what are we?" I ask, the question picking at the back of my mind. "Well..." He sighs, sitting up. "We're destined to be matesss. But, we techincally aren't till we... actually mate." I blush brightly, looking away from him. "I understand you humans have different... rituals... but with usss Nagas and Lamias (For those who don't know, Lamias are just the female virsion of Nagas) we have to mate in order for it to be 'official'." He explains in a soft voice. I bite my lower lip gently, looking up at him. He turns to me, a faint blush on his cheeks. His tail, that was still wrapped around my waist, tightens around me. He gently cups my cheek, bringing his face closer to mine. I slowly bring my hands to his chest, my face heating up with every second that passed. We got so close to each other that our lips softly grazed each other. I could smell the faint, sweet smell of his breath. I couldn't quite place it, but it almost smelled like some sort of berry. Like a strawberry or a raspberry. "Arthur James Smith!" A shocked female voice rings through the silence, making Arthur pull away from me quickly. (Lol, can Nagas have full names?) We both turned to the entrance of the burrow, where stood a shocked Lamia. She had long black hair and, like Arthur, she didn't have any clothes. Thankfully, her hair covered her... chest area... She had bright hot pink eyes and her tail was a dark purple with a cyan blue underside. (Again, look at the picture above for a reference on the tail design.) Arthur stares at her nervously and swallows dryly. "Hi... Magi..."