Subject to Study (Naga!Brothers x Reader)

Chapter 6

"Where are they taking my brothers?" A dark voice barked out above me, my eyes catching a pair of red-rimmed hues staring down at me, the black irises flexing in size as the creature monitored my reaction.

A full head of messy blood-red hair spread out like a crown from my pinned perspective, the red pattern continuing under his skin and re-emerging as scales down the sides of his neck before flowering out over his shoulders and vanishing back into the skin down his arms and sides. His lips hadn't closed from the question, revealing a pair of double fangs that threatened to extend to their full length.

"I don't know," My voice caught in my throat, scared of the uncertainty that I wouldn't make it out of the trip alive. I closed my eyes tightly as the naga lowered his face towards mine, flinching as I felt something light dart over my face before his hands slid up my arms and messed with the rope near my wrists. The relief was instant as he pulled away, but I didn't have time to revel in it before he grabbed my vest and lifted me onto his back.

"You'll be useful as a distraction, then."

I didn't respond, finding myself holding onto his shoulders for dear life as the naga moved forward, his chest low to the ground and easily maneuvering around the trees. Looking over my shoulder to see the coloration of his scales, I noticed that most of his tail was an iridescent black that blended into a bright red as it neared the tip. The scales closest to his waist had the same blend of color, and I held onto his shoulders tighter as my jaw locked in fear. His scales and appearance only brought one name to mind.

Oso, and he was a red-headed krait naga. Not on the list of the world's most deadly snakes, but still not something to tease or mess around with...especially when he was over four times the size of a normal krait.

"Are you done cowering back there?" I slightly flinched as he slowed down, his head looking down at me as the red and black eyes gave an unblinking stare.

"I'm not cowering," I loosened my grip slightly, "I just don't want to do anything that would cause you to kill me."

"I have plenty of reasons to kill you right now," Oso's eyes narrowed, "In fact, I have six of them. One for each of my brothers being taken, thanks to you, and one for even setting foot on our home."

"I didn't know that we were intruding!" I met his glare, partially leaning away from his back, "I was hired to help document this island, and if I knew that this would happen then I wouldn't have come."

Oso stopped completely, raising his torso from its hovering position and twisting around to fully face me. The movement made me let go and fall off his body, landing on the ground.

"It's a little too late for 'if-then', isn't it?"

"I want to fix my mistake!" I recovered my footing and quickly stood up, glaring up at him as he held himself higher than me, "It was my idiocy that made this happen, so let me fix it. After that, I'll leave you and your clutchmates alone."

"You won't get that chance," Oso hissed, racing down with his pupils completely contracted and fangs bared. I held my breath as he came closer, staring him in the eyes. His fangs stopped less than an inch from my neck, a silent moment passing between us as my heart pounded like a war drum. Oso's shoulders flinched before he pulled away, a laugh growing louder as his whole body relaxed and lowered to my eye level.

"You've got some nerve, (y/n)," Oso opened his mouth wider in a yawn, his fangs folding back into their relaxed position before he looked at me, the pupils dilated to a normal size, "If you want to fix your mistake, then make a plan for it."

"I don't...really have one," I glanced away, clenching my fists. I didn't have enough information to make a plan, and the three men had already proved that they'd kick my ass in a fight.