Snake Charmer

by Zenina Masters

  Teal gave her a look of admiration. “That is a healthy attitude.”

  Yvena nibbled at a cookie with determination. “I am working on it.”

  Chapter Five

  Playing checkers with Teebie for a few hours killed most of the afternoon. After that, Yvena headed for the café and got a burger to go with a cup of lemonade.

  Tucked in her room with food and a good book, Yvena could hear the arrival of the new guest, and she made her way through the novel she was working on without truly appreciating the action or adventure.

  She settled in to sleep at eleven and tried to keep herself relaxed. She would leave the next day, and she was in a safe place, there was no reason to wake.

  She crept down the stairs with her robe around her and curled up on the couch once again. Damn.

  Yvena sighed and tried to resign herself to waking in the middle of the night for the foreseeable future.

  She stared into the fireplace and dozed. A hand touched her shoulder. “Here you go.”

  She stirred and smiled, taking the cup of warm milk from him. “Thank you, Liander.”

  She sipped and stared into the fireplace for a count of ten before she jolted upright, balancing her milk carefully. “Liander?”

  He sat in a nearby chair. “Hello, Yvena.”

  A dark lock of his hair fell over one eye, and she fought the urge to brush it back.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He smiled, “The same as you. I am looking for my soul mate.”

  “Oh. I am leaving this afternoon. I have come to the realisation that seeking love isn’t really for me.” Her heart was heavy, seeing the one man that she wanted and couldn’t have.

  “Do you really have to go? I thought that you could show me around.”

  She bit her lip at his earnest expression. “I came to the decision with some difficulty.”

  “I might be able to make it entertaining to stay another day.”

  Yvena looked into his earnest gaze. Her heart swelled and thudded in her chest. “One more day. Just to help you get settled.”

  He smiled. “Thank you. How have you been doing since you left the recovery centre?”

  She sipped at her milk, cradling it carefully in her hands. “Fine. Going over the past in my mind has worn deep grooves in my psyche. But, by seeing the path, I believe I can go around it. I just have to get my snake back in touch. She eludes me, hiding where it is safe.”

  “I thought she might come out when you left the recovery centre.”

  “Nope.” She sipped at the milk and made a face. “Too many memories of my kidnapping at home. It was my safe place and now it isn’t. She resents that.”

  “Understandable. How do you feel about it?”

  She gave him a look through narrowed eyes. “I thought I had left the centre.”

  He winced. “Right. From now on, I know nothing about you other than that you enjoy milk and honey at four am.”

  Yvena grinned and extended her hand. “Hello, my name is Yvena.”

  “Hello, I am Liander.”

  She sipped at her milk. “Tell me about yourself, Liander?”

  He grinned and sat back. “I am the second child of a family of five. I have three sisters and one younger brother. I recently left my job and am ready to move on to the next phase in life. My parents are both alive and enthusiastic about me coming to the Crossroads to find a mate.”

  “What about your siblings?”

  “They are less enthusiastic but still encouraging.” He shrugged. “What about you?”

  “Hmm. Well, I make custom cards with creatures and shifters on them for birthdays and other events with cute sayings inside. I had an…accident a few months ago and am still in recovery. My business suffered and I am on the brink of starting from scratch.”

  “You make a living making cards?”

  “I have some money my father left me when he passed away. I have my mother, one adult sister and a little brother on the way.”

  She didn’t mention the twenty part-time jobs she had had as well as all her investments. She had an extensive portfolio and enough funds for two decades of trying to figure out what she was going to do next before she touched the capital.

  “How long have you lived on your own?”

  She gave him a narrow look; it wasn’t something she had offered. “I have been on my own for eight years. Since I was nineteen.”

  “Wow. That is quite the maturity.”

  “My kind don’t stay with our mothers after it is no longer essential. Legally, I had to remain with her, so I took the burden off her the moment I was able to. She is still very protective, but we rarely speak.”

  He smiled. “Would you care to get dressed and hit the café?”

  She grinned. “No, but I would like to try and sleep again. Thank you for the milk and honey. I won’t even guess how you know.”

  They got to their feet, and he walked with her up the stairs, his hand at her back. She wanted to lean her head against his shoulder and sleep there, but it wasn’t appropriate. They had a working relationship, not an intimate one. As tempting as it would be to curl up against him, she had to go to her room and him to his. He knew a lot of her secrets, but she had held back at the recovery centre. She was a much larger bucket of crazy than he knew.

  At her door, he raised her hand to his lips. “Good night, Yvena.”

  “Good night, Liander. Sleep well.”

  “You too.”

  She reached out blindly and opened her door. She backed away, pulling her fingers from his at the last possible minute.

  He watched her until she closed the door, and when she was inside, she pressed her back to the solid surface. He was here. Her heart pounded in a thudding rhythm. He was just a few doors down.

  This was going to be the longest night that she had experienced. She was looking forward to morning.

  Yvena finished her milk and headed for bed. Time to let the night pass into dawn.

  She watched the stairs cautiously and smiled when Liander appeared.

  Teebie exhaled in relief. “I thought you were going to vibrate out of that chair, Yvena.”

  Yvena shot her a look through her lashes and hissed lightly. That one hiss made her blink. She hadn’t hissed at anything in over eight months.

  Her inner snake must be closer to the surface than she thought.

  Teebie had a fresh plate of muffins and a jug of honey standing by. “Coffee or tea?”

  Liander sat next to Yvena. “Coffee please.”

  The coffee pot cruised toward them and poured itself. He added cream to his coffee and reached for a muffin. “How did you sleep, Yvena?”

  “Fairly well.” She broke a muffin in half and slathered it with honey. She stuffed it into her mouth and sipped some coffee to help it go down.

  Once she had cleared the deck, she asked, “How did you sleep?”

  “Not at all. I haven’t dreamed about morning as much as I did last night since I was five and waiting for Christmas morning.”

  She smiled shyly, “I hope you will consider me a close second to presents from Santa.”

  “Definitely worth waiting for.” He toasted her with his coffee.

  Teebie grinned. “You two are way too articulate for the morning.”

  Yvena smiled. “It must be the coffee, Teebie.”

  Liander nodded and lifted his cup for more.

  “You two are hopeless.”

  She may have pretended exasperation but Teebie waved the coffee over to fill their cups.

  Breakfast was a surprisingly normal affair. Once Teebie waved them out, Yvena started a slow walk around the neighbourhood.

  “You really want to leave?” Liander asked her quietly.

  “It isn’t fair to them and definitely not something I should have rushed toward.”

  “Them? You mean the men?”

  “Right. They are looking for mates to stand ne
xt to them forever. It appears I was looking for someone to stand behind, not beside. Fortunately, I realised it before I dragged anyone into my crazy with me.”

  He took her hand. “I am here to stand next to you.”

  She snorted and looked away, hiding the tear that threatened to hit her cheek. “You are my therapist.”

  “I am no longer a therapist and no longer working with you for rehabilitation. Yes, I have the training and am willing to make use of it, but I want to be with you as a partner, not a supervisor.”

  She stared at the nail salon and felt the tear running across her skin. With a casual move, she brushed the moisture away and ran her hand through her hair.

  “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “You don’t have to ask. I am offering.”

  “You don’t know what you are doing.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t know if I can ever make the jump that I was aiming for. It might be a leap too far.”

  “You jump; I will catch you if you don’t make it.” He lifted her hand to his lips again.

  “How will your family take to having a serpent in their midst?”

  He laughed. “Well, my family makes their home in a desert, so you will be able to relax right away. They run a wellness spa in the midst of red hills and sandy dunes. You can relax, teach a class or enjoy the facilities at your whim. Even traveling into the desert is encouraged. Use the time to focus or redirect your life. Whatever you choose to do, I will be at your side.”

  In front of the bar, she turned and looked up into his features. His tan proved his time in the sun, and the wave to his hair was calling her. She reached up and stroked his hair away from his eye. “If you are sure, I am in.”

  Their first kiss was in the bright light of morning where the staff of the Crossroads was preparing for another day. She went up on her toes, and she tasted the coffee and muffin he had had for breakfast.

  He parted from the kiss and smiled. “You taste like honey.” He licked his lips. “and coffee.”

  She blushed. “Would you like to continue the tour?”

  “Please. I have heard that there are meadows, waterfalls and forests to play in. I would like to see for myself.”

  She slid her hand into his and tugged it. “Then, please follow me.”

  He grinned. “Lead on. I will follow you wherever you decide to take me.”

  Her blush heated her cheeks more. “Thanks for that image.”

  His laughter rang out and caused several of the locals to grin as he passed them. She couldn’t blame them. Liander’s laughter had always lifted her mood as well. She would just have to share that part of him with the world. The rest of him was hers.

  Chapter Six

  She took him to a spot Teal had shown her. Most visitors to the Crossroads kept their activities nocturnal, so it was likely that it would be empty at this time of day.

  The waterfall, rock surround and green grass were a delightfully tempting sight. “What do you think, Liander?”

  “Last one in is a rotten egg.” He sat and yanked at his shoes.

  Realising that he was racing her into the water, she kicked off her shoes and pulled her t-shirt over her head. She sent her bra flying and her panties and jeans were removed in one push. She took three steps and launched herself into the water.

  She surfaced and flipped her hair out of her eyes just in time to see Liander airborne over her, splashing hard into the water. Yvena treaded water and grinned. “I win.”

  He scowled. “That was the fastest striptease I have ever seen.”

  She snorted. “There was no teasing involved. It was removal of clothing for a defined purpose. My time as a stripper was years ago.”

  He stared at her in shock, and when he forgot to swim, he spluttered upward. “You were a stripper?”

  “It was one of a collection of part-time jobs that I absorbed in order to find out what I was meant to do. I am not really a people person and it began to show.”

  Liander grinned and eased toward her. “What else have you done?”

  She moved closer to him, meeting him halfway. “I spent a week in an ice cream truck. That was a mistake. I don’t like getting cold.”

  “And yet here you are in an icy pool.”

  She snorted. “You have missed part of my grand plan.”

  He raised his brows. “What was that?”

  She lunged for him and wrapped her arms and legs around him in a sudden scissor move. “I am using you for heat.”

  She kissed him, plunging her fingers through his hair as she took him under.

  He held her tight and kicked upward when his feet touched the bottom of the pool. He hauled them to the edge and sat on some of the rocks, running his hands up her back to her shoulders and down to her ass. He cupped her curves and trailed his fingertips lightly over her.

  Her tongue slid against his, and she rocked against the ridge of flesh that defied the icy water to press against her.

  Her nerves were alight, and she sighed when he reached between them and aligned himself with her heated opening. The slickness of her sex became a non-issue in the water and the friction was unbearable as he eased into her and out again.

  She broke the kiss and threw her head back, gasping as he continued to move inside her.

  She shivered and he moved, twisting and sitting her on the edge of the pool while he drove into her. She braced herself on her arms and rocked with him, the wet sound of their bodies colliding echoed against the stone.

  He leaned forward and bit at her neck; she carefully kept her jaws away from him. Her teeth had extended, and she didn’t want to start their relationship by jacking him full of neurotoxin.

  She felt the impending orgasm and shrieked and hissed as she shook and her channel clasped his cock with cascading bands of muscle.

  He groaned against her neck and bit sharply as he rammed inside her until there was no distance between their thighs.

  Liander slowly collapsed on her, pressing his forehead to her chest. His chest was heaving like a bellows, and she slowly relaxed, letting her back rest on the cool stone.

  When he finally lifted his head, there was a dazed expression on his face. “What was that? It felt like you were squeezing my cock with a moving hand.”

  She grinned. “King cobra, remember? In addition to venom, we are also constrictors when we have to be.”

  His look of appreciation melted her heart. “I can see I have a lot to learn.”

  “You already know about my nocturnal milk addiction; I think it is time I start learning more about you.”

  He laughed and slowly withdrew from her, pulling her back into the water for a moment.

  She felt his hand between her thighs as he removed what could easily become sticky residue out of the water. “You don’t have to do that. I can manage.”

  Liander sighed. “What if I want to?”

  “Tough. I am learning to do things on my own again.” She kicked him into deeper water.

  He grinned as he surface and he lunged for her. To her shock, she went from human to cobra in seconds.

  Her inner beast rose up and flared her hood. She didn’t hiss, but she watched him closely as he paused and got out of the water.

  To her surprise, he didn’t attack. He simply sat on the warm rock and watched her.

  She folded in her hood and approached him, tasting the air so that if she met him in the dark, she would know him. She flicked her tongue over his face and slowly looped around him.

  After a minute, all fourteen feet of her was draped on him. Her scales rubbed together over his cock and her head was up so that she could flick her tongue into his ear.

  “You are looking very well in your serpent form. I apologize for surprising you into it. It was not my intention.”

  Her inner snake heard his words and acknowledged them with the press of her muzzle to his cheek in a dry kiss.

  She listened to his heartbeat and recognised
that he was not behaving like prey. Inside her snake body, Yvena smiled. She unravelled from her position around him and moved to a safe distance to shift back to human. It felt so strange to change back without desperation that she looked at her hands in amazement. Fear had driven her back into human form for the last shifts. It was, also, what had taken her inner snake away. Snakes hid when they were afraid. This change was one step toward joining the two halves of herself once again.

  “My turn.” Liander grinned and transformed into a mongoose.

  She always wondered how the magic worked that let him lose so much mass in the change. Yvena was cut down by half when she transformed. He was down to five percent of his mass and that tiny body was scampering over to her and placing delicate paws on her thigh.

  “Can I pick you up?”

  He nodded, and she carefully scooped him up, cradling him against her chest so that he could use his sensitive nose to pick up all of her scents. She petted the loose fur that would deflect much of a strike from her teeth. His body was resistant to the neurotoxin as well. They were natural enemies for a reason. They could both kill each other if they wanted to.

  Her coils could crush him and his teeth could tear her. It would be a fair fight.

  The whiskers nuzzled at her and tickled. She giggled as he snuffled against her ear and his paws braced him against her shoulder.

  His body was sleek, his fur was soft and every time he touched her, she giggled.

  Finally, he squirmed out of her grip and scampered a few feet away. There was no dignity to his movements; it was all joy.

  Liander shifted back into his human form, and he grinned. “You smell good. He likes you.”

  She knew he was referring to his inner creature. “I am glad. He’s a cutie.”

  “He thinks you are almost as soft as he is and I would say he is right.”