Subject to Study (Naga!Brothers x Reader)

Chapter 32

"You mean Oso, Mr. Calmine?" I fought to keep a neutral look on my face. While Oso was quick to pick up information, I couldn't imagine how he'd react when the man who ordered his family's capture stepped into his room. My heart almost stopped when I realized why Calmine was letting me stay in the enclosures while his rich friends were chit-chatting about the nagas.

I was the insurance that kept the nagas from attacking the men, the pawn chess piece that kept the powerful queen from grabbing the king. If they wanted a chance at killing Calmine, they would be throwing me into the fire...and I couldn't let that happen. Not with almost two hours left before the helicopter arrived.

"Whatever it likes to call itself," The taller man interjected, "We'd like to see the oldest creature here, to see if it's health has returned from the troublesome flight over."

"Of course...to see his old injuries..." My voice faltered as I gave a small nod, a fake smile turning up the corners of my lips, "Just give me a quick moment to let him know about your intentions. He's not too fond of people touching him."

The three suits gave alternating stares as I moved towards Oso's enclosure, feeling Karl reach out and grab a fistful of my shirt from the back, twisting it into a tight wad before dragging me close to him.

"Get-!"

"Shut your damned mouth," His voice was low as his breath hit my right ear, "If that bastard so much as twitches a fucking finger towards me, I'm using you as a shield."

"...you know that'll only make him madder..." I barely turned my head towards Karl, the fabric pulled tight across my chest as he twisted harder, "You're the one that tried to force yourself on me, so you got every bit of injury you deserved."

Without giving him time to respond, I swiftly yanked down the lever and pulled the door open. Karl kept his hold on my shirt, slightly pulling me closer to him as we both looked up at the naga staring down at us.

The neutral look on Oso's face reminded me of the day I came back from the hospital, his red-and-black eyes shifting into a glare that clearly displayed what he thought of what he saw.

"Oso, you surprised me," I violently tugged down at the hem of my shirt, intending to rip out the fabric from Karl's scared hand, "Mind if I come in for a moment?"

His eyes switched from the man to me before flicking over towards the three suited men behind us. Without saying anything, Oso looked back to me and pulled me into his enclosure by my upper arm, his hold gentle but strong enough to pull me free from Karl. He didn't let go until we were deep within the room.

"Tell me."

"Calmine and the two others want to physically inspect your wounds, Karl doesn't want you to get near him," I quickly explained in a hushed whisper, "Bear with them...please..."

The harsh look in his eyes softened as I begged, his neutral mask falling away underneath a smirk, "For a price, I'll put up with anything they do to me that doesn't involve injury."

I gave a sigh, looking at him expectantly.

"You'll pay for it on the island," The smirk widened before he turned to face the four men that staggered through the thick underbrush, the footpath not wide enough for all of them at the same time, "Hello there! Sorry to take away (y/n) if you needed her. I just had a small complaint about the heating lamp."

"What was wrong with it?" Karl raised an eyebrow skeptically, standing a few feet behind the wall of pressed suits.

"It was just a little too cold in here last night," Oso rubbed his hands on his upper arms, trying to circulate some blood, "She said she'd take care of it, so it's not that big of an issue any more. Did you guys need something from me?"