I died. And I came back as a snake. A King Cobra... Every time I go to the creek to drink, I scare the scales off myself. I look intimidating. It’s terrifying. I was still getting used to my new body when, naturally, mating season arrived. You have got to be kidding me. I’m a sentient snake. I’m not just going to pop out a clutch of eggs for just anyone. Unfortunately, other sentient snakes had... other ideas. I looked at the short, dumpy Copperhead coiling up next to me. I warned him to back off. Or he was lunch. 1 "C'mon, baby. We're the only two sentient ones around here. Who else are you gonna do it with?" the Copperhead lisped, flicking his tongue. Is breeding ALL you think about? God, so annoying. I’m just going to eat him. Gulp. Burp. Okay, that hit the spot. My new cobra DNA makes me want to eat every other snake I see. It's either eat or die. An easy choice. I didn't expect the Copperhead to be so... nutritious. No, that's not right. He was full of power. So much power that I... I shifted. I had hands. And feet. I could stand up. This felt amazing. You have no idea how many times I accidentally tied myself in a knot when I was just a snake. I sprinted to the creek. I braced myself, took a deep breath, and leaned over the water. The reflection showed a beautiful woman. Thin, arched eyebrows, a straight, delicate nose, and lips that looked like they were stained with cherry juice. A perfect mix of fierce and beautiful. Finally. Something that wasn't terrifying to look at. 2 "There. Seize her." A rough voice shattered the moment. Seize... who? Before I could even finish admiring my new face, two... "people"... grabbed me and dragged me away. They hauled me into a cave. The tunnel sloped down, down, down, until it opened into a massive, breathtaking cavern. The walls were dotted with glowing moss, illuminating an entire underground city. In the center stood a huge, intricate palace. They dragged me inside. "Your Majesty," one of them bowed. "We have scouted the territories. She is the only female who has shifted." Oh, crap. Are they going to eat me? The man on the throne eyed me. His gaze was so intense it felt like he was skinning me. "A King Cobra," he purred. "Hmph. Worthy of me." He sounded... pleased. Worthy? Oh, no. He wants to breed, too. The Snake King rose and descended the steps, and as he walked, he shifted. His snake form coiled around me, displaying his colors. He was... a cobra. An albino. He was pale, almost pink. It was ridiculous. He looked like a piece of bubblegum trying to act tough. I scoffed internally. If I had his power level, I’d eat this little spicy noodle for breakfast. I couldn't win a fight, but I'll be damned if I lose the intimidation game. My turn. I shifted. I went full King Cobra. Sleek black scales, rising high, my hood flared. I made myself as big as possible. Let’s see who really looks like royalty. (Bet they didn't expect the scary black one to be the female and the little pink one to be the male.) It must be instinct, because even though the King was powerful, he definitely flinched when I flared my hood. That's right. Scared? I scare myself. The moment I transformed, all the guards just... left. Hey! Come back! Who am I supposed to be impressing? The pink cobra slithered over. His smug face clearly said, ‘Smart girl.’ He settled his weight on my back, his tail moving toward mine, searching. I froze. I understood. These disgusting, single-minded animals! I whipped my head around and bit him. He was fast. He dodged. I shifted back. He shifted back. "You—you—" I was sputtering, pointing at him, beyond furious. He flicked his royal sleeves. "You dare refuse me? Why do you think I brought you here?" He was actually offended. "Did you even ask?!" "I am your King. I do not need your permission." He narrowed his eyes. Ugh. So oily. So gross. "Why are you all so obsessed with breeding?" I demanded. "For lesser snakes, it is instinct. For us, it is survival. For a thousand years, our kind has been dwindling. A shifted female is a miracle. If our enemies attack, who will defend us?" He looked genuinely tragic. "That doesn't mean you get to ignore consent! I'm not a broodmare!" "You will obey my command." I was speechless. Arguing with a dictator. Pointless. I was trying to think of a new plan when several more men walked in. 3 "Brother, you can’t hog her." "Indeed. A new female after a century... she belongs to the clan." "She is my female." In a flash, the King was a giant pink cobra, ready to fight. The others shifted, too. I was about to sneak out, but... wow. His brothers were a motley crew. A green one, a black-and-white banded one, a yellow-and-black one... their dad must have really gotten around. "Stop." The voice was deep, magnetic. It stopped them, and it stopped me. "Father." They all shifted back, bowing. Oh. So that's Dad. I looked him over, trying to guess his species. He was gorgeous. He looked timeless. Rugged, wild, but his eyes were incredibly kind. He had long, pure white hair. He was massive, probably seven feet tall, with shoulders a yard wide and a narrow waist. He walked toward me, and the pressure in the room was intense. "Young lady, my sons are... eager. I apologize if they frightened you." His aura was... wow. Warm, powerful, magnetic. It made you want to submit. It was... very alluring. I shook my head. Nope. Not laying eggs. Not for anyone. "Why are your sons all different species?" The words just fell out of my mouth. He just chuckled, not offended. "They are adopted. Foundlings." "Oh. So... what species are you?" "You’re very direct, aren't you?" he teased, avoiding the question. "What’s your name, then?" "All snakes are my children. You may call me Father, like the others." Hard pass. I am not calling this guy "daddy." I rolled my eyes. "Settle her in. Be respectful," he ordered them, and then... vanished into thin air. "Yes, Father." They all bowed. With him gone, they all stared at me again. "So, uh... big brothers... can I go now?" I tried. The green one, Qingfeng, laughed. "Not a chance, little sister. It’s mating season. You’re safest in the palace." He pointed. A servant girl appeared. She was... a rabbit. A rabbit working in a snake pit. Gutsy. "Are there any other female snakes here?" I asked her as she led me away. "No, my lady." "Why not?" "For a thousand years, the lands have been too hot. Almost all hatchlings are male. You are the first female to shift in a century." This was bad. "What's the deal with the 'Father'?" "I cannot speak of the Master." "C'mon. I won't tell. What's his name?" The rabbit girl looked terrified. "He'll never know." "No one... no one knows what he is," she whispered. "We only know his name... Kaelen." Kaelen. Nice. "Why isn't Kaelen king?" "He was. He gave the title to Lord Kai to manage the clan's affairs so he could retreat and meditate." Kai. The pink noodle. 4 I trained. Hard. I was not going to be someone's incubator. The palace had ancient texts. I progressed quickly. One day, I overheard the rabbit-girls. "Did you hear? The ten-thousand-year Sunroot... it's finally mature. The Masters are all going to get it." "Whoever eats that becomes a demigod." A demigod. That's how I get out of this. I found the rabbit, sweet-talked the location out of her, and snuck out. I didn't see the flash of green scales watching me from the shadows, a slow smile spreading. As a King Cobra, they also call us "Mountain Wind." I'm fast. I found the Sunroot. No guards. Weird. Whatever. I ate it. Wow. Power surged through me. But... I also felt hot. Really hot. "Was it good, sister?" Qingfeng. He was leaning against a tree, smirking. It was a trap. "It was... fine." My voice was shaky. The air was getting hotter. I suddenly had the urge to... breed. What was happening? SMACK. I slapped myself. Hard. Qingfeng just watched, amused. "Don't fight it, sister. For our kind, the Sunroot... it’s a powerful aphrodisiac." The bastard. He set me up. I went for him. Ten moves later, I was pinned. A King Cobra, beaten by a... whatever he was. Humiliating. Fine. I'll play his game. My eyes glazed over. I'd pretend to give in... and when he was distracted, I'd kill him. It was harder than I thought. The heat was overwhelming. I had to bite my own tail, hard, just to stay focused. The moment he let his guard down... I struck. I sank my fangs into his neck and emptied my venom sacs. He shrieked, lashing out, and his tail slammed me into a cliff. I felt ribs crack. I spat blood. But I watched. He twitched. He died. Jerk. The heat was still burning, overriding the pain. I shifted, unhinged my jaw, and swallowed him. I hadn't eaten this well in a long time. The power from the Sunroot and Qingfeng hit me all at once. I was overheating. Crack! Thunder. A storm just for me. My tribulation. Crap. I was too injured to move. BOOM! Lightning hit me. Searing, agonizing pain. It hit me again. And again. I was just... fried. Toast. I failed. My soul was drifting, being pulled toward the light... Then a stronger force grabbed me, yanking me back. I forced my eyes open. Kaelen. His power... it felt like a liquid core... was inside me, knitting me back together. "Sleep," his voice echoed. "It was self-defense. You are not at fault."
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