Chapter 1
In the third year of my arranged marriage, I finally got pregnant.
But then, the barrage of online comments warned me: [Your husband isn't human.]
Terrified, I burst into tears and fled in the dead of night, baby bump and all.
Yet before dawn, a massive, inky-black serpent's tail coiled around me—my cold, dominant husband had rushed back from the battlefield just to catch me!
His grip tightened as he growled, voice husky and low. "Why run?"
Trapped in the crushing embrace of a giant snake, I froze in sheer panic.
He pressed closer. "Have I not treated you well?"
Trembling, I finally sobbed the truth. "I'm deathly afraid of snakes!"
*****
Three years into my arranged marriage to General Fredrick, I finally got pregnant.
I stared at the pregnancy test with its two glaring lines, unsure whether to tell him.
Not that I could even reach him—whenever he was on a mission, he went completely off-grid. Disappearing for months was normal for him, and all I ever got was the usual, "Classified military operations."
Then the comments appeared, floating across my vision like some deranged pop-up ad.
[Girl has no idea her hubby isn't even human. This is gonna be epic!]
[LOL, dude out here living the dream—calling her "wife" by day, making her scream his name by night.]
[Dude's unhinged. Last time he left, he stole her lace thong like some lovesick creep. And this time? Lost control, shifted into his serpent form, and claimed her for three days straight.]
[Girl's too late to run. He's already on his way back right now.]
Those words were like the devil himself whispering in my ear.
What the hell?! I burst into terrified sobs, scrambling upright, already searching for international flights.
More comments kept rolling in.
[Forced proximity trope hits HARD. The man fell in love with her at first sight and eventually persuaded her to marry him. He spent years holding back—only dared to shift and cuddle her while she slept.]
[Now that she's carrying his kid, her scent's changed. He just couldn't hold back. Can't fight nature, y'know?]
[Ohh, he's gonna savor every inch of her—leave no crumbs.]
My blood turned to ice.
Were they talking about Fredrick?
My husband was going to eat me?
Had some evil spirit possessed him or something?!
Fredrick was famously stoic—6'4" of carved marble, shoulders broad enough to block out the sun. Three years married, and I still flinched when he reached for me.
Our nights together always followed the same pattern: him moving with terrifying focus, me sobbing into the sheets before he'd even finished.
Whenever he was home on leave, I'd wake up aching, my thighs painted with faint, coiling marks. I blamed my reformer Pilates sessions, carefully covering the marks with concealer so he wouldn't see.
Turns out? He'd been tasting me.
Was I his personal snack stash?!
And the way he slept—stretched rigidly beside me—suddenly reminded me of a viral Reddit thread:
[My python sleeps next to me! Does that mean he loves me?]
Top comment: [Nope. He's sizing you up for dinner.]
My soul withered.
I booked the first flight out and started throwing clothes into a suitcase like my life depended on it.
Meanwhile, the floating comments materialized again—this time with a chorus of confused reactions:
[Wait... Is wifey seriously trying to bounce?]
[Girl thinks she can run with the General's baby?]
Damn right I'm running! I fumed.
Sure, being married to a decorated military commander sounded glamorous—if you survived long enough to enjoy the benefits.
I'd always wondered why my middle-class family had been deemed worthy of marrying into the Alstons, one of the most powerful military dynasties in the country.
Turns out it's because normal human brides wouldn't survive the wedding night!
And that explained why our intimate moments always felt so—ugh, just thinking about it made my face burn with rage.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I crammed every Birkin bag, diamond tennis bracelet, and Fredrick Alston had ever gifted me into a massive 28-inch trunk.
Then I tried to lift it... It didn't move an inch. That goddamn suitcase might as well have been filled with lead bricks.
The butler materialized in the doorway, eyebrows raised.
"Madam, are you going on a trip? Shall I have the chauffeur prepare the car?"
"Back off!" I hissed, eyeing him like he might suddenly sprout fangs.
At this point, I was half-convinced the entire household staff was shapeshifters.
Defeated, I dumped half the loot and repacked only the most liquid assets.
I booked the most ridiculous flight route imaginable—three layovers, including a 12-hour stopover in the most obscure airport I could find—before finally checking into a budget hotel under an alias.
Only then did reality sink in... Fredrick had spoiled me rotten these past three years.
The mattress felt like concrete. The polyester comforter scratched my skin, but at least it was sterile. And most importantly—no viper husband trying to make me his midnight snack.
Exhausted, I expected to spend the night staring at the ceiling, but I passed out the second my head hit the lumpy pillow.
Until something sinuous and cold coiled around me in the middle of the night.
I jerked awake, heart hammering, my body trapped in a vise-like grip. The unmistakable sensation of smooth scales gliding against my bare legs sent ice water flooding my veins.
With trembling effort, I looked down. A heavily muscled arm pinned me to the mattress—and below the elbow, a massive serpent's tail, its obsidian scales gleaming in the dim light.
I drew breath to scream, but someone bit my neck. A voice like thunder rumbled against my skin, vibrating through my bones.
"Why did you run?"
Sweet Jesus.
My stone-faced general husband had actually abandoned a military operation—just to hunt his runaway wife.
He coiled around me, his voice low and raspy, the sheer force of his masculine presence making it hard to breathe.
I shoved against his chest, but he pinned my wrists above my head effortlessly, his dark, predatory gaze locking onto mine.
"Haven't I treated you well?"
The floating comments went wild.
[Just kiss her already. What's the holdup?]
[WE'RE PAYING FOR THIS—Don't you dare fade to black now!!!]
His kiss was pure hunger—claiming my mouth with brutal possession, sucking my tongue until my lips went numb. Remembering the comments about him devouring me, I whimpered in fear... Was he tasting me first?
Fredrick's low chuckle vibrated against my skin. "I'll be gentle... promise."
Tears finally spilled over. "I-I'm terrified of snakes!"