In the ancient times, humans had feared the snake people—the Naga. For centuries, tales of the serpentine creatures slithering through the shadows of civilization haunted villages, spoken in hushed whispers around firesides. They were more than just myth. These beings lived among humans, hiding behind their ability to shift between serpent and human forms. As the stories went, anyone foolish enough to challenge or cross paths with the Naga disappeared, swallowed by the earth itself, never to return. No human who tried to overpower the snake people ever survived to tell the tale.

In the depths of the earth where the Naga dwelled, there was one law etched into their ancient traditions: The union of Naga and human is forbidden. Long ago, a serpent man dared to break this sacred rule. He had been seduced by a human woman, drawn to her frail beauty, a thrill he could not resist. But the punishment had been swift and brutal. His scales were peeled off his body, one by one, until his screams echoed into nothingness, and his existence was erased from the world. The human woman he dared to claim? She was found dead, her body left lifeless, her soul seemingly shattered by the unnatural union. Since then, no Naga had ever dared challenge this decree.

Until now.

Rudra stood at the edge of a secluded park, the thick smell of wet earth and damp leaves surrounding him as the twilight sky gave way to night. His tall, muscular frame remained unmoving under the shelter of trees, his silver eyebrow stud glinting in the fading light. His eyes, sharp yet unremarkable in human form, concealed the dark secrets that boiled beneath his skin. His hair was a mess of black waves, as wild and untamed as his thoughts.

He wasn't like the others. The snake people of his clan were content with their rigid customs and rules, repeating their old patterns, finding mates only among their kind. They thought of themselves as superior, and they were, in most ways—stronger, faster, more cunning than any human could ever hope to be. Yet Rudra, a young Naga male at the prime of his life, craved more. The usual pleasures that his people indulged in no longer satisfied him. He had tasted enough female Naga flesh in bed, each encounter exciting at first but ultimately predictable. His animalistic instincts needed more—more danger, more excitement, and above all, more thrill.

He craved the forbidden.

He wanted a human.

Rudra's blood ran hotter with each passing day, and his desire only grew more uncontrollable. The old stories—the warnings of death and disaster—no longer struck fear in his heart. They only fueled his rebellion, his yearning for a human mate. And not just any human. He wanted one as wild and untamable as himself. Someone fierce, someone cunning. His predatory instincts sought more than a delicate flower. He wanted a woman who would resist, who would fight and push back. A challenge.

And then, he found her.

Mahnoor.

The name rolled off his tongue in a way that felt both foreign and natural, like a secret whispered in the dark. She had appeared to him on an ordinary day, while he was walking among the humans in his human form. He had been scanning the streets, observing them, trying to understand what made them so weak yet so intriguing. It was in that moment of casual observation that he saw her.

She was walking down a narrow, secluded street, her small but curvaceous frame moving with a sharp elegance that caught his eye immediately. At only 5'1", she might have seemed inconspicuous to anyone else. But not to Rudra. His serpent senses picked up on something far more intense. There was an edge to her, a ruthless energy barely concealed behind her innocent face. Her long, dark hair fell over her shoulders, framing her delicate features. Her eyes, sharp and alert, gleamed with a cold calculation that made his pulse quicken.

Mahnoor was no ordinary woman. She was dangerous.

He stayed hidden in the shadows, watching as she stood near an old building, her voice low but commanding as she berated an older man, a client of the lawyer she worked for. Her law degree and career gave her an air of respectability, but beneath that polished exterior, Rudra could see the darkness in her. She wasn't some innocent, helpless human. No, she was manipulative, using her intelligence and beauty to get what she wanted. The man in front of her was weak, sweating nervously under her sharp gaze as she ruthlessly exploited his insecurities. The way she verbally tore into him, manipulating him for more money, for more control, sent a thrill through Rudra's body.

There was something deliciously feral about her methods. She didn't just defeat her prey; she enjoyed breaking them. And that drive, that ruthless hunger, was intoxicating to him. In that moment, he knew.

She would be his.

Mahnoor exhaled sharply as the man stumbled away, his face pale from the exchange. Weak. So weak. She felt the familiar rush of power that always came when she twisted someone to her will. It was intoxicating in its own way. She had spent years perfecting her ability to manipulate, to play people like pieces on a chessboard, and it had made her both feared and respected in her circles. Yet beneath that cold exterior, Mahnoor was also restless. Her carefully constructed life, her success—none of it filled the hollow emptiness she often felt late at night.

She turned to leave, her sharp heels clicking against the pavement, when she felt it—a presence. Her heart skipped a beat, a shiver running down her spine as though something unseen was watching her. She paused, her hand instinctively brushing against the diamond nose pin she wore, a small detail that had always brought her comfort. But now, it felt cold, like ice against her skin.

Rudra watched her from the shadows, his heart thudding against his ribs as his serpent instincts flared. She had sensed him. Even in her human frailty, she had felt his presence. That made his decision final.

The human woman would be his mate.

His blood boiled with excitement, a dangerous heat that threatened to break the thin barrier between his human form and the serpent beneath. He licked his lips, feeling the subtle ripple of his body as it almost shifted, but he controlled it, knowing that now wasn't the time. Not yet.

But soon.

Rudra grinned darkly, the image of Mahnoor etched into his mind, her fierce eyes and ruthless nature driving him wild. He had tasted many things in his life, but never had he craved something so intensely.

The forbidden thrill called to him like nothing before.

And no law, no ancient tradition, would keep him from what he desired.

With a final glance at her retreating form, Rudra turned and melted back into the darkness. Soon, Mahnoor would know what it meant to catch the eye of a serpent.

But for now, he would wait.

The hunt had only just begun.