Page 15 of Xara and the Xenobeast

“What are you?—”

A shadow fell across her. She froze, then slowly looked up.

Her rescuer stood there, massive and terrifying, silver eyes blazing with an emotion she couldn’t name. His sensory tendrils writhed like angry snakes. His chest heaved as though he’d run a great distance at top speed, but he’d made no sound as heapproached Not a single footfall or broken twig had betrayed his presence until he chose to reveal himself.

For a heartbeat, they stared at each other—her sprawled on the ground, him looming above her, radiating barely contained fury.

Then he moved.

In one fluid motion, he crouched and scooped her up, one arm behind her back, the other under her knees. He lifted her as though she weighed nothing, cradling her against a chest that felt like warm steel. Her head spun from the sudden movement, instinctively gripping his shoulders for stability. Her pulse quickened and her skin prickled at his closeness, a reaction she couldn’t entirely attribute to fear.

The pup chirped, bouncing in circles around his feet until he bent slightly, allowing it to scramble up his leg and perch on his shoulder—mirroring how it had ridden on Xara.

Without a word, he turned and strode back toward the cave, his gait so smooth she barely felt the movement, despite his obvious fury. His grip was firm but careful, mindful of her injury.

She didn’t know if it was the pain, the adrenaline, or his proximity, but the combination made her giddy.

“I take it this means you’re not a big fan of field research.”

That earned her a quick glance. His eyes narrowed, and his lips tightened, but he didn’t speak.

“It’s not my fault,” she continued. “Your stupid planet keeps trying to kill me.”

He snorted and turned his attention back to the jungle.

She should have been terrified. His body was designed for war. Every muscle was chiseled from stone, and those deadly claws could eviscerate her in an instant. Yet she was safe in his arms, and when she looked into his eyes, she could see his concern for her.

“Are you taking me back to the cave?”

He glanced down at her, his eyes darkening with an emotion that looked like hunger, but the expression vanished before she could identify it. He increased his pace, striding through the jungle without effort despite the thick underbrush and uneven ground.

“I can walk, you know,” she grumbled.

A low, rumbling sound emerged from his chest, vibrating against her ribs. A warning, perhaps.

“Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Be that way.”

He stopped and lowered her legs to the ground. When she tried to stand, her injured leg buckled again.

He caught her easily and gave her a look that was somehow both smug and frustrated.

“Fine, I can’t walk,” she admitted, her face heating.

He sighed and tucked her back against him but he no longer seemed quite as angry. One of his tendrils slid around her waist, slipping beneath the hem of her shirt, its touch both strangely comforting and unexpectedly arousing. Arousing?

Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself, but then the tip of the tendril brushed against the underside of her breast and even with her bra in the way, the touch was electrifying. Her nippleshardened instantly, and the warmth in her cheeks spread downward.

His nostrils flared and his eyes darkened as he inhaled. She held her breath, waiting for him to acknowledge the sudden change, but instead, he continued walking.

She exhaled, disappointed and relieved at the same time.

She’d assumed that they were headed back to the cave but instead they emerged from the trees at the base of a cliff, a towering wall of jagged rock and crimson vegetation. She gasped as he swung her around to his back, easily supporting her with his tendrils as he started to climb. She clung desperately to his shoulders until she realized how firmly the tendrils supported her.

“I didn’t realize how strong they were,” she murmured, settling against him as the tendrils supported her, allowing her to relax against his back.

When they reached the top, the tendrils released her, allowing her to slide down his back. He strode forward a few paces, scanning the area and she followed, looking around curiously. The pup chirped and she lifted it down so it could explore as she joined him at the edge of the cliff.

The jungle spread below them, a sea of crimson leaves and winding vines. It was strangely beautiful, the light of the three moons casting glittering reflections on the dense foliage.

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