Page 32 of Xara and the Xenobeast

The pups abandoned her new bed to swarm around his feet, chirping excitedly, and he gathered them into his arms as he continued his survey.

“I also made myself a bed,” she added, pointing to her creation. “So I don’t have to keep invading yours.”

His head snapped toward her, silver eyes narrowing slightly. He looked at her new sleeping space, then back at her, something unreadable flickering across his features.

She turned away to busy herself with the fire, and the rest of the evening passed in comfortable silence as they shared a meal of roasted meat and the strange, sweet tubers he’d brought back from his hunt. The pups ate scraps from their hands, chirping contentedly, occasionally climbing into laps or across shoulders.

When it came time to sleep, she yawned and stretched, her muscles pleasantly tired from the day’s work. She moved toward her new bed, settling onto the soft silver leaves with a satisfied sigh.

“Goodnight, Ash,” she said, curling onto her side.

A low growl rumbled through the cave.

She opened one eye to find him looming over her, silver eyes gleaming in the firelight. Without a word, he bent down and scooped her up, one arm beneath her knees, the other supporting her back.

“Hey!” she protested, though without much conviction.

He carried her the few steps to his bed and deposited her there, his eyes narrowed as if waiting for her to object. The pups, already half-asleep, barely stirred as they adjusted to the change in location.

She sighed, looking up at him with exasperated amusement.

“You could have just said you wanted me to stay.”

For once he didn’t retreat to the first, but settled beside her, his larger body radiating heat in the cool cave air. One of his tendrils brushed against her cheek—the closest thing to an apology she was likely to get.

She didn’t really mind. In fact, as his arm curled around her waist, pulling her against the solid warmth of his chest, she had to admit this was far more comfortable than her makeshift bed would have been.

“Fine,” she murmured, nestling closer. “But I’m keeping the silver leaves. They’re softer than the moss.”

His chest rumbled with what might have been amusement.

The pups rearranged themselves around their bodies. It felt strangely domestic, this little family they’d cobbled together from circumstance and survival and as she drifted towards sleep, she realized something that should have frightened her but didn’t: she was beginning to think of this place as home. Not just a temporary shelter, but somewhere she belonged.

And it wasn’t the cave that made it feel that way—it was him. This silent, fierce creature who had saved her life, who watched over her with those intense silver eyes, who growled when she tried to sleep apart from him.

She placed her hand on his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her palm. His arm tightened around her in response.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered, not sure if he understood the deeper meaning behind her words.

But as his tendrils curled protectively around her, she thought perhaps he did.

Tomorrow she would continue making improvements, perhaps explore more of the cave system, maybe even convince him to tell her more about the Tal’shai village and its mysterious lights. But for now, she was content to lie in his arms, surrounded by the soft chirps of sleeping pups and the gentle rhythm of his breathing.

Her last thought before sleep claimed her was that being abducted by aliens had turned out far better than she could have possibly imagined.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The Xenobeast dreamed of her again.

In the dream, she walked through crimson jungle foliage toward him, unafraid. Her dark curls caught the light of the triple moons. Her smile promised things he’d never known he wanted until she crashed into his world.

He woke with a start, disoriented by the heat coursing through his body. The cave was still dark, pre-dawn light barely filtering through the entrance. The pups slept in their usual spots—curled at the foot of the bed, breathing in synchrony.

But something was different.

Xara lay beneath him, her small body trapped under his much larger one. His weight pressed her into the sleeping platform, one of his arms wrapped possessively around her waist. His body was hard, aching, primed for claiming.

How had this happened? He’d fallen asleep beside her, not on top of her.

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