Page 74 of Xara and the Xenobeast

“It’s a living resin,” he explained, his fingers tracing the pattern. “It grows with the wearer, strengthens over time. The Tal’shai consider it sacred—they rarely offer it to outsiders.”

“Yet they gave it to us.”

“To you,” he corrected. “They saw what I saw from the beginning—your strength, your compassion.” His hand moved to cup her face. “Your light.”

The pups had settled on their bed, watching them with curious eyes. Soldier yawned, his tiny fangs glinting in the firelight.

She finished tending his wounds, binding the deeper ones with strips of fiber. Her touch lingered on each scar, each mark that told the story of his survival. When she was done, she pressed her lips to the largest scar—the one that ran across his chest, old and dark against his silver skin.

“We’re safe now,” she whispered.

His arms encircled her, pulling her against him. The resin binding on her wrist pulsed gently, as if responding to her quickening heartbeat.

“Safe,” he agreed, his voice a rumble against her ear.

They moved together to their bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping pups. His tendrils curled around her, stroking her skin with exquisite gentleness. His silver eyes glowed in the dim light, watching her with hunger and reverence.

She undressed slowly, her movements deliberate. There was no need to rush now—no danger lurking beyond their walls, no enemy hunting them through the jungle. Just this moment, this connection.

Ash’s hands traced the curves of her body, his touch both worshipful and possessive. When his mouth found hers, she felt the last of her tension melt away, replaced by a building heat that coursed through her veins.

They made love with a new kind of freedom—unhurried, exploratory. His strength contained, channeled into pleasure rather than survival. Her fear transformed into trust, into surrender. The resin bindings on their wrists glowed softly in the darkness, pulsing in time with their joined rhythm.

Afterward, they lay tangled together, her head resting on his chest, his tendrils wrapped protectively around her. The pups had migrated to curl against their legs, their soft chirps blending with the ambient sounds of the jungle beyond.

She traced lazy patterns on his skin, watching the bioluminescent markings that rippled in response to her touch. The cave that had once seemed so alien, so temporary, now felt different. The bed they’d built together, the fire that never fully went out, the small treasures they’d collected—bits of crystal, interesting shells, tools they’d crafted.

The realization settled over her like a warm blanket: this was home.

Not the sterile laboratory she’d left behind on Earth, with its fluorescent lights and white walls. Not the crowded apartment where she’d lived alone among thousands. This place—wild, dangerous, beautiful—had become her sanctuary. With him. With them.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, his voice soft in the darkness.

She smiled, nestling closer. “I’m thinking that I never expected to find home on an alien planet.”

His arms tightened around her. “You miss your world.”

It wasn’t quite a question, but she answered anyway. “I miss certain things. Books. Coffee.” She laughed softly. “Indoor plumbing.”

His chest rumbled with amusement. “I can build better facilities.”

“I know you can.” She propped herself up on one elbow to look at him. “But I don’t miss my old life. Not really. It was... empty. I had my work, my research, but nothing else.” Her fingers traced the line of his jaw. “Nothing like this.”

Dot crawled up between them, demanding attention with insistent chirps. He gently scooped her up, cradling her against his chest where she promptly fell back asleep.

“The Tal’shai will teach you,” he said. “Their knowledge of this world’s biology is vast. You can continue your work here.”

The thought filled her with unexpected excitement. “A whole new ecosystem to study. New species, new adaptations.” She grinned. “I might need to start keeping notes.”

“I’ll find you materials,” he promised.

She settled back against him, watching the firelight dance across the cave walls. Outside, the jungle hummed with life—dangerous, yes, but also vibrant, complex, fascinating. Inside, wrapped in his arms with the pups nestled against them, she felt a sense of belonging she’d never experienced before.

This wasn’t just survival anymore. This was living.

As sleep began to claim her, her thoughts drifted to the future they might build here—expanding their home, learning from the Tal’shai, raising the pups, perhaps even...

She placed her hand over his where it rested on her stomach, imagining possibilities she’d never considered before. The resin binding on her wrist pulsed gently, as if in agreement.

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