Page 7 of Heart's Keeper

He gave her a slow smile. "It has been a long while since I've had a good fight and a good foe. Plus, I miss seeing the terror in their eyes."

Lana gave him an exasperated sort of look. "In your foe’s or in a human’s?"

Xerus' smile widened. "Both."

Lana rolled her eyes and tugged her hand away, though a smirk peeked from the corner of her mouth. "You're awful. You're not supposed to want to instill fear in every living thing."

"I disagree. I think that's exactly what I was made for."

Lana smiled despite herself. " Well, you failed miserably with me, didn't you?"

Xerus' eyes narrowed, tail swaying. "If I recall, you were quite terrified the first time we met. And for a long while after."

"You took some getting used to, I'll admit," Lana stated, with her head tipped back as she regarded him. "But now you're no more terrifying to me than that sprisal plant behind you. All sharp and spiky on the outside and gooey soft on the inside. I'd cuddle you like one of the mirrul found lounging on the terrace walls and sleep just fine."

Xerus huffed. "A mirrul, really? I don't even have fur."

"No, but you purr like one when I do this." Lana raised her hands and grazed her fingers along Xerus' sides and back, messaging the pressure points between his back muscles and spine. Xerus’ pupils widened, and a soft rumble stirred in his chest before he gripped her wrists. His fangs peeked out ever so slightly, and his eyes brightened. Lana let out a small laugh. "See?"

"Careful," Xerus said. "That is a dangerous tactic. It may force me to fight back."

Lana arched her brow. "Oh? And what is it you think you can do?"

As Xerus bent his head, his hand traced down her back, and Lana felt his mouth against her ear. As soon as his tongue flicked against the outer shell of her earlobe, Lana shuddered, goosebumps spreading over her body, heat stirring in her center.

"Not fair," Lana stuttered.

She heard him let out a low hiss as his mouth trailed down to her neck, and he flicked his tongue over the skin before giving her a sharp nip with his teeth. Lana let out a soft groan, then quickly pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

She groaned again into his chest, this time in irritation, then looked up at him, resting her chin against his scales. "I don't want to go."

Xerus looked down at her and brushed a hand along her head. "I know. And I don't wish to see you unhappy. Let us hope we can scare away these men of Xolis enough that they will never come back. Then we return here."

"One more mission," Lana sighed. "Then you're mine alone. And we aren't leaving again. At least not so soon."

Xerus grinned, showing off his shiny black fangs. "Agreed."

Lana went to pull away, but Xerus held her still. "We should get back and call on the housekin,” she said. “We still need to have our meeting."

"They can wait," Xerus replied. He led her to the bench at the statue's feet and sat down, placing her on his lap. Unclasping the ties of her kelva bottoms, he nuzzled her ear and let out a hiss of breath. "Let us enjoy what little time alone now we have."

***

After their discussion in the garden, they had their meeting as planned and afterward took dinner together on the terrace. As night came, they slipped back inside their home, Lana still thinking heavily on everything they had talked about and the news they had learned. Only once they were back in their room did she allow herself to wind down and try to clear her mind, putting the thoughts away for the next day.

The den was dark and relatively silent save for a low hum and the soft trickling of the bath in the room beyond. With no windows to see out of, no light or sound from the outside disturbed the chamber. One might feel claustrophobic, but the den was very open and well-ventilated. All was calm as Lana lay quietly, letting the day fall from her mind into nothing. With Xerus beside her, she slowly felt herself beginning to fall into a deep sleep.

Appearing from seemingly nowhere, an odd scent filled the air. Lana's eyes fluttered open as the scent hit her. Brow furrowed, she looked over at Xerus, who lay sleeping peacefully. The odor was subtle but disturbing enough to put her on alert. She sat up and looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She sat for a quiet moment, wondering if it was just a trick of the mind. When the scent didn't disappear, however, Lana rose from the bed and stepped out to stand bare at the center of the room.

Everything was as it had been, but Lana circled the room regardless, searching. She went into the bathroom, and nothing was wrong there either. Yet the odor remained. She started for the stairs, and the scent grew.

The curious scent of tobacco.

There was no tobacco on Tryth. Not like that on Earth. And the smell was distinct. She knew that smell vividly. And the memories it brought.

She climbed the stairs and walked down the short tunnelway. The smell was overpowering now. She froze in the middle of the passage when a sound carried down the way. The voices of several people were talking over a static background. A radio.

There were no radios on Tryth either. Confused and concerned, Lana walked the rest of the way down the passage until she came to its end. But instead of entering the central chamber, she found herself in the middle of her father's living room.

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