Page 11 of Heart's Keeper

"Mm, maybe." His eyes turned playful as his tail brushed along the back of her thigh. “I might have caught a drednat at one point as well. They truly taste awful.”

Lana grimaced and dropped her hand. “Oh, I don’t need that image. I don’t even want to remember those things exist. I’m still trying to erase the memory of having to catch one for you the first time because of those silly favors of yours. I’ll never forget it buzzing around, spitting at me. I don’t need to know you ate one.”

Xerus grinned at her. “It was the most entertained I had ever been in many years, watching you chase after them."

"I'll bet."

"I miss those days."

"What? Me doing favors for you?"

"Yes." He smiled. "But more than that, just us together. No missions. Just me showing you my home and exploring it with you. Seeing your face light up when you saw something new." He took a lock of her hair in his fingers and rubbed it gently. "Watching you discover and observe as you do. Trying to analyze everything. To better understand."

"I still do that now. I haven't changed," Lana stated.

"I know. And I hope you never do."

Lana couldn't help smiling at that, even if she still felt uneasy about before. She didn't want him to change either. His behavior the past few days might be strange, but that didn't mean he wasn't himself.

"We could go back to that," Lana said, bringing her body closer to his and pressing her lips to his chest. "Once we return from all this and make sure everything is fulfilled in the haven, we could go away for a little while."

"Yes. We could."

Xerus wrapped his arm tightly around her, and for a moment, they stood there, neither moving. Eventually, he led her over to the stairs of the bath and lowered her down with him so that she sat on his lap. A few minutes of caressing and massaging, rubbing and playful biting, and Lana had her legs wrapped around his waist. He slipped into her easily and, as she arched her back and tipped her head, he moved effortlessly, gripping her thighs, tail trailing up her spine.

"I want this too. Every day. Any place," he said with a soft hiss. "My Lana."

They made love again on the stairs of the bath before moving back into the den and continuing in their bed. His body moved slowly on top of hers as if savoring every sensation, every touch. The heat of him seeped into her, engulfing her. The smooth scales along his stomach pressed against her soft flesh as did those along his thighs. The smell like coffee filled the air, and Lana breathed in his scent with a heavy breath.

At one point in their joining, Lana gazed up at his face, in hopes of meeting his eyes, and found him staring, not down at her, but straight on. His eyes, though blazing as ever, seemed fogged over, his expression twisted into a deep snarl, exposing the points of his teeth. He growled low, the vibration felt all the way down to her center. At that moment, for only just a second, the vision of her dream snapped into her mind; of his hellfire eyes filled with rage as he crouched, ready to lunge at her. Her heart fluttered, and she went still, but Xerus didn’t seem to notice. He blinked with his inner lids, and his expression relaxed just as the vision was pushed aside. Lana watched him, still feeling the odd sensation of both a subtle fear and an arousing heat that filled her with every stroke.

As she stared up at him and felt her body tighten and tremble, she knew she loved him more than anything.

But something…something in him was scaring her.

When he found his release, he shuddered and hissed, the spikes and larger scales along his back standing on end. He didn't move for a long moment, and Lana did not pat his side to move him off her right away. She instead listened to his breath and tracked the beating of his heart with her hand. She observed him, looking for any odd signs, waiting to see if anything was different. Eventually, he moved off her and turned her onto her side to curl up behind her. She felt his chest rise and fall at her back as he calmed. His hand caressed the curves of her body, and for a while, they lay in silence. Lana got up once to clean off, then returned to him not long after, lying close against his body.

"I wonder what's changed since I've been gone," Lana said, wanting to take the focus away from her anxieties about her mate and believe it was just in her head. "On Earth and its other systems. I never really wondered too much about it until now. I must have missed a lot since being gone."

"Have you missed your old home?" Xerus asked after a pause.

Lana thought about it for a moment, then said, "Some things, sure. But not enough to want to leave you and go back if that's what you're thinking."

Xerus grunted, his hand petting her hip.

"Sometimes I still wish things had ended differently," Lana said. "That my kind had listened about the dangers of what they were experimenting with. That we could have formed an alliance." She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Things could have been better. The vrisha could have been there, maybe even kept humans from being taken by Xolis. Then this wouldn't be happening. The people of Xolis wouldn't even know we existed."

"I wish that too. Perhaps now is the time things can be fixed," Xerus said. "Between us."

Lana snorted. "I wouldn't expect my kind to be happy to see us nor grateful afterward. It's a nice dream though."

Xerus shifted behind her, bringing his leg over hers, his tail swaying lazily along the bed. "It seems there are those who think it is possible. We might not be able to convince all of the human race. But we can convince some and that is better than none. Clearly, there are those who thought it wise to free themselves from their own territories in order to explore outside their realm. Their sphere is expanding and with it, they learn."

Lana couldn't disagree with that. Still, she was wary to return and reconnect with her people. For all she knew, in the past few years they may have only made it a goal to expand their territory and resources. Though the organization Grayhart did sound promising, it might only be one small portion that cared to make contact with others in a peaceful manner. Even when she worked as a behaviorist for the military, she was considered a minority of people who cared to bring other races into human society.

"Maybe...maybe once we stop those from Xolis, we can see if it is possible," Lana said, then twisted around to look at him. "But if they so much as fire at you or one of our soldiers, I will gladly have us leave and never look back."

Xerus' mouth twitched. "It is your decision entirely. And I will not attempt to sway your mind."

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