Page 38 of Alien Healer's Touch

"The resonance is stronger than anticipated," I observed, my voice lower than intended.

She nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. "I can feel your expertise with wound binding and bone setting. And your understanding of Arenix plant properties is... extraordinary."

A particularly strong pulse flowed through the connection, causing her to gasp. Her fingers interlaced with mine instinctively, deepening our physical contact. The response was immediate—a surge of sensation that had nothing to do with medical knowledge.

"The system is encouraging stronger connection," I explained, struggling to maintain clinical detachment as waves of awareness washed through me. "The ancients discovered that integration functioned most effectively when participants formed... deeper bonds."

"Of course they did," she replied, a smile playing at her lips despite the intensity of the moment. "Efficient design."

Another surge flowed between us, stronger than before. Selene's markings brightened dramatically, silvery light tracing patterns across her skin that matched my own lifelines with uncanny precision. I felt my control slipping as the interface amplified every subtle attraction I'd been carefully containing since we'd met.

"Selene," I said, my voice rougher than intended. "The interface is enhancing physical and emotional responses. If you wish to stop?—"

"I don't," she interrupted, her gaze direct and unwavering. "Do you?"

The question hung between us, weighted with meaning beyond the interface. My lifelines pulsed with golden fire beneath my skin in response to both the technology and the woman before me.

"No," I admitted finally. "I do not wish to stop."

She rose from her chair, maintaining the connection between our hands. I stood as well, the difference in our heights more apparent as she tilted her head to maintain eye contact. The crystal filaments stretched to accommodate our movement, the interface adjusting to our new position.

"The most effective knowledge transfer occurs with maximized contact," I said, the technical explanation feeling increasingly inadequate for what was happening between us.

"Is that your professional opinion, Healer?" she asked, stepping closer until barely a breath separated us.

"It is," I replied, my free hand moving of its own accord to her waist.

Her silver markings brightened at my touch, sending corresponding pulses through my lifelines. The interface amplified the connection, creating feedback loops of sensation that blurred the boundaries between medical knowledge and personal desire.

"Then perhaps we should ensure optimal transfer conditions," she suggested, her hand sliding up my arm to trace the lifelines on my shoulder.

The touch sent electricity through pathways I hadn't known existed. My tail curled around her leg almost involuntarily, an instinctive gesture of possession that made her eyes widen in surprise, then darken with something else entirely.

"Selene," I whispered, no longer pretending this was merely about knowledge transfer. "I have wanted?—"

"I know," she interrupted, rising onto her toes as her hand moved to the back of my neck. "I've felt it through the connection. Just as you've felt what I want."

The truth of her words resonated through our linked minds. The interface had stripped away pretense, revealing desires we'd both been carefully containing. My hand tightened at her waist, drawing her closer as I bent toward her.

"The interface will register everything," I warned, giving her one final chance to reconsider.

She smiled, her fingers threading through my hair. "Good. Then neither of us can pretend this didn't happen afterward."

When our lips met, the interface flared with blinding intensity. Silver and gold light enveloped us as the connection deepened beyond medical knowledge into something far more profound. Her mouth moved against mine with surprising certainty, her body arching to press more fully against me.

The guardian automaton circled us once, its crystalline body shifting to a deep blue configuration before retreating to the chamber's edge. The apparatus hummed with approval, pathways forming and strengthening between us.

My hands moved to frame her face, mindful of my strength against her more delicate structure. Her skin felt impossibly smooth beneath my palms, her warmth seeping into me. Through the neural connection, I sensed her reaction to my touch—the pleasure centers in her brain illuminating with each point of contact.

Her hands weren't idle, exploring my chest and shoulders with increasing boldness. When her fingers traced a primary lifeline at my collarbone, the sensation nearly buckled my knees. She smiled against my mouth, clearly sensing my reaction through our connection.

"Too much?" she whispered, her breath warm against my lips.

"Not enough," I growled, the sound rumbling from deep in my chest.

I lifted her, setting her at the edge of the console. The filaments stretched to maintain contact with our temples, the interface adjusting to our movement. She wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me closer as her hands continued their exploration beneath my tunic.

"The transfer requires approximately fifteen more minutes for completion," I noted, glancing at the interface readout behind her.

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