Page 6 of Xara and the Xenobeast

Her scent was unlike anything on this world—clean despite the dirt and blood, with complex undertones his brain couldn’t quite categorize. Her skin was soft beneath his calloused palms, radiating warmth that seemed to seep into his own cooler flesh. One tendril brushed across her cheek, tracing the curve of her jaw, while another wrapped gently around her wrist, monitoring her pulse.

He growled, forcing the tendrils back. This response was... unexpected. Unwelcome. He was designed for isolation. For hunting. Not for this protective instinct that surged through him with every soft breath she took.

The Graxlin pups chirped, nestling closer to her. They sensed something in her—something he was beginning to sense as well. An energy signature that called to them. Called to him.

By the time he reached the cave entrance, concealed behind a curtain of bioluminescent vines, his tendrils had betrayed him again, curling protectively around her shoulders and threading through her short, dark hair. He snarled at himself, but didn’t pull them back this time because the connection seemed to stabilize her breathing.

Inside, he moved past the outer chamber—designed as a decoy for any predators that might track him—and into the true living space. Here, the cave opened into a surprisingly comfortable area. A bed of soft moss and woven fibers occupied one alcove. A small fire pit sat in the center, ventilated by a natural chimney in the rock. Various weapons and tools were scattered along the walls, alongside dried herbs and medicinal plants he’d learned to use through brutal trial and error. His regenerative powers were impressive, but this was a deadly world.

He laid her carefully on the bed, his tendrils reluctantly releasing her. The Graxlin pups immediately nestled against her, their tiny bodies providing warmth. He gathered what he needed—healing moss with anti-venomous properties, clean water from his filtered supply, strips of soft fiber for binding.

He gently examined her wounds, relieved to see that the Trex’ik’s venom had barely entered her system—he’d killed it before it could deliver a full dose. Still, the gashes on her leg were deep and he carefully removed her pants, cutting away the torn fabric with his claws to reveal more smooth golden skin.

Her body looked even smaller without her clothing, her limbs delicate but sweetly curved. He brushed his fingertips over herbare leg, feeling the warmth of her skin, the softness. He’d never experienced such a pleasure before, but his tendrils didn’t hesitate. They reached for her, wrapping themselves around her legs and hips, stroking the smooth flesh and sending ripples of pleasure through him.

A low growl rumbled in his chest. Foolish.

He focused on cleansing her wounds, then covered them with healing moss, watching as it immediately began drawing out the poison, then secured it with strips of fiber. She whimpered softly but didn’t wake.

Throughout the process, his tendrils kept reaching for her, drawn to the soft curve of her neck, the warmth of her skin. He forced them back repeatedly, growling at his own weakness. But when he finished treating her wound and rose to move away, they curled forward again, stroking her cheek, her hair, her shoulder.

This time, he let them. Let them explore the unfamiliar texture of her skin, the rhythm of her breathing. Let them absorb her scent, her warmth, the subtle electrical patterns of her brain as she slept. Information flowed through the sensitive appendages, flooding his mind with data about this strange, soft creature who had stumbled into his territory.

He settled back on his haunches, watching her. Something primal and possessive swelled in his chest as he surveyed her resting on his bed, in his territory, under his protection. The feeling was alien—a forgotten instinct from whatever base species had contributed to his genetic makeup. He’d been engineered to kill, not to protect. To hunt, not to nurture.

Yet here she was. And here he would keep her.

One of the Graxlin pups yawned, tiny teeth gleaming in the dim light, before curling tighter against her stomach. Another nestled into her neck, its silver markings pulsing in a slow, contented rhythm. The third watched him with huge, dark eyes, chittering softly before settling against her side.

They recognized something in her—something worth protecting.

The pups snuggled closer, their little bodies radiating contentment, and the sensation was...

Nice.

Still crouched next to her, he listened as the night sounds resumed outside—the distant cry of a flying predator, the rustle of nocturnal creatures in the underbrush. This world never rested. Never offered safety.

But in this space, his space, she would be safe. He would make it so.

His eyes gleamed in the darkness as he settled into his vigil. One tendril remained extended, curled protectively around her wrist, monitoring her pulse as she slept. His mind cataloged the new sensations, the unfamiliar emotions, filing them away for later examination.

For now, she was his to protect. His to heal. His to... keep?

The thought should have disturbed him. Instead, it filled him with a fierce, possessive pride that resonated through his entire being. He didn’t understand it. Wasn’t even sure he welcomed it.

But as the night deepened and her breathing steadied, he accepted it.

Mine, something primal whispered in the depths of his mind.Mine to protect.

He watched over her until dawn, his eyes never leaving her face, his senses attuned to every breath, every subtle shift of her body as she slept. And when the first light of the day cycle filtered through the vines, he was still there, still watching, still guarding what was now, inexplicably, his.

CHAPTER FIVE

Xara floated through darkness, fragments of memories flashing behind her eyelids. The campus at night. The dead alien in the shuttle. The strange lights in the hills. The insect-like predator with its clicking mandibles and glowing yellow eyes. Pain slicing across her leg. Then—silver eyes and a roar that shook the ground beneath her.

Pain dragged her back to consciousness. Her leg throbbed, a dull, persistent ache that pulsed in time with her heartbeat. She kept her eyes closed, trying to assess her situation before revealing she was awake. The air smelled different—earthy and cool, with a faint smokiness. She lay on something soft, and warmth pressed against her stomach.

She carefully cracked one eye open.

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