Page 29 of Bonded to the Star-Beast (Xylos Mates #1)

M onths later, I watch the data stream across my holoscreen, a river of light reflecting in Kyra's deep blue eyes.

We sit in the main dome of what was once my crash site and is now the Xylos-ESD Joint Research Outpost. My old emergency pod, stripped of its outer shell, forms the central hub, its systems integrated with Xylosian power crystals and woven flora-cabling.

It's a testament to our new reality. A hybrid. Like me.

“The atmospheric ion exchange is stabilizing faster than our models predicted,” I say, tapping a shimmering graph. “The introduction of the nitrogen-fixing Terran clovers near the settlement is having a cascading effect on the soil's microbial biome. It's remarkable.”

“Neema's healers have already noted that the kalla root is growing with more potency in the cultivated fields,” Kyra says, her own datapad glowing with intricate Xylosian script.

“She pretends to be unimpressed, but I saw her adding your soil composition analysis to her own sacred scrolls yesterday.”

A smile touches my lips. “Progress, one grumpy healer at a time.”

“Progress is the current that reshapes the riverbank, Kendra,” Kyra recites, a familiar proverb. “It is slow, but inevitable. Your arrival has been... a very fast current.”

I lean back, the warmth of the late afternoon sun filtering through the dome's transparent panels.

Outside, a Xylosian warrior trains a young ESD scientist in the proper way to handle a plasma-tipped spear, while the scientist explains the physics of the energy discharge.

It's a scene that would have been impossible just a few months ago.

“How is the linguistic database coming along?” I ask, changing the subject.

Kyra is our chief liaison, her sharp mind and diplomatic grace making her the perfect bridge between our two peoples. The ESD ships remain in orbit, a silent, watchful presence, but the small, carefully selected teams they've sent down have been a resounding success, largely thanks to her.

“The nuances are the most difficult part,” she admits. “Your human concept of sarcasm is... challenging to codify. And Jaro's habit of grunting affirmatives has required its own sub-protocol.”

I laugh. “Tell me about it. I've become an expert grunt interpreter.”

“The talks for the formal scientific exchange treaty are proceeding well. The Directorate is practically salivating over your botanical data. The potential for new medicines is a very powerful negotiating tool.” Kyra's expression turns more serious.

“They still ask about you, of course. When you'll be returning.”

My smile fades slightly. I look out at the alien landscape, the towering purple flora, the rust-colored soil. It doesn't feel alien anymore. It feels like home.

“I've already given them my answer.”

“I know,” Kyra says gently. “But they are a persistent people. Like you.”

Before I can reply, the scent of him reaches me, a familiar, intoxicating mix of pine, clean musk, and something uniquely Jaro. It's a scent my own biology now recognizes as safety, as belonging. The heart-bond mark on my chest gives a faint, pleasant thrum.

He enters the dome, ducking slightly under the archway, his powerful frame filling the space. He's dressed in simple warrior leathers, his long black hair loose today, framing a face that has become the center of my universe. His amber eyes find mine, and the rest ofthe world melts away.

“Am I interrupting important work, my leaders?” he asks, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through the floor. He directs the question to both of us, a subtle but constant affirmation of the new order he champions.

“Kendra was just explaining the statistical improbability of your grunts containing complex syntax,” Kyra says, her eyes twinkling.

Jaro's lips twitch, a ghost of a smile. “My grunts are very complex.” He walks toward us, his gaze never leaving mine. “Are you finished here? I have a request.”

“I am,” I say, powering down my screen. “What is it?”

“We have not been to the summit of Kul-Vasha since... before.”

Since the ambush. Since Vex's challenge. Since everything changed. I understand immediately. It's not just a mountain; it's a symbol of our journey.

“I think a pilgrimage is an excellent idea,” I say softly.

He offers me his hand, and I take it, his calloused palm warm and strong around mine. The faint blue glow of his bond-mark is visible on his wrist, a perfect match to the one that now glows on my own skin when he is near.

“We will return by moonrise,” Jaro tells Kyra, a formal declaration of our plans.

“Be safe,” she says, dipping her head in a gesture of respect that is for both of us.

We walk out of the research station hand in hand.

Vex is overseeing a training drill in the distance, his movements stiff but obedient.

He lost his challenge, but Jaro's mercy left him with his honor intact, and in doing so, turned a rival into a watchful, but currently powerless, observer.

The tribe is slowly healing, the concept of bond-choice taking root among the younger generation, a quiet revolution happening in the heart of their society.

“Are you certain you are ready to go back up there?” Jaro asks as we approach the treeline. “The memories are not all pleasant.”

I remember the acid rain. The fear. The intimacy of the Light Caves. The way I felt when I thought I might lose you.

“I'm not the same woman who climbed that mountain before,” I tell him, squeezing his hand. “And you're not the same man.”

He looks down at me, his amber eyes soft. “No,” he agrees. “I am not.”

The climb is different this time. There is no fear, only a shared sense of purpose.

We move in easy harmony, our steps synchronized.

I point out plants, naming them with the new hybrid classification system Kyra and I developed, and he tells me the ancient Xylosian stories associated with them.

His world and my world, no longer in opposition, but in conversation.

We stop to rest at the entrance to the Light Caves, the site of our first true intimacy. The air is still and cool, the bioluminescent fungi pulsing with a soft, welcoming light.

“It feels like a lifetime ago,” I murmur, running my hand along the cool stone.

Jaro comes to stand behind me, his arms circling my waist, pulling me back against his solid chest. His chin rests on my head. “It was. We were different people.”

“Were you scared?” I ask, leaning into his strength. “That day, when you found me after I ran from the ceremony?”

He is silent for a long moment. I feel the steady beat of his heart against my back.

“I have faced warriors who could shatter stone with their fists,” he says finally, his voice a low rumble.

“I have hunted beasts that can tear a man in two. I have never known fear.” He pauses, his arms tightening around me.

“Until I thought I might lose you. That is a terror I hope to never feel again.”

His raw honesty makes my own heart ache with love for him. I turn in his arms, cupping his strong jaw, feeling the slight rasp of his stubble.

“You won't,” I promise. “You're stuck with me, Star-Beast.”

A genuine, breathtaking smile transforms his face. He leans down and captures my lips in a kiss that is full of promise and a deep, settled peace. There is no desperation in it, no fear. Only the profound certainty of two souls who have found their other half.

We reach the summit of Kul-Vasha as the twin suns dip below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery strokes of crimson and violet. The air is thin and cold, but I feel invigorated, alive. We stand on the precipice of the world, looking out over the vast Xylosian landscape.

In one direction, the lights of Vara-Ka are a warm, familiar cluster, a beacon of evolving tradition. In the other, the smaller, sharper lights of the research outpost flicker, a symbol of new connections, of my two homes united. It's a perfect visual representation of my new life.

Did you ever imagine this? I wonder, my mind drifting back to the sterile corridors of the ESD Odyssey , to a life defined by data points and grant proposals. A life where love was a statistical anomaly I had no time for.

As if hearing my thoughts, Jaro's hand finds mine. The bond between us is a silent, constant hum, a language deeper than words. I feel his contentment, his deep, unwavering love for me, and I send my own flooding back to him.

The sky deepens to indigo, and one by one, the three moons of Xylos rise, their silvery light bathing the mountain peak in an ethereal glow. One is a perfect, luminous pearl. Another is a sharp, bright crescent. The third, larger and more distant, casts a soft, rose-tinted light.

“They are aligned,” Jaro murmurs, his voice filled with reverence. “An omen of harmony. Of completion.”

As he speaks, the heart-bond marks on our chests begin to glow. It starts as a faint warmth, then builds to a soft, steady golden light that illuminates the space between us, a beacon in the twilight. We are a part of this world's magic now.

I look at him, my magnificent warrior-prince, and my heart swells with a love so fierce it feels like it might crack my ribs. He meets my gaze, and I see my own adoration reflected in the golden depths of his eyes.

He smiles, a slow, predatory curve of his lips that is all beast, all male. And then, with a serene confidence that takes my breath away, he begins to shift.

There is no pain in the transformation, no violent struggle for control.

It is a fluid, graceful unfolding of his true nature.

His body expands, muscles bunching and reshaping.

Iridescent scales shimmer into existence along his powerful back, catching the light of the three moons.

His horns, sharp and majestic, spiral from his brow.

His form elongates, dropping to all fours, a perfect fusion of panther and wolf, of savage power and breathtaking grace.

He is the Star-Beast, in all his glory. No longer a creature of rage, but a being of perfect, integrated power.

He turns his massive head, his amber eyes glowing with a soft, intelligent light, and looks at me. There is no question in his gaze, only an invitation.

A laugh bubbles up from my chest, pure and joyous. I am no longer the frightened scientist, the desperate survivor. I am Kendra Miles, co-leader of the Xylosians, mate to the Star-Beast, a woman who has found her place in the universe not by calculating the odds, but by taking a leap of faith.

I begin to run.

He falls into step beside me, his powerful strides easily matching my human pace.

We move as one, our synchronized movements a dance of two beings from different worlds, now inextricably linked.

The radiant light from our glowing hearts illuminates our path, a single, shared beacon cutting through the alien night.

We run along the summit of the Sacred Mountain, under the light of three moons, a warrior-beast and a human scientist. Not captor and captive. Not master and possession.

Partners.

And as we run, a single, shared thought echoes through the bond between us, a perfect and final summation of our impossible journey.

Choice. This is what it feels like to choose.