And this is the clean version of this chapter. I've uploaded this quite late now after I finished the original version of the chapter but better now than never.

Chapter 10: Moonlight dance

Ben slightly opened his eyes, still sleepy but content. He didn't know how much time has passed since he fell asleep with Blackclaw beside him but it was still in the night. He moved his tail a bit only to notice that beside him was… nothing? Suddenly his eyes shot open and he looked around but quickly calmed down again when he saw Blackclaw standing a few meters in front of him, looking at the sky. He slowly stood up and approached her.

"You're already awake?", he asked calmly. Blackclaw didn't answer for a moment and didn't turn around but instead continued to look at the sky. Ben was slightly confused before she suddenly turned her head a bit around and looked slightly at the ground before she spoke up.

"Glowscale… would you mind to come with me for a moment?", she asked quietly but in a nervous tone. This question came out of nowhere for him, he was still worried about her injuries.

"Maybe your wounds aren't hea-", he was quickly cut off by her.

"I'm fine… please.", she pleaded and now looked at him with a desperate expression and gleaming eyes. After a moment he nodded and Blackclaw smiled before she walked deeper into the little forest and mentioned him to follow her. After some minutes they both came to a small clearing where the moonlight shone in, with a little lake in the middle of it. Blackclaw walked towards the lake and stopped in front of it and looked at the night sky again while Ben was curiously watching her. The moonlight made her scales and skin glimmer in many colours, together with her fur it looked beautiful… he couldn't do otherwise than to admire it. He walked beside her before he looked at the night sky too.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? I always loved to come here.", she said in a calm and sweet voice while smiling slightly. Ben already wondered how she knew the way to this place. He was glad to see her happy but he was surprised when Blackclaw produced a bubble with her claw and touched the water with it, and within some seconds the whole little lake became a bubble bath, bubbles floating everywhere above it which made it even more beautiful.

But which gone unnoticed by Ben was that Blackclaw smirked to herself.

She has often imagined this situation to happen and even dreamt about it since Glowscale saved her. She grew fond of him and the little den which she called home for the last few months, and her admiration for him has grown intensely during this time. He was different… different than any other male she has encountered before. Kind, caring, gentle…

she longed for him for a long time now. And he will be her's from this night on.

"And now I don't feel lonely here anymore. I have you.", she said and smiled at him. This touched him deeply and his expression wasn't hiding it. She walked into the middle of the little lake and turned around.

"Would you mind to come in too?", she asked innocently and Ben just did so and walked into the little bubble bath, unaware of her intentions.

"So this is your favourite place?", he asked while he stopped in front of her, looking curiously which she found cute.

"Yes, I always came here when I could. It's been my favourite place to sleep and relax but now... I'm not so sure anymore…", she said quietly so only he could understand her but this only confused him.

"Why not?", he asked before she looked him directly in the eyes with a half lidded gaze.

"My favourite place is always to be with you. And to have you...", she whispered. Ben's eyes widened in pure shock at this but he didn't even had the chance to say something.

Blackclaw suddenly jumped gracefully through the air and slashed with one quick move her tail at the bubble water and destroyed the bubbles with a water laser which made the air around her glimmer, together with the moonlight that shone upon her it was a sight which Ben couldn't describe with words. She used her tail to make a second jump through the air which made her look like she was never touching the ground. Ben didn't dared to say something and neither to take away his eyes from her, he completely forgot every worry he had and just watched her dancing around him.

He didn't even noticed it when she suddenly interrupted her graceful movements and threw them both with one quick move into the middle of the little lake with her on top of him. She wrapped her tail around his and pulled herself closer to him, her snout only inches away from his. He couldn't get out of this situation anymore even if he wanted to and neither would she let him go. At least not before he would be hers.

"I want you. I don't want anything else more than you. I want to spend every night with you, do everything with you, and never be without you. As your mate, and your only one…", she whispered slowly so Ben would take in every meaning of her confession.

But he couldn't bring out a word and just stared at her with utter disbelief. He thought… something like this wasn't possible. Something which he could only imagine. He always held a distance between them and never got to close to her, but he always felt content when she was around and was always sad when she was sad. He couldn't bear to see her unhappy and always did everything to make her feel happy again but this was something he could have never be prepared for...

She wanted him. She actually… wanted him. But not as a friend. But for something which he thought it would be impossible to happen. Well but also because he never thought that a monster can be so… attractive? But she was the most beautiful creature on earth for him and not just a monster.

Blackclaw waited for a moment for him to respond but decided to act instead and connected their snouts before he could do anything, and she wouldn't let him go until he would be her's.

XxxxxX

Darren quickly jumped behind a rock, dodging another paralyzing shock wave of the Lagiacrus. Luckily he managed to move his body in time again before anything worse could happen but now he had to face this beast without a weapon. Great, just great. For such situations he was always grateful when Ben was hunting with him. But which he found odd was that the Lagiacrus only used paralyzing attacks, nothing compared to what it could actually do. And he's speaking out of experience. Still, this wasn't really helping him.

He picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it against the Lagiacrus head, to which it narrowed its eyes and roared while he had to cover his ears. He shouldn't have done that.

And that's it. Hope you enjoyed.

Have a nice day!