Her eyes snapped open and her heart beat faster. Asha shifted, her eyes darting around the darkness. Another booming clap of thunder rattled in her chest. She stretched out her hand, feeling for the light on her nightstand. It put her off balance and she rolled off the edge.

The drop was more than from a mattress to the floor. A bolt of lightning lit up the trunk of the tree and the ground she was about to meet. Before she could let out a shriek, a branch wrapped around her middle. Her fingers clutched it, feeling scaled skin instead of bark.

With a soft rumble, Uh'luka hugged her against his body. Her heart still pumping wildly, she twisted around to look at him. She couldn't see much in the dark, just the silhouette of his ridged forehead and the glint of his mask's lenses. Black claws lifted to her face to stroke her cheek. Scales and claws were traits of monsters--but he was her monster.

One of his arms slipped under her head while his other stayed around her middle. She closed her eyes with an exhale, but another bolt of lightning lit up behind her lids. The following rumble of thunder was loud enough the tree shook. An orange glow stayed.

When she felt Uh'luka's heart pounding against her back, she knew something was wrong. She lifted her head to gaze at the flames. Lightning had struck a neighboring tree and left it on fire. The flames were small but growing. The crackling from the wood was loud in her ears. It would spread to their tree as well.

Asha removed Uh'luka's arm from her middle and yanked his smartdisc from its holster. She climbed from branch to branch, then jumped to the other tree. One leg slipped, but she wrapped an arm around a limb before she fell. She felt the bark of the tree dig into her skin, leaving scratches.

Carefully, she got her legs under her and walked out on the branch that was being eaten by the fire. As it grew thinner, she wobbled only once. Asha whipped the smartdisc through the branch, cutting through it like butter. She didn't have to make a second cut, the weight of the branch pulled it down. After a series of cracks and pops, the branch plummeted.

She peered down, watching the flames continue to grow. She patted herself down, trying to think of what to do. Her fingers touched her dagger, medical kit, and other tools before they hit something cold and smooth. Asha unclipped the vial and brought it up to her gaze. The solid blue liquid was highly corrosive.

It would disintegrate any organic matter. A small amount would immediately eat away the downed branch. If she got so much as a drop on herself though, it would disintegrate her flesh. After finding solid balance, she stretched out her arm so the vial was above the downed limb. She popped open the vial and tipped it slowly.

A splash of the thick blue liquid dropped onto the tree branch, and in an instant, all the limbs and leaves disintegrated. Without fuel, the fire dissipated. But without the fire, she was left in the pitch black. Holding her breath, she popped the lid to the vial back in place. Using nothing but feel, she clipped it back on her belt.

She looked back the way she'd come, but it was a tangle of shadows. She scooted one foot down the branch, then another until she reached the trunk. Blindly, she slid a leg down, searching for another limb. Once she'd found one, she slowly lowered herself onto it. It was thinner than the previous one.

Asha reached her arm out, swiping her hand through the darkness to find something to hold onto. Again, her fingers felt scales instead of bark. Uh'luka guided her back to their sleeping spot. She nestled herself against him with her face tucked against his chest. He lifted one leg so hers could slide in between his. His arm securely wrapped around her middle.

"It feels as if your body was made for mine ooman."

Her lips twitched, fighting a smile.

The storm wouldn't let Asha sleep, so she traced her fingertips around his muscles. It wasn't until the sun peeked across the horizon that she could make out his pale green skin, and the red and black mottling that marked it. The light glinted across the lenses of his mask. Asha stretched herself up to kiss the underside of his jaw, then sat up. Sleeping in was never an option anymore.

It was easier to move around the tree when she could see the notches and vines. She suited up in armor then asked, "Where are we going next?"

"This was the last planet on our tour. We return to Yaut."

"We're going home?"

Three months had never passed so quickly. The massive ship had made a circle, visiting planets in nearby galaxies, and now it was close to Yaut again. Asha barely had enough time to pack up the trinkets and goods she's collected. Once again the vessel hovered above Yaut. A smaller craft took them down to the ground once they'd gone through customs and all decontamination protocols.

Asha stepped up to the house. It looked just as she'd left it. When she heard grumbling on the other side of the wall, her face lit up. She dropped her bags and lifted herself up onto the stone divider between houses. The Yaut pup she'd given Ain didn't look the same at all.

It was tall and gangly like a teenager that hadn't filled out. Long, white, bone spines we're beginning to grow from its tough hide. The hound reared up on the wall and stretched its neck out to sniff her. Asha reached her hand down slowly, but the hound didn't snap at her. She patted its head.

"Aww, you remember me."

When she heard a growl, she retracted her hand, but it wasn't the hound. She turned to Uh'luka. His mask was tipped up at the roof. Before she looked to see what was up there, she grabbed her plasma castor. A tremendous weight hit her shoulders. Asha shrieked as it took her to the ground.

Her armor slammed into the rock, protecting her from injury. She cringed away from the tusks that flashed in her face and she lifted the muzzle of the gun. Asha didn't hesitate to shoot. The male immediately leaped off her and the plasma bolt shot past him like a firework. It hit the rock wall above the house, causing pieces to crumble down into the roof.

Asha aimed again, but her eyes landed on a familiar male, "Ain? Look what you made me do!"

He twisted around to look at the rubble on her house, then touched his hand to a scorched patch on his shoulder, "I didn't expect you to shoot."

"Well it serves you right for scaring me! I don't know why you enjoy doing that!"

Ain let out a trill.

Uh'luka growled low in his throat then.

"Don't you two even start."

Uh'luka continued to growl, but rather than stare Ain down, he swept past her into the house.

"Don't mind him. I'm so happy to see you again!" With the plasma pistol still in her hand, she wrapped her arms around Ain's torso, "And the hound is so big! What did you name him?"

She didn't hear him purr, but against his chest, she could feel the vibration.

She leaned away and asked again, "What did you name the hound?"

"After you get settled, would you like to do something with me? I'm not sure what's a common activity in your culture, but we could go for a drive in the desert."

"Oh no! I'm not getting in that little vehicle with you again...But yea, we can definitely do something fun later."

Asha went inside and began sorting through her stuff. She'd kept little things from Uh'luka's kills like teeth and claws, but had also collected animal shells, scales, and plant pods. Not all of the stops had been on hunting preserves. Yautjas had peaceful agreements with a few planets and we're able to hunt and trade on their land. Asha had bought a few interesting goods and trinkets.

Now, she had to decide what to keep and what to trade in the market. As she placed her items in piles, Uh'luka's first priority was to inspect his gear. His harness needed to be sewn, his weapons needed to be cleaned, and after surviving a stampede his shoulder pack needed to be repaired.

She set some stones off to the side to make jewelry with later, but her eyes slid over to glance at Uh'luka. One by one, he'd added beads to his hair until the dreads were no longer bare. His skin didn't scar easily like humans--only the deepest wounds scared, and yet he now had several. He'd hunted for food and to refine his skill. He'd only claimed one trophy on their trip.

Asha watched the way his muscles rippled under his skin as he lifted up the skull and her body bloomed with heat. The only trophy he'd claimed was from the animal that had nearly killed her with its venom. He proudly hung it in the hallway along with his bio mask. Her chest felt like it could barely contain her heart.

"I'm going to take a bath. Care to join me?"

Asha stood and swept the straps of her dress off her shoulders so it crumpled to her feet. She stepped out of the cloth and kicked it his way. Uh'luka's deep-set yellow eyes traveled down her body as a hungry growl slipped past his teeth. That meant yes.