I cut the net enough that he'll eventually free himself, then swim back to the palace.
Aylth is waiting at the entrance, leaning heavily against the coral but upright. He watches me approach, and I see something in his eyes I haven't seen before. Not just pride or love, but recognition.
I'm not prey anymore. Not even just his mate.
I'm a defender of this territory in my own right.
When I reach him, his tentacles wrap around me, pulling me close. “Female fought magnificently. Drove off six hunters while this one slept uselessly.”
“You weren't useless. You healed. That's what mattered.”
“Still. This one should have protected female, not required protection.”
“We protect each other,” I say, and I realize it's true. “That's what this is now. Not you defending me from everything. Both of us defending what we're building together.”
He makes that sound that's almost a purr, his body vibrating against mine. But the vibration is different now. Stronger. Like something inside him is building toward a crescendo.
“Female is bleeding,” he observes, tentacles moving to examine my wounds. The battle secretion kept me fighting through injuries I didn't notice.
“Nothing serious.”
“Still requires attention.” He carries me to our chamber, his movements still weak but determined. When we reach the sleeping ledge, he arranges me carefully, then begins applying healing secretions to every cut and bruise.
The pain melts away under his touch. But I'm too tired to appreciate it properly. Three battles in as many days, each one pushing me further than I thought possible.
“Sleep,” Aylth murmurs, pulling me against his chest. His skin is burning hot, hotter than it's ever been. “This one will watch now. Will keep female safe while she recovers.”
“The rivals...”
“Will not return soon. Female made too strong a statement.” His hand strokes my hair. “They will tell stories of the human female who defended Ancient One's territory. Stories that will spread through hunting grounds, make others think twice about challenging.”
I want to ask about the heat radiating from his body, about the vibration that's become so strong I can feel it in my teeth. But exhaustion pulls me down toward sleep I can't resist.
The last thing I'm aware of is his tentacles creating a protective barrier around us, his heat warming me, and the coral pulsing gentle blue.
The palace dreams around us, damaged but defended, and I drift into darkness knowing I've earned the right to rest here.
Tomorrow will bring new challenges. But tonight, we're both alive, both healing, both learning what it means to protect something we've built together.
The portal island stands somewhere above us in distant sunlight. But I don't think about escape routes anymore.
This is home.
And I'll defend it.
AYLTH
Full awareness settles over this one gradually. The healing completed hours ago—three days total while regeneration occurred. This one has been awake since then, tending to female, watching her fight and triumph. But only now, with her safely sleeping, can this one examine what the healing revealed.
The wounds have closed. Scales have regrown. The torn flesh has knitted properly. But the healing brought something else. Something unexpected.
The pressure.
It has been building since the frenzy eight days ago, growing stronger each tide. During combat with the Leviathan, this one barely noticed it. During healing sleep, it became background noise. But now, fully conscious and still, the sensation is impossible to ignore.
This one's lower body feels full. Swollen. Like breeding tentacles before release but different. The sensation radiates from deeper inside, from organs that should not feel this heavy, this urgent.
The fever burns hotter than healing should cause. This one's core temperature has risen three degrees above normal, andit continues climbing. Sweat that should not exist in water-dwelling species beads on scaled skin.
