Chapter 5

Allegra stepped out of the hovercar and onto the glowing pavement of Star Plaza.

She tilted her head back. Massive holographic billboards pierced the clouds, advertising alien products in languages she couldn't read. The architecture was a dizzying mix of sleek metal and floating glass. The sheer scale of the alien city made her stomach twist with vertigo.

Benedict stepped up beside her. His massive frame instantly blocked the wind and the curious stares of passing pedestrians. He cast a long, protective shadow over her.

"This way," he murmured, placing a hand hovering just an inch behind her back to guide her.

He led her toward a storefront with a discreet, matte-black facade. The gold lettering above the door read Aura.

The glass doors parted silently. The interior smelled of expensive cedar and vanilla. The lighting was soft, illuminating racks of clothing that looked more like modern art than fabric.

A young woman with bright orange cat ears perked up from behind a marble counter. Her name tag read Amber.

Amber's eyes darted to the medals on Benedict's chest. Her orange ears flattened in immediate reverence. She rushed forward.

Benedict didn't waste time. He pulled a sleek, obsidian-black card from his pocket and held it out.

"Outfit her," Benedict commanded. "Everything she needs. Current season. Highest quality."

Amber took the limitless black card with trembling fingers. She turned to Allegra with a blinding, professional smile and ushered her toward the VIP fitting rooms in the back.

For the next twenty minutes, Allegra was trapped in a whirlwind of alien fashion.

Amber handed her garments made of smart-fabrics that shifted color, dresses with bizarre cutouts for tails, and tops woven from luminescent threads. Allegra stared at herself in the full-length mirror.

She looked ridiculous. She looked like an imposter playing dress-up in a world where she didn't belong. A heavy wave of homesickness and isolation crashed over her.

She pushed the extravagant clothes aside and found a simple, soft beige cashmere dress. She slipped it on. It was normal. It felt a little bit like Earth.

Allegra walked out of the fitting room. She kept her eyes on the plush carpet, her shoulders slumped. The exhaustion of the day was finally catching up to her.

Benedict was sitting on a velvet sofa in the center of the room.

His sharp eyes instantly locked onto her. He saw the droop of her shoulders. He saw the sadness in her eyes.

His chest tightened. His military brain analyzed the situation and came to a completely flawed conclusion. She had bravely offered him a courting touch to soothe his temper, and he had violently pulled away. He had shattered her pride and humiliated her. The realization hit him like a physical blow. She is sad because I rejected her in the car.

He believed she had offered him a mating touch, and he had violently pulled away. He had humiliated her. The guilt hit him like a physical punch to the gut.

Benedict stood up. He walked slowly across the room until he was standing right in front of her.

Allegra looked up. She thought he hated the dress. She opened her mouth to ask if she should change.

Benedict took a deep breath. He turned around, presenting his broad back to her.

Then, with agonizing slowness, he lifted his thick snow leopard tail and draped it backward, offering it directly to her hands.

Allegra froze. The fluffy, black-tipped tail was hovering right in front of her stomach.

Benedict didn't look back. His voice was thick, strained, and completely stripped of his usual arrogance.

"If you... still require comfort," he rasped. "You may touch it."

Allegra blinked. Her Earth-brain processed the data. He had snapped at her in the car, realized he was being a jerk, and was now offering his tail as an apology. It was exactly like a golden retriever bringing you its favorite toy after chewing up your shoes.

She didn't want to be rude and reject his apology.

Allegra reached out and grabbed the tail.

She didn't just pet it. She gripped it firmly and stroked her hand from the base all the way down to the tip, digging her fingers deep into the dense fur to massage the muscle beneath.

Benedict's entire body violently shuddered.

A low, guttural groan ripped from his chest. He bit down on his lower lip so hard he tasted blood. His knees actually buckled for a fraction of a second.

The chaotic Psyche energy inside him flared like a dying sun, and then, miraculously, smoothed out into a river of pure, intoxicating euphoria.

Amber walked out of the back room carrying a tray of tea.

She stopped dead in her tracks. The tray rattled in her shaking hands. Her orange cat ears shot straight up in absolute horror.

The most ruthless General in the Empire was standing in the middle of a boutique, letting a female aggressively massage his tail in broad daylight. It was a display of utter, shameless submission.

Amber spun around and practically sprinted back into the stockroom, terrified she would be executed for witnessing it.

Allegra finished her aggressive petting session. She patted the tail twice.

"Thanks," she said, genuinely smiling. "I feel much better."

Benedict ripped his tail away and spun around.

His face was flushed a dark, furious crimson. The red color bled all the way down his neck and disappeared into his collar. He couldn't even look her in the eye.

He cleared his throat, the sound rough and wet.

"Wrap up every item in her size," Benedict barked at the empty room, his voice cracking slightly.

Allegra watched him panic-buy the entire store. She shook her head. Alien cats are so weird.

Before Benedict could say another word, his wrist communicator erupted.

A shrill, piercing red alarm echoed through the quiet boutique. The romantic, awkward tension in the room shattered instantly.