Alien God bonus

His excitement only increased when the others filtered into the entrance hall to join us. Brekken absolutely adored all the other human women. He trotted around the gathering group, his own beloved pack of little two-legs to protect and play with.

We spent the afternoon decorating the tree. It was one of the loveliest days I’d ever had at the castle. Several women had joined Aiko and Otta, the new Sio

Throughout it all, Wylf kept his eyes almost entirely on me, only looking away to add a small crystal shard somewhere to the tree for a human to hang an ornament off of. The tree we’d chosen for the entrance hall was so tall that he ended up having to levitate quite a few ornaments up towards the top so that the tree didn’t look like a toddler had decorated it – ornament-heavy at the bottom and totally bare at the top.

After decorating, eating, and singing my lungs out, I was getting tired. Wylf sensed it, in the way he so often sensed things about me, drawing close to my side and wrapping an arm around me.

“Let us retire, wife,” he whispered. “We still have our own tree to decorate.”

Wylf did all the work on the stairs. He carried me when I got tired and floated the smaller tree through the tu

When we got to our room, I asked Wylf to let me down, then directed him to put the tree beside the fireplace where the firestone light could illuminate the crystalline green facets. The result was breathtaking – a perfectly gorgeous Christmas scene, nostalgic with an alien edge. He immediately got to work using his power to meld yet more crystal shards into the tree to act as the branches I’d hang my personal bundle of ornaments off of. I followed him around the tree, hanging little people and beaded feathers and angels with black wings on loops of twine. When I was finished, the two of us stood back to admire the tree.

“It’s perfect,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around Wylf’s waist and leaning into his side. I pressed my cheek to the smooth, worn leather of his vest and sighed happily.

“It’s missing something,” Wylf replied.

I looked questioningly up at him. He didn’t say anything else, but instead raised a hand towards our bed. The doors of his armoire opened, and something floated out. It came to a hovering stop over top of the tree, then descended.

“Is that...”

“A star,” Wylf confirmed. “I remembered what you said about the top of the tree. Actually, it’s technically two stars. I hope that doesn’t stray too far from the tradition.”

Wordlessly, I left his side to get closer, tipping my head back to stare at the gorgeously carved silver-white crystal star. It wasn’t the Earth-style five-point star I was used to. It was more realistic, orb-like, the crystal swirling like burning energy over its surface. Perfect for an astrophysicist’s tree, I thought with a smile.

Then I noticed the second star Wylf had mentioned. It was much smaller, a little globe fused to the side of the first larger one.

I shivered when I realized Wylf was right behind me. He bent down and kissed my hair, then the side of my neck.

“For the two brightest and most beloved stars in my world,” he whispered against my skin, settling warm, protective hands on my abdomen. “I love you. Both of you.”

“I love you too,” I said with a sigh, leaning my head to the side so Wylf could kiss along my pulse. “Merry Christmas, husband.”

“Merry Christmas, wife.”