Private for Celestial. x Tiger

Xander hopped off after her, his tail beginning to wag furiously once more. He bowed down before rolling onto his back and back onto his stomach, leaning forward to nip at Clarisse's heel.

He barked in return, panting softly.

Clarisse sat up, icy blue eyes flashing as she spun in a circle, tail wagging. Giving Xander a wolfy grin, she slowly approached him, ears perked. She licked Xander's cheek, whining softly.

Xander sat up and shook out his fur as Clarisse walked towards him. He licked his muzzle nervously and tilted his head as he watched her, his pale blue eyes widening as she licked him.

He whined softly in return, closing his eyes briefly as he licked her ear gently.

The skin beneath her fur grew warm as she sat next to Xander. Staring at him intently, she lay on her back, letting the fire warm her soft white belly fur.

She sighed contently, eyes drooping slightly. Looking up at Xander, she yipped playfully.

Xander's eyes opened slowly at the yip, and he looked down at Clarisse, smiling. He placed a paw on her face with a chuff, eyes gleaming with amusement.

He then leaned down and licked her forehead gently, tail wagging a little.

Nipping at Xander's paw, she swiped her tongue over Xander's ears, sitting up. Sitting next to him, her tail wagged vigorously as she gave him one final lick on his cheek. She then began licking her paws.

Xander looked down at her and rested his head on top of hers, sighing softly.

He slowly closed his eyes before opening them again and nipping at her ear playfully, whining.

Clarisse sighed softly, releasing her wolf form. She kneeled beside him as a human. "It's hard for me to stay in one form for a long time," She said, looking intently at Xander. "If I do I get too exhausted to shift back. Then problems happen."

Xander tilted his head at her and nodded, slowly shifting back to his own natural form a few moments later. "It's strange... for me, it doesn't feel like that, but I wouldn't doubt that's because of something they put in me."

He growled softly, staring intently at the now dying down fire. He inched over and put a couple of logs back in as well as some of the sticks he'd found. His horns burst into sudden flame and he raised the sticks over his head until they caught fire.

Tossing them in with the logs, he watched as the fire grew again, but his horns didn't go out this time. The flames stayed, and his expression only got more aggressive.

The now bluish-orange flames reflected in his black and blue eyes, his jaw clenched tightly.

Clarisse watched Xander nervously, eyes narrowed. "Are you alright?" She asked gently, looking into his eyes. She glimpsed the blue-orange flames flicker in the deep blue irises. "If this is because of what those...evil people did to you, then put it out of your mind." Hesitantly she reached out and gave Xander's hand a comforting squeeze. "You might be angry...or revengeful...but this isn't the time or place to do so. You need to...bide your time."