Xandar opened his eyes and tried not to make a sound as he looked up at Lucianne, who was holding her book in one hand. She was already halfway through it. He peeked at the cover, and realized that it was a book on the neuroscience behind wolf-behavior.

Her hand left his hair when she wanted to flip the page. His animal whimpered but, externally, Xandar remained silent. After flipping the page, she continued stroking his thick, brown locks, and he was brought back to bliss. He kept his eyelids low to enjoy the moment.

After a few minutes, Lucianne spoke while she was still reading, “It’s amazing how you...