Cree curling into a disheartened, defeated catball was just such a painful moment. Lucien, realizing that he might lose her loyalty if he doesn't intervene, puts aside his bastard personality and shows her some hurt/comfort attention (at least on the surface) to ensure that she stays with him for whatever he's got in store for her during the ritual.

+++ loyalty kink, praise, fur stroking, Lucien going down on Cree
--- scat, watersports, noncon, xeno genitals