Page 14 of Hooded

“I shouldn’t have been holding you in the first place.” I swallow down my fear. “You’re free now. The ship is at your disposal. If you want to go somewhere else, I can do that.”

Klynn tips his head on one side. If I wasn’t still running through all the errors I’ve made in my head, I might not be wondering if there was a smile which flitted over his severely handsome face.

“I want you not to be frightened of me,” he says, his deep rasping voice tempered by a hint of silk. “You don’t need this.” He opens his hand and runs it over the outside of the forcefield. It sparks and glitters under his touch.

It doesn’t throw him halfway across the hold.

It should have done.

I suddenly don’t feel protected at all.

I feel like prey.

“I’m not frightened of you,” I hear myself saying. “I remain armed. At all times.”

This time, I don’t miss the hitch of his lip, part smile and part knowing.

“I’m sure you do. Most species are armed around me,” he rumbles as he looks away from me off into the dark. “What does a Gryn have to do around here to get the stench of Bogarok off him?”

I feel my entire body relax.

“I thought you were never going to ask,” I say without thinking.

“You noticed?” Klynn asks, amusement dancing in his fathomless eyes.

“I did…I mean there were a lot of Bogarok, and it took me three showers to get the smell out of my hair, and I’m notcovered in their…whatever, like you are. You are covered in Bogarok, aren’t you?”

I rush the sentence without drawing breath and Klynn doesn’t move. Or say anything. I’ve probably completely insulted him.

As well as keeping him prisoner. And stunning him multiple times. Not to mention the bite marks from Beebie.

“What I mean is I have somewhere you can bathe,” I say breathlessly. “If you’ll follow me.”

I look at him for a couple of long seconds. He inclines his head. I know this has to be a very, very bad idea, but then I can add it to all the other terrible ideas I’ve had since I arrived in this galaxy, along with the one which got me abducted in the first place. I pull in a long breath.

And deactivate the forcefield.

Klynn lifts his head and those eyes glitter, but he doesn’t make any moves. In fact, he doesn’t move a muscle.

So, I’m not dead. Or eaten.

“It’s this way.”

I take a step, and he follows, sinuous and lithe for such a huge creature. I keep a pace ahead of him as we exit the hold into the main body of the ship using the ramps in the main atrium. Klynn looks around with interest, and if I’m not mistaken, he walks with familiarity as we reach the living levels and I take him through to the sanitary area.

“Here.” I put my hand on the pad to open the door.

Klynn peers in and inhales deeply.

I’m quite proud of the bathrooms on my ship. Having encountered some which were, let’s say, less than pleasant, I made sure mine were spacious and had all the automatic cleaning processes possible.

Klynn grunts. “Is this it?”

“Yes,” I say, affronted. “This is the sanitary facility.”

“Where is the bath?”

“Bath? You think it’s a good idea to have water sloshing about on a star flyer?” I query.

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