Page 31 of Hooded

“Klynn? Are you hurt?”

“Nothing much. Most of this isn’t mine.” I look down at myself. The dings and scrapes on my body are not from the strange arena. “There was a fight,” I explain.

“The medic or whatever she is, Narlix, she said you’d been put in a holo-arena.” Fern has raced to the small sanitary area at the rear of our cell and come back with some damp cloths which she uses to wipe over my wounds.

I could do with a bath. But I need to nest first before I do anything at all. I heave myself to my feet, despite Fern’s protests, and look around the cell. The contents are scant, but there are a few pieces of fabric, some rudimentary eating implements, and a few other items.

If my ancestors were able to nest with nothing in the wilderness, I can nest here and now for my mate.

“Klynn?” Fern’s voice is filled with concern.

“I need to…nest,” I say, forcing the words out through fangs which are too big for my mouth. “Nest.” My claws unsheathe as I rip into the fabric, the desperation formed of an instinctual need, meaning I have no control over my actions.

Some might say that’s no different than usual. Only for me, I can see what I need to make, what I can make out of what I have,and it will be the best possible nest for my sweet mate. A nest I will take her in, claim her in, and make her mine.

“I’m not sure we have time for this…” Fern says, standing back from where I’m arranging all the torn fabric around the ledge, shifting the thin blankets we have been given until they are just so.

As perfectly placed as they can be.

“Nest.” I growl, stepping back from my handiwork. “For you.”

“This…is for me?” Fern says.

I turn my head to look at her. She’s staring at what I’ve done, her hands clasped against her chest and the water in her eyes again.

This time, my growl is more like a whine. I have put the water in her eyes. She must hate my nest.

My heart does the thing again, the thing which makes me believe I am dying. That the Tormelek have every intention of ensuring my demise and taking my mate from me. It screams at me from my chest, pain searing through my body.

“You…the water.” I can hardly say the words.

“These are happy tears, Klynn,” she says. “I’m happy.”

I can’t understand. I’m not sure what she’s saying.

“The water is there when you are sad or happy?”

“And when I’m angry or mad. I was always called a ‘crybaby’ at school,” Fern says using a term which can’t be translated by my nanobot insert. “But most of the time, I just wanted to rip their heads off.”

The ripping off of heads, I do understand. Even if nothing else about my mate makes sense at all.

“You like my nest?” I say hesitantly. “Or you don’t like it? I can change it.” I start pulling at the fabrics, sparse though they are.

“Wait, no, Klynn.”

There is a soft hand on my filthy arm, pink and clawless on my skin.

“Don’t change anything. I like it just the way it is,” she says.

I tweak one of the blankets with a claw.

“I mean it, Klynn. Don’t change a thing.” Her voice is strong and powerful.

My stomach dips and my cocks harden. I know those holding us want me to mate this little female. I know they want me to put a youngling in her belly so we are worth more. I know the foul Tormelek want me to have something to fight for while they keep us prisoner.

It doesn’t make my desire for her any less. If anything, I want her more, and I want our escape, together, to bring them all down.

FERN

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