Page 53 of Hooded

“Our youngling,” I whisper. “Look what you made.”

FERN

Klynn hasn’t said much since we left the medi-center. Cali reassured us the baby, as far as her instruments could tell, was developing normally. She also told us we were having a girl. As far as gestation period was concerned, she wasn’t entirely sure, but she guessed I’d probably be giving birth in five to six nova-months.

I’m not sure I can believe her, especially as she did impress on us the scanner she was using was meant for Fenere, not humans or Gryn. As humans have a nine month pregnancy, that’s what I’m expecting. Five to six months sounds far too short.

Klynn might not be talkative, but he is practically glued to my side as we make our way through the town to the outskirts and into the forest. Beebie comes snuffling out of the undergrowth as we approach the nest, and I put out my arms. He quickly swarms up me, huffing and humming with pleasure as I tickle his belly.

“Where did you get such a creature?” Klynn asks as we enter the nest and I drop onto the bed, exhausted.

“After I was abducted from Earth, the disgusting reptile species which took me dumped me on some weird backwater planetoid.” I stroke Beebie’s coal-colored fur, soft under myfingers. “I found him, or perhaps he found me. I’d just managed to get a meal after I agreed to do some cleaning for a tavern owner whose bots had broken down.” I shake my head at the thought. It had been a foul job. “This little scavenger came up begging for scraps.”

Klynn stares. His dark eyes narrow.

“You had to beg for food?” His voice is a deep growl.

“I had to work for food. And that’s your last growl for another ten nova-minutes.” I look up at him.

“Vrex the growling,” Klynn growls. “I thought you had always been a bounty hunter.”

“I wish!” I laugh. “I thought I was doomed when I was let go by my captors. After all, who wants a defenseless human?”

I see Klynn’s claws are unsheathed, curling up into his fists where they are drawing blood. I’m off the bed in a heartbeat, taking hold of him, shoving my hands into his feathers because I know it calms him.

“They hurt you,” Klynn says, although I feel him relax slightly under my touch.

“They did, but I refused to let them stop me from living, even if I couldn’t go home.”

“I will never let anyone hurt you,” he says, the muscle ticking in his jaw with agitation.

“I know you won’t.”

“Or our young.”

I swallow down the lump which sits in my throat. Seeing our baby for the first time, hearing her heartbeat—it was overwhelming for me, so I can’t imagine how it is affecting Klynn. He’s a mixed-up male, who was a virgin until he met me. Now he’s going to be a father, and I already know his ability to manage his emotions isn’t the best.

“You are happy, about the baby, aren’t you?” I say hesitantly.

“Happy?” He turns his dark gaze on mine.

His brow is furrowed as if it’s not a sentiment he wants to apply to this situation.

“My sweet mate, I’m not sure I have the words. Seeing our young, it was…real. It was beautiful. It was something I didn’t expect to ever see,” he rasps. “I thought my time was going to be all about the violence. That I would fight until I died. I could not foresee an occasion where I would come face to face with my young.”

The brief wave of both sadness and pleasure I get from him is highly confused, just like my poor Klynn. He doesn’t know what to make of any of this. I shove my fingers deeper into his downy feathers, mostly to feel how his knees buckle and because I love having this huge male at my mercy.

A deep growl rumbles through his chest, and I’m fleetingly reminded of the utterly dirty sentiment he sent down the intermittent thoughtbond back at the medi-center.

“I never expected to be knocked up by a huge gladiator.” I look up at him and press a kiss to his chest, his skin warm and fragrant. “But here we are.”

“Filled with my young,” Klynn murmurs, sliding a finger under my chin and tilting my head up so he can kiss me on my lips.

“And if what Cali says is true, I’m going to get very big, very soon,” I say when he releases me.

“Good,” Klynn rasps. “I can’t wait to mate you when you are ripe and round.”

“That’s what got us into this position in the first place.”

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