Because females only nested for one reason.
When he came to a halt in front of the open storage room door, he was immediately hit with the sound of annoyed huffs.
“How can we not haveanyextra blankets?” Garnet was asking as she pushed aside a heavy bag containing the extra nutrient powder for the synthesizer.
Goldie, looking through a box of spare parts, shrugged and said, “I mean, we don’t really need them. Our rooms are warm enough.”
“So what?” Garnet stood straight and caught sight of him. “Tanin?”
He walked into the doorway. “Garnet. Is it true?”
She gasped, affronted. “Alred, you blabbed!”
“I did not!”He protested from above. “I inferred. There’s a difference.”
“Not even!” Goldie stomped her foot before turning. “Are there magnets in here?”
“I’ll never tell!”
“I’m going to find some!” She grabbed a box and immediately started tearing through it as Alred mocked her, promising she’d never locate the dreaded things.
Tanin ignored the two of them, however. His focus was entirely on his mate as he approached her slowly, reaching to take her face in his hands.
“Garnet, is it true?” He repeated, softer this time.
She smiled leaning into his touch. “Yes. Goldie figured out how to get the scan to work. It’s official. I’m pregnant. I guess we really were gone from Earth longer than it seemed.”
He let out a low breath. It was such a simple little statement, but the implications drove every thought straight from his head.
Of course, he knew his female could be pregnant. He wasn’t even afraid of the idea of younglings. It was a new responsibility and a new set of tasks to complete. He could do it, he was sure.
But the actual reality of it, the weight of the truth, was stunning.
He leaned down, resting his forehead on hers. Taking a moment to just accept it. His mate was carrying his young. It felt so… final.
Not like it made his mating seem more real. Nothing felt more real or final than that. But the fact that he was out, that he had a female, that they were having a youngling, made his freedom, his escape, his life outside of that terrible place finally feel real.
Tanin wasn’t working towards a future. He waslivingit. Right here and now.
His eyes opened again, and he smiled at his female.
“How are you feeling?” He asked.
“Nervous,” she admitted, smiling. “Excited. Goldie and I were looking up pregnancy symptoms for s’skree ladies. I’m going to want a nest.”
“You are.” He had also looked that up when it became a possibility. “But you’re not going to feel nesting instincts until the end of your pregnancy.”
“Oh, really?” She looked disappointed.
He stroked his hand back through her hair. “But if it makes you happy, you can start building your nest now.”
She beamed again. “Itdoesmake me happy!”
“We can buy you some proper nesting supplies at Hir-Fallow. They’ll have plenty at the shops there. And we’ll have all the time we need to look around while they’re upgrading the ship.”
She laughed, throwing her arms around his chest. He returned her embrace, kissing the top of her head as he ran his fingers up and down her back.
He had questions, and there was some concern. Humans could successfully carry and deliver hybrid younglings, but he didn't know if any humans had tried with a s’skree. There weren’t so many humans out there that every species could have had a chance of reproducing with them yet, and he didn't know if his species was one of them.
