Alienus

Chapter Thirty Six

My feet were folded to my chest, my arms wrapped around my knees, as I whispered everything I knew to Ren.

"I think he broke his hand, Ren."

Ren was practically leaning into me, trying to hear what I was saying. I'm surprised he even understood anything with the speed and volume I was speaking at.

"Wait, how do you know he did this?" He asked, his expression confused.

"I just know." I whispered.

Ren rubbed a hand down his face.

"I don't know what you want me to say, but I will say this," Ren started and I looked up to meet his eyes.

"In all the couples I've seen, I've never known the C'Riel to be...jealous." He said.

I snorted. "Rey seemed pretty damn jealous," I stated, having observed her behaviour at the bonfire.

"Threatened," he corrected, "Besides, I'm talking about the couples in which the C'Riel man has pursued a human."

I sighed and stretched my feet out in front of me and leaned back against the wall I had been sitting in front of.  Ren gave me a sad smile and came to sit beside me, mirroring my position.

"I don't know why you're seeing this as a good thing," I muttered.

"Because it means he might actually care." Ren said, before letting out a breath and continuing, "And maybe that all these thoughts in my head are not real. I don't really know. Can you describe your relationship to me?"

I let out a small bitter laugh.

"Relationship." I scoffed at the word.

"Amour," Ren said in a softly chiding tone.

I huffed out a breath, moving closer and leaning my head against his shoulder.

I explained, in short sentences and a nonchalant voice of most of the things that had happened between us. I told him of their laws about touching and about how he took me to see Miesha, stood up against Anya, tried to get me out of trouble, stalked me, saved me, took me to the infant care and gave me unrestricted access to it, took me to his room and gave me unrestricted access again, smiled at me, laughed with me, sometimes even took care of me and..became my friend.

Ren took a deep breath in almost as if in shock and I looked up at him.

"What?" I asked.

He turned around, catching hold of my arms.

"Do you know about the C'Riel's biologically programmed capabilities of finding mates?" He asked.

I stared at my best friend for a good long time. I don't think I've ever thought anything he said didn't make sense until this very moment.

"What?" I asked, incredulously.

"Amour, I think he's-"

A loud beep shocked the both of us, having us jump a foot in the air.

He looked behind him at his door and got up to walk to it to allow the person to enter.

I couldn't see who it was from my position, but it was a male C'Riel. I got up, hugging myself, as I caught a glimpse of the blonde C'Riel who was speaking in low terse statements with Ren. So low, it skated below my hearing.