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She may be in danger from him. He may accidentally hurt her with his claws. He may even accidentally steal her soul in a trance.

What he did know was that he would not take this female unwillingly.

He would also try his hardest not to eat her, so that one day he could eat her soul when she was ready to give it to him.

Nathair had decided she was nowhis,and just hoped she longed to stay so. His home would be a cage for her, one in which he’d leave the door open.

She would need to make the choice, and he would try everything in his might to make her choose him.

With her face stained with tears, swollen and kind of dishevelled from crying, he watched her. She looked tiny in his nest, which was so large he had plenty of room to laze around in it. She sat on top of his bed of treasures, and he knew she was the most precious piece.

She looks like a baby bird.Startled, unsure of the world, and not ready to fly.

His heart radiated with pity and sadness for her, and her puzzled expression only deepened it.

She eyed him skittishly. “Y-you’re not getting in?”

He shook his head.

He expected her to look relieved. Instead, once more, her eyes bubbled with liquid.

“You figured it out.” As soon as he nodded, she threw her face into her hands and sobbed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t! It’s not fair.”

Nathair hesitated before just reaching out to cup under her chin. She gasped, tried to tear away from him, and he refused to let her.

He made her watch as he opened and closed his maw, then let her chin go to point at her.

“You want me to talk about it?”

He nodded, and she shook her head.

“I don’t want to,” she whispered, hugging her midsection. “I’m scared that if I talk about it, it makes what happened more real, and I don’t want it to be. I don’t want to hear myself say it. I want to pretend it didn’t happen.”

Then we will pretend it did not happen.

If she wanted to speak of it, he would listen. If she never wanted to, then he wouldn’t push her. Her path to healing was her own – he would just be conscious of it.

Her crying quickly settled, and he hoped it was because she was at ease in his bed, in his presence. That what he was doing, and trying to say without words, held meaning.

“Nathair,” she started, before lowering her gaze.

Yes, little female?He tilted his head to convey his question.

“C-could you hold me like before?” She swiped the heel of her palm over her cheek to get rid of the liquid on it. “It was really comforting.”

Permission to enter his own nest was all he needed, and he was rather gleeful she’d given it so swiftly. He pulled himself up and then dropped himself in slowly, so as to not startle her.

“But please don’t get offended if I get scared. I don’t feel like myself, and sometimes my stomach hurts.”

He didn’t need her to say this. The moment she was uncomfortable, he would release her. He would like to hold her as well, and had wanted to from the moment he understood what she’d been through.

He thought it was rather brave when she crawled towards him to quicken the pace. She even entered his arms as he started wrapping his lengthy and girthy tail around them both until she was utterly trapped. Until she was completely hidden and shielded from the world.

Linh never grew afraid, and Nathair didn’t release her until she desired it.

You are safe in my arms, little female.

Linh scouted the beach in search of more seashells, wanting to add them to the collection she started over the last four days. When she picked up a new one, she placed it in Nathair’s cupped palms.