Rhage was impressed with the female.

She was terrified of him, yet she approached him. Her dark blue orbs were full of a determination to force her fear to the side. Seeing such strength from the female was surprising. Normally humans were terrified of Yautja and ran at the mere sight of one.

There was nowhere for the female to go. Instead of trying to escape she decided to face him. Those eyes of hers were full of intelligence. She knew he was the father of their child — he could see it in her eyes, the way she looked at him with curiosity despite her fear.

He was no small male and knew it. His sire had been large as well, rivaling some of the females who were normally bigger on average among his kind.

"H-hello. I'm Artemis." Her arms wrapped around her middle protectively, a tiny smile on her lips.

Rhage clicked his tusks together curiously as he thought over her name and its origin. He wondered why she had been given such a name. This human was no huntress. Human naming practices were fascinating.

"Rhage." He replied, softening his voice so it was less of a deep throaty growl.

"It seems we're both stuck in here, huh?" She added a short chuckle, her fingers twisting together. The Hunter took it as a human tell for her nervousness.

Her body was screaming to run. He could smell it. The female fought against her instincts however, choosing to be courageous.

"So it would seem."

His eyes cast to her round middle, her maternal swell pushing against the fabric just enough to show the bump. She followed his gaze only to quickly look up again; her small hands caressing the swell gently. As she did so a look came upon her face. A smile stretched her face.

Those emotions swirled within his breast as he observed the joy on her face. He recognized love in her ocean-like eyes. Love for their child. He was witnessing the bond that humans formed with their unborn children, a sight he had personally never taken the time to observe. Seeing her have such emotions for their own pup cooled the rage that burned within from how she had been dishonored so greatly.

"Would y-you like to feel it?" She whispered, stepping closer.

• • •

So far he had not attacked her, just as she had hoped. This was her giving him a rope to build trust. He was her "baby daddy" after all. He had every right to feel his unborn child kick.

The massive Yautja shifted his body in the shadows, his large shadowed form leaning closer like he was resting his arms on his knees. His eyes met hers, the glowing orbs studying her.

She hoped he wanted to. Artemis wanted to see if Rhage felt any sort of fatherly bond.

"Yes."

Artemis gave him a shy smile and cautiously stepped forward into the shadow where he hid himself. A part of her longed to see what he looked like, that curious part of her wanting to know, but she had a feeling he was doing so on purpose. What did his face look like? Was he human looking? The scientists nor Dr. More had been forthcoming about what his species looked like. They only ever spoke about how vicious and efficient his kind were when it came to killing people.

A large hand grasped her shoulder gently, stopping her in her blind approach. She swore she felt claws on the tips of his fingers. His hand was warm and very large; the size of it enough to fully cover her delicate shoulder. Briefly she felt the texture of what felt like a thick thumb graze across her exposed collar bone, his touch leaving goosebumps in its wake.

She hadn't anticipated skin on skin contact.

His skin felt like a snake's but a little rougher and very warm, his hand being a heater itself. The touch was calming despite her fear. A soft purring sound came from him as if he was a cat. She could feel her fried nerves relaxing to the sound.

Rhage was truly otherworldly. An alien. A mystery waiting to be discovered and explored.

"You have asked me and I said yes, but I am further asking your permission to touch you. Is that acceptable?" His voice rumbled from his chest, the deep rough growl a bit hard to understand. Soft puffs of air blew across the very top of her head telling her his head was above her own; this making her realize just how tall he probably was standing up.

Artemis liked the sound of his voice.

For such a terrifying aura he had, his voice was the opposite, despite how impossibly deep it was. The very sound rumbled in her own chest when he spoke.

"O-of course." At that moment she felt the tiny kicks within once again. "The little one is kicking again."

Quicker than she thought possible, he moved his huge hand from her shoulder and had her shirt pushed up so he could rest it against her swell. His hand spanned the entire rounded surface where five long, thick digits — that definitely were tipped with claws — rested, his warm amphibious-feeling skin warming her. Moving his palm away from her skin, he caressed the surface in gentle circles as she had done. Soft moans threatened to escape her mouth from his gentle rubbing of her sore skin but she held them back.

Making this weird was definitely not on her to-do list. She barely knew Rhage but already she felt something stir within her, something emotional rather than the growing fetus inside of course.

The baby kicked more as he followed its movements. Somehow the baby seemed to be much more active with his presence. That tiny traitor was likely going to be a daddy's kid; she had no doubt about it.

Artemis giggled softly as the baby and Rhage seemed to play a little game. Where his fingers trailed, the kicks followed. It was the strangest thing she'd ever seen, but she loved every minute of it. This little moment filled her with a happiness she hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Our pup is strong."

She nodded, forgetting it was too dark to see the movement, "Yeah. This little one has kept me up the past few nights." One of her own hands caressed the swell. "He or she is growing fast."

A small gasp escaped her lips when their hands touched. His eyes met hers instantly, those lime-green orbs burning brighter than before. Swallowing the lump in her throat from her sudden nervousness she pulled her hand away quickly.

She didn't know the ins and outs of his culture, not wanting to accidentally offend him or give the wrong signal. "I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize. You have done nothing wrong, Artemis."

The way he pronounced her name was slightly garbled and wonky but...she liked it on his tongue. His English was a little rough but it was growing on her. "I don't want to possibly offend you or misconstrue something. I-I...umm...thought you deserve the right to feel the baby."

He turned his burning gaze to the side as that same clicking sound returned, this time it being rapid and trilling. The sounds he made were so weird but she didn't mind. It was fascinating.

"You honor me instead of offending."

"How so?"

"You fear me. I smell your fear filling the room, yet here you stand so close and willingly trust me to touch you without harming you." More clicking filled the air, the sound softer and slower this time. His hand remained on her belly, his thumb now lazily drawing loose circles on her skin.

"I am afraid, but I want to trust you. I must. I've been locked in here." A low growl that filled the room rumbled from within his chest before her, "But, I'm also curious to meet you for the first time. I've heard so much about you from those assholes outside."

"That I am a murderous monster, yes?" She could hear the frustration in his voice. He practically growled his response, removing his hand from her body in the process.

"Yeah. They've called you all sorts of bad things." Artemis confirmed, "I'm glad I see now that that was bullshit."

"They will die painfully for what they have done to you. They have taken your honor. Bred you like cattle."

"They did, but I got this amazing little life inside of me. That's good for something, right?" Being careful she felt her way in the shadow to the edge of the bed that Rhage sat on and sat down next to him. She could feel the big dip in the bed from his weight upon it.

Being so close to him now, she could feel the intense heat that radiated from his body. The guy was like a walking heater. She found the warmth making her sleepy. It was just enough to make her yawn.

"Yes." The bed groaned with the movement of his body next to her as he shifted.

"It sucks we've been brought together in such...a shitty, twisted way, but I'm glad I met you. I've never met an alien before. You're quite scary but it's nice to have someone to talk to again." Artemis scooted back further onto the bed trying to get comfy. Her lower back had started to hurt so she worked to find a new position.

Rhage was quiet for the longest time. His gaze had settled on her when she finally got comfy by lying on her side. The Yautja silently watched as she lied there fighting sleep. She hated to take up his bed but damn was she tired sitting next to his heater of a big body.

"Sorry for commandeering your bed. No one told me growing a person would make me so tired all the time."

"You are with pup. Your comfort comes before mine." Somehow he slid a pillow beneath her head with that gentleness that defied his size. She released a small sigh of contentment.

"I'll still apologize, seeing that we just met and all." Another yawn escaped her mouth but softer this time, "Are you a lizard person?"

"Lizard person?"

"Yeah. I mean no offense. I'm just curious. You're like a living space heater and have scales." She pointed out. A rumbly chuckle was her response, the sound echoing in her very soul.

"No. I am Yautja."

Artemis tested the way he pronounced it on her tongue silently. It was different than how the scientists had said it. They had said it like "Yowcha" compared to his "Yawt-yuh".

"Yautja?" She hoped it was correct.

"Yes."

"Ah. At least I know the correct pronunciation now."

"You are tired."

"I'm always tired, Rhage. Comes with being pregnant apparently." She chuckled sleepily.

"I will never harm you. You may sleep peacefully."

"I'll hold you to that, big guy. If I wake up dead I'm haunting you for the rest of your life and I'll be your personal poltergeist, mister." Her words were messed up with more yawning as she tried to lighten the mood some more.

Rhage chuckled in his deep growly alien way, the sound so unique and true to his stoic character. She hoped they would let her stay with him a while longer. A woman could get used to company like his.

"Sleep well, mate."

Her mind barely registered his words as she fell asleep at last saying her own words, "Goodnight, Rhage."