Page 27 of Beast

I touched the tip of my claw to her nose.“You love me.”It wasn’t a question.

“I do.”Her eyes softened as she turned her head to look into mine.“Do you ever think about children?”

“Children?”I echoed, unsure where this was going.

“Our children.”

My heart skipped a beat, then raced ahead.“Is there something I should know?”

She shook her head, just barely.“I never thought about having children, but now the thought pops into my mind sometimes.Then I feel guilty for even wanting to bring a child into this screwed-up world.”She sighed in frustration.“So, do you ever think about babies?Our babies?”

This was a delicate topic; one we probably shouldn’t be having in the middle of a mission.Still, I couldn’t brush it off.“I agree with you about not wanting them to suffer in the current world.”I reached over carefully, sliding my hand beneath her jaw.With the tip of my claw, I traced her lower lip, catching a flash of her sharp teeth in the dim light.“But yes, I think about our future children all the time.”

“Is it because they’d be fullblood?”she asked thoughtfully.

She’d been reading more of our history.I nodded slightly.“I won’t lie.Bringing a full blood into the world would be incredible.But that’s not why I think about our children.I want a Marinah rug rat running around, getting into more trouble than Che and Ruth combined.I want temper tantrums and squishy hugs.”

Her massive jaw parted in a grin.“Squishy hugs?”

“You heard me.I’m going soft.”

Her expression gentled with understanding.“I feel it too.I want a part of you here when we’re gone.It’s almost a craving.”

I slid closer to her, our bodies nearly touching.“I’ll make you a deal.”

“I’m all ears,” she whispered.

“We’ll have a little boy and a little girl.That way, we’re both happy.”

Her eyes shimmered with emotion.“I love you, and you’re going to make me cry.But if I try to wipe the tears away, I’ll probably take out an eye.”

I pulled her closer until our bodies pressed together.“Shadow Warriors don’t cry.”

“Then don’t talk about squishy hugs.”She inhaled deeply, drawing in my scent as I did hers.“When we return to the island,” she murmured, “I want alone time with you.Let someone else handle the end of the world.”

“You’ve got a deal.”

Chapter Fourteen

Marinah

He’d thought about our children.Knowing that made the idea feel more real.But not now, not here, not on U.S.soil.I wanted any child we brought into this world to be born on our island, after the danger from the hellhounds and the Federation had passed, after we were living in peace.It might have been a dream, but it was a dream that would keep me going when things got rough.

What didn’t sit as easily with me was the burning need for my mate.It went far beyond anything physical.It was about closeness, sharing food, thoughts, space, and simply being one.I’d never understood the bond between two people in love before.Maybe our Warrior side amplified it and pushed it into something even deeper.Why didn’t matter.I needed King like I needed air.

Patience wasn’t a strength of mine, and I didn’t do well with downtime.King understood that better than anyone.That’s why we had the quick sparring match.It had been for me, to burn off my restless energy.When we finally returned to the island, I planned to kidnap him for a month.The other Warriors could handle saving mankind and dealing with the extra bullshit.We needed time, just the two of us, away from everything.

The remaining hours passed in preparation.After a quick lunch, we left the building we’d been holed up in and scouted nearby high-rises around the Federation’s camp.Some were too unstable to reach, but we found several that would work.

“Your strategizing is improving,” King said after we climbed to the top of one promising building.

I gave him a questioning look.“How so?”

“You’re thinking like a Warrior,” he replied.“When you first arrived on the island, even after we discovered your secret, strategy was foreign to you.But now you’ve embraced the part of you that sees the bigger picture.”

“Did you wait for me to voice my opinion earlier?”I asked curiously.

He nodded.“I always do.”

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