Page 239 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“When neither of you were doing anything to prevent a pregnancy, a part of me thought maybe youwantedthat,” she said. “And seeing you with the babe?”
“Tessa, children are a discussion the three of us will have when we’re ready. We would never try to trick you into that,” Luka said, sounding at a loss. “Surely you know that?”
“And what if I’m never ready?”
They all fell silent, staring at one another.
“This isn’t something that needs to be discussed or decided right now,” Theon finally said. “We’re all immortal and have scarcely lived.”
The microwave beeped, and Tessa turned away to retrieve her snack. Grabbing the bowl and a bottle of water from the fridge, she headed for the bedroom once more, not saying another word.
Theon and Luka stared after her, and Luka was rubbing at his jaw when he asked, “Did you ever discuss children with her, Theon?”
“No,” he answered, because it hadn’t even crossed his mind. Sure, his father had pushed for it with Felicity, but even then, it had been more of an abstract idea. The idea of a family was so far down the line, he’d never given it much thought. Something he knew would eventually be required of him. There was too much other shit going on right now.
“You?” he asked Luka.
Luka shook his head. “But I think our wife has thought about it quite a bit.”
42
LUKA
“Again,” Eliza ordered, stepping back so Tessa could get to her feet.
“When are you going home again?” Tessa grumbled, pushing off the ground from where Eliza had knocked her on her ass. Again.
“Stop whining and focus on your footwork. You’re putting too much weight on your front foot. Your magic can’t do everything,” the female retorted, getting into a defensive stance. “Go again.”
Luka had been sparring with Razik on the other side of the training room, but they’d stopped long ago to observe the females. He still couldn’t get over not only how well trained Eliza was, but also her training style.
“How long has she been the Fire General?” Luka asked.
“Longer than you’ve been breathing,” Razik replied.
Luka sent him a frank look. “Obviously. She’s centuries old. I’m a few decades.”
“She was the general long before I met her.”
“And the two of you have been together for…?”
Razik’s eyes flicked to him before going back to the females. “Why does that matter?”
He shrugged. “Just wondering. Tessa has been acting strange since we went to see Axel’s son.”
“And that has what to do with me and Eliza?”
This broody asshole.
“Nothing,” Luka muttered, turning to grab his shirt and water bottle. “It was just conversation, Razik.”
He left the training room through the back door that led into the gardens. More than a little restless, he needed to get out. Stretch his wings. They’d been back to see Axel, Kat, and Maddox every day since that first time last week. Or he and Theon had. Tessa had only been back once, and once again, she’d hung back. Chatting with Axel and Kat but avoiding the babe.
Tossing his things to a bench, he summoned his wings. But just before he launched into the sky, the doors opened again and Razik came out.
“Need something?” Luka asked in annoyance.
“No,” Razik said gruffly.
