I didn’t expect him to protest. The differences between us were obvious and immense.
“We need to make some changes,” he said after a while. “Plan for next week.”
“I was hoping we could follow through on our original plan.”
“Which is?”
“Let’s forget about it all until Monday.”
He frowned deeper. “The threats against your life are not theoretical anymore, Lothair. The person who attacked you today could do it again.”
“With all the extra guards your boss sent, we’re safe here. We’ll deal with it on Monday.”
“That’s tomorrow.”
“We’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
He hesitated, studying me like he wanted to look inside my head. He was going to be stubborn about this, wasn’t he?
“Terry, please,” I pleaded, “let’s forget for twenty-four more hours.”
“Why?”
“You said it yourself that you need to process.”
His eyebrows flew up. “And you don’t? Didn’t you call the mating, and I quote, fucking shifter bullshit just this morning?”
“I guess.” I laid my head on his chest, and he huggedmy shoulders. It was easier to say certain things when he wasn’t looking into my eyes. “But that was when I thought you were going to reject me.”
“One can’t reject one’s mate.”
“Not if it’s an omega, a proper dragon mate. But what about two alphas?”
“We arepropermates. I’m not going to push you away, Lothair.” A sliver of annoyance made it into his statement. Maybe he couldn’t reject me. But he might resent me. The possibility made my heart ache.
“I don’t feel like I’m losing anything,” I said. “I wasn’t looking for an omega mate to start a family with. But you…”
“I wasn’t looking either. I thought I had plenty of time for that.”
“But?”
“I assumed that would be my future.”
His dusky rose-colored nipple sat right in front of my eyes. I stroked his pec and circled his nipple with a finger.
“Are you disappointed?” Why did I ask that? I didn’t want to hear his answer.
“No.” His voice was firm, and some of the tension in my belly loosened. “Just overwhelmed, I guess.”
“Right. Processing.”
“But…families have many forms,” he said quietly.
Shit. I should not get into this discussion with him. I didn’t have the slightest clue what to say. I didn’t want kids. Not now, anyway.A family.
Then his stomach growled loudly, and I laughed, grateful for the distraction. “I need to feed you.”
“We didn’t have breakfast.”
