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Rafe interrupted her dragon’s reply. “Who says you have to? There are plenty of women who have children and keep their careers.”
“Maybe humans can get away with it,” Nikki grumbled. “But the elder dragon-shifters frown on the practice. They look the other way at Melanie and Evie because they’re human and might die in childbirth. Me, on the other hand, if I had one child and kept it, they would expect me to devote myself to having ten children. They wouldn’t stop nagging until I did as expected. Adoption might be the only way for them to leave me alone.”
“Fuck that,” Rafe spit out. “For the past six months, you’ve done nothing but prove how you can take care of yourself. Sometimes even going overboard a bit. Why in this one area of life are you so ready to resign to others’ expectations?”
Her dragon interjected, He’s right. You know he is.
But he doesn’t know the whole truth.
Then tell him.
Looking into Rafe’s gaze, Nikki debated telling him. But deep down, she knew that if she told Rafe, she might start hoping for something she couldn’t have—a future with a human male.
“Do I need to pin you to the ground again to get a straight answer?” Rafe asked.
And cue Rafe ruining any tender thoughts she might have about him.
Nikki narrowed her eyes. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Since I’d rather not have your father come out here, see me, and break my neck, I’ll save my ninja skills for later. For now, just bloody tell me why you are so concerned about the old timers in the clan?”
What the hell. I owe my baby daddy this much, I suppose. “Nikola Gray is more famous for the circumstances of her birth than her actions. I’ve become a damn symbol, and I can’t seem to shake it off. Not even devoting my life to protecting the clan has changed that. Many of the older clan members believe if the first child of a sacrifice has as many children as possible, Stonefire will repopulate and become stronger than ever before.”
Rafe blinked. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I agree. But what if you doing something for the members of your team meant they would be hopeful for the future? Would you dismiss it so casually? No, of course not. Going through the frenzy means I add to the clan, then I can signal I’m not going to be a baby machine by giving up the child to a couple who wants one. After that, I can focus on finally proving I’m much more than a walking uterus by continuing to work as a Protector.”
~~~
Rafe wanted to simultaneously haul Nikki to his side and punch any dragon-shifter who dared to castigate Nikki for wanting to be more than the mother of X amount of children.
Her reluctance was starting to make a hell of a lot more sense.
“Nikki.” When she met his gaze again, he continued, “You’re a clever, strong, and stubborn woman. Why the bloody hell are you allowing others to get under your skin? You shouldn’t care what they think, symbol or not. There’s more than one way to give hope to your clan. Hell, you might even be able to change the status quo for other female dragon-shifters, allowing them the choice to work or not while also being a mother.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You didn’t grow up in a small, self-contained community for the majority of your life. Causing strife with a few prominent individuals on Stonefire can make my life hell.”
“I still say fuck them and live your life how you want.” Rafe moved to sit directly in front of Nikki, with only inches separating their legs from each other. “Right here, right now, tell me what you would want if no one else in the world had a say.”
She looked at him askance. “Hard to do considering you’re breathing down my neck.”
“Don’t deflect with sarcasm,” he growled out. “What does Nikki Gray want for her future?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “Beyond proving myself as Protector, I’ve never actually given it any thought.”
“Well, then think about it now,” he ordered.
Fire flashed in Nikki’s eyes. “For one, I don’t want you ordering me about all the time.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Not even a little?”
“Rafe.”
Putting his hands up, he full on smiled. “Okay, okay. We can discuss your total obedience to all things Rafe-related later.” She glared daggers and he chuckled. “Is it wrong that I like it when you’re angry with flushed cheeks and piercing eyes?”
Sighing, Nikki tucked a section of hair behind her ear. “I’m going to ignore that last bit and just say that I want to be head Protector some day. But I also want to take care of my dad and Delphine. They’re overprotective and difficult at times, but they’re my family.”
“So, family is important to you?” Rafe asked.
