Page 248 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

“Yes, Liebling?”

“You were so cool back there, facing Thomas down. I honestly thought you’d break bones, you were slamming yourself so hard into the ward. How many bones were you planning to break, trying to get to me?”

Gunter thought about that for a second. “Two hundred and thirty-six bones in a dragon’s body.”

Nikki made a choked sound, part laugh, part something else entirely. “You crazy person. I love you for it. You seriously love me like no one else ever has.”

“You make it easy.” Gunter tilted their face up for another kiss.

Nikki grinned back up at him, eyes alight with joy. “You’re taking the words right out of my mouth. But Gunter, something you said to Thomas bugs me.”

“Yes, and what’s that?”

“Uh…I never really got your age? Like, were you serious when you said you were alive during the Dragon War?”

“I was, yes. I was young, but old enough to participate in the war.”

Nikki’s eyes crossed. “I feel like someone just took a chair to my back. Seriously?! But you have no issue with the fact that I’m so much younger?”

“I waited a long, long time for you, little one. You were worth every second of the wait. And the only complaint I have about you is that you like exploding things too much for my comfort.”

Nikki laughed, the joy in the sound infectious. “But it’s so much fun! Come to the dark side, Gunter. You get to see all sorts of pretty explosions.”

“How about we find you another hobby?”

“Oooh, you can give me a baby, how’s that? That’ll keep me occupied for at least a few decades.”

Gunter’s eyes widened at the mental image. Him and Nikki. With a baby. Oh god, what if they inherited Nikki’s gorgeous purple eyes? Or the sass Gunter enjoyed so much?

The prospect of children had faded very early on for Gunter. His clan had been so focused on survival, finding mages had taken all precedence. But with his mate in his arms, looking at him with such eagerness, that long-lost hope came rushing back in full force.

A baby.

A child of his own.

Gunter could only answer one way. “We’ll have to wait. Alric and Cameron take precedence, but…after them.”

“I’ll arm wrestle Ravi for the next shot at the incubators.” Nikki bounced in place a little before smacking a kiss on Gunter’s mouth. “We can start in on the nursery in the meantime. Lots of kids, okay? I’m talking a dozen.”

“A dozen—?!” Gunter spluttered. “No! Nikki, I love you, but no. How about two?”

“Two? Two?! Hell no, we’ve got a clan to rebuild, but I can compromise. I can come down to ten.”

Gunter passed a hand over his face. Ten. Ten little Nikkis running around.

No, pretty sure the world would not survive.

“We’ve got time to discuss this,” Gunter finally said. “It’ll be a good year yet before we can use the incubators again.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

And maybe by that point, Gunter could talk his mate down to a reasonable number. Like three.

Anything over six was a very firm no. He was absolutely not budging on that.

Gunter was up to something.

Nikki wasn’t sure exactly what their dragon was up to, but they could feel the excited, nervous energy bubbling in him ever since they’d finished dinner and were strolling back to their rooms.