Page 193 of A Soul to Keep

They’d never spoken about this, and Reia had freely let him release inside her because she hadn’t thought it would matter. She didn’t know if having a child with Orpheus was something she wanted, but being able to have the choice was a relief. Her future was uncertain. All she knew was that it would always have him in it.

She laughed as she reached up to cup his snout and drag his head closer so she could rest her own against it.

“You made me like you, and it means we’re compatible now.”

He lowered to a crouch to bring himself to her eye level.

“So, this means we can make a child?”

“Yes.” She gave him a little smile as she said, “But I still don’t want to now.”

Orpheus shrunk away from her, his eyes turning a deep blue. “You don’t want to do this with me?”

Her forehead crinkled when she realised he appeared hurt by what she said.

“I meant not yet. I’m not ready for something like that.”

That seemed to ease him, and his eyes returned to yellow. He crept forward, tapping his snout with a claw in thought before he did it to the lower part of her stomach.

“But I would like to do this. I didn’t know I could place my seed in your womb for you to grow, but I would like you to bear my youngling.” He continued to tap her stomach, as if that would magically make it happen. “I will protect it.”

“I’m sure you would,” she replied, backing up only for Orpheus to follow. “But not now.”

“Why not now, Reia?”

Okay, so maybe she shouldn’t have told him since he now was very set on the idea. She hadn’t expected him to be so wanting of a child.

What would it even look like?

The Witch Owl had said she should be careful if she didn’t want to birth darkness, so would it be like Orpheus? A Duskwalker? She couldn’t even begin to imagine what he would have looked like as a child that wouldn’t have had a skull. She knew all the fur, fins, and flesh on him came from what he ate.

She was worried what strange thing she’d give birth to.

“Because I would like to be alone with you.” He lifted his face to her and gave an inquisitive tilt of his head. “A child would take my attention away from you.”

“Could I also be involved in the child’s attention?”

Shit.She thought that would work to deter him.

She narrowed her eyes to give him a stern expression.

“Orpheus, I’m saying no.”

“No?”

He started tapping at his snout once more, and it was only something she’d seen him do when he was very deep in thought.

“And I would like you to figure out the spell the Witch Owl told me you can do to stop it from happening.”

“But I don’t know how to do that.”

She pursed her lips.

I have to give him a reason to want to learn the spell.

Folding her arms across her chest, she lifted her chin while turning her head to the side.

“Well, I won’t be having sex with you until you figure it out.”

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