I stopped walking, pulling her into my arms and holding her tightly. She hugged me hard, and I kissed her lightly on the cheek. “You told me not to say it yesterday, Sweetheart, but I don’t want to wait anymore. I love your independence, your determination, and your personality. I love the way your eyes light up when you use your magic, and I love the way you talk to me without reservation or fear. You’re so much more than I could have ever imagined, and you’ve become my whole world. I love you.”

The salt of her tears burned my nose.

I lowered my lips closer to her ear. “Also, you’re going into your fertile period. Your scales will likely fall off tonight.”

There was a moment of silence before she jerked away from me, eyes wide and panicked as she looked down at her scales. “Wait, what?!”

“They’re bothering you, and I can see that the colors have started to lighten. It’ll start tonight or tomorrow morning.”

“Holy shit. Holy shit,” she repeated, shoving a hand through her hair to drag it out of her face. Her gaze lifted back to mine, edging on worried. “What do you think?”

“What do you mean, what do I think?”

“Do you think we should try to have a baby?”

“I helped you find a birth control plant, remember? We still have its dried carcass hanging in the grotto, waiting.”

She shoved her hand through her hair again. It was done in soft waves, styled carefully for the holiday. “Right. But that was before.”

“Before what?”

“Before I realized I liked babies.”

“Everyone likes babies, Sweetheart.”

“Joa doesn’t,” she pointed out.

“Okay, almost everyone likes babies.”

Aria nodded, shoving her hand through her hair again.

I studied her.

She looked… excited. And nervous.

Mostly nervous, but there was definitely an undercurrent of excitement.

“Aria, do you actually want me to breed you tonight?” I asked.

I hadn’t considered her changing her mind so soon, and the idea made every ounce of blood in my body surge into my cock.

“I think so.” She bit her lip.

My hands were on her hips in a heartbeat, and I walked her backward until her ass met the wall. She tipped her head back and met my gaze. “This isn’t a think so situation. You need to be damn sure, because I won’t even think about doing it if you aren’t. Regret has no place in our relationship.”

“Well, I thought I would have more time to work through my thoughts,” she admitted, lowering her chin and looking at my chest. “I’ve been imagining what it would be like if we had a baby, and I want it. I do. I’m just scared, you know? It’s a lot to commit to. And if we did it, I would be your breeder or your womb, which just sounds disturbing, and⁠—”