“Sorry for interrupting, I heard all the shouting from the front door. I wasn’t sure if I should knock or investigate,” she says with a smile and sits down next to him.
“Probably best to run in the other direction,” he says, returning her smile.
“That bad, huh?”
“Worse. It’s tough when Liv isn’t here to act as a buffer.” He rubs the back of his neck.
“She’s not here?” she frowns. “I thought she was supposed to be back from her business on Thursday?”
“She got held up,” he says evasively, not wanting to give details away. You never know exactly who you can trust with the Queen’s business.
“Oh. What about the thing?”
“I’m looking into it. I have a few leads. Just let me get rid of this migraine and I’ll get back on it.”
“You have a migraine?” she asks, surprised, as Shifters don’t get sick. Well, Paranormal creatures in general don’t get sick.
Lincoln nods back to the house where the arguing is still going on.
“Oh,” she says. “Here, let me.” She kneels behind him and kneads the back of his neck and massages his shoulders and it feels better almost straight away. “Wow, you are tense,” she says as she digs her thumbs in and he lets out a small groan of pleasure. She continues her ministrations for a few minutes and then she breaks the silence. “Um, I have been thinking about something. I wonder if you might hear me out?”
“What is it?” he asks. He keeps his eyes closed as she works her hands down his back.
“Just let me finish before you jump in, okay?” she says.
“Okaaaay,” he draws it out, now getting a bit concerned.
“I know that Liv is your Alpha mate. You have been through the Pairing and you have your bond and your Pack in place, but…” she hesitates, and he has a sinking feeling he knows where this is going. “Have you thought about, or talked with her about what you are going to do when you want to have kids?”
“I don’t want kids,” he tells her, and she pauses.
“You don’t?” He can sense her frown. “Is that because Liv can’t give them to you?”
“No, I just don’t want them,” he says and frowns himself now, as this is none of her business.
“Oh, because I have come up with a solution,” she says cautiously.
“There is no problem,” Lincoln says to her now, turning around to glare at her.
She takes her hands off him. “Sorry, I know that came out wrong. I had this whole speech rehearsed and I wasn’t expecting you to say that you didn’t want to have children.” She chews her lip. “Can I still say what I came here to say?” she asks after a minute.
“If you must,” he says with a sigh.
“I think we should integrate our Packs,” she says. “You and Liv can be the Alphas, but when the time comes that you want to breed, you use me. I will be like your Substitute Alpha.”
His eyes widen at her words. Liv would throw a shit fit if she heard this. The word “Substitute” has strong implications and causes a very bad and violent reaction. “If you ever use that word again it will be your last,” he says to her with meaning, and she blanches.
“Okay, call it whatever you want, but don’t you see that it is a good idea? You can still be with your chosen one, but she is unable to bear children. I am capable.”
“So is she,” he says to her astonishment.
“But she is a Vampire by nature,” Erica says, confused.
“No, she is a Dragon by nature,” Lincoln points out.
“But…”
“But, nothing. Should I change my mind, I will discuss it with my Alpha, and she will be the one bearing my children. As it stands, I am not in a place where I want that.”