Free Wolf's Holiday by Rebecca Royce

could be some other things we could do after the run.”
    She caught his attention, and he raised his head. “Like what?”
    “When you asked me the other day where I would go on a trip, I didn’t respond correctly and if I’m being totally truthful, I lied when I said I didn’t have anywhere I wanted to go.”
    “You did? I didn’t smell it.”
    She stroked his head again. “A girl has to have some tricks. I got good at it when your father was in charge. Listen, there are places I would like to see. Only we have a very limited amount of time to go. Or not, I guess, if you don’t want to.”
    “Explain.” He got off the floor and pulled her to him until they shifted places. He sat on the chair and she on his lap. Sometimes Drew needed to hold his girl. Just. Because. He. Did.
    “Have you been to the Pacific Northwest? Seattle? Portland? Bend? I hear it’s really beautiful. You know I don’t really like hot weather. I prefer the cool. Maybe even Alaska.”
    Drew could picture her with the mist in her hair and the way the light hit the beach in the early morning. She’d not like the cities. But he’d show them to her.
    “Now, tell me why there’s a rush.”
    “Because I want to have a pup, a baby. And I want to do it the next time I can. Three months from now, I’ll ovulate. Lately, I’ve been dreaming of babies.”She buried her head in his chest. “Unless you don’t want to or you don’t think I’m ready or you’re ready but don’t think I’d be a very good mother.”
    “Stop right there.”
    Drew had a lot to process but he couldn’t let B do what she did and misunderstand. The world shifted beneath him. She wanted a baby? The thought had never dawned on him, not once.
    “I….”
    She raised her eyes to his. “You’re not enthused.”
    “I’m shocked.” He stood, setting her back down on the chair. “I realize I get one chance to do this right and, damn it, B, I don’t want to blow it. Are you sure you want to have a baby with me?”
    Because she had to be sure. There would be no taking it back once they made the decision. And she might live to believe she’d made a huge mistake. His hands broke out in sweat.
    His mate’s face steeled to the unreadable Betty Tao look. She rose. “What?”
    “Have you ever given any thought to the blood that runs through my veins? It will someday run in any children I have. Tao blood. Leadership blood. All of that is great.” His chest felt tight. “It’s Magnum’s blood.”
    “Drew….”
    He shook his head, interrupting her. She needed to hear him. “I get this isn’t what you envisioned. I’m sorry. I have to think…I mean, we could have an evil child. It wouldn’t be your fault; it would be mine.”
    She placed her hand on his arm. “You don’t have an evil vein in your body.”
    “I do. You should see the daily fight to keep it down. I even had to make Ryker promise to kill me if I turn into Dad.”
    B dropped her arm. “I…I didn’t know you did that. How…typical.”She shook her head. “That’s neither here nor there at the moment. You think it’s possible our child could be insane, a megalomaniac, and it would be your fault?”
    “Yes.” Drew could hear the panic in his voice. He hadn’t had a good case of being so freaked out in over a decade. Even with the humans, he’d kept his cool. She wanted a baby? “I mean my grandparents couldn’t have known their son was going to be so awful. Look.” He backed away. “I need out of this house for a bit. I need to think. I am sorry, B. This sucks. I know it does.”
    “Tell me one thing.” She looked out the window. “Is this because Archie fondled me when I was a child and you don’t trust me to take care of our baby?”
    “No.” He grabbed her shoulders, whirled her around. “Listen to the words I’m saying and smell my truth. This is not about you. You’d be a great mother. But what will you do if he or she starts murdering?”
    B stepped back. “I can feel