2_-_court_of_mist_and_fury_a_-_sarah_j._maas

That fast, I was ready for him, aching for him, but—but we had to go. Queens.
Cauldron. Jurian. War. “About—pregnancy,” I said.
And might as well have thrown a bucket of ice over both of us.
“We didn’t—I’m not taking a tonic. I haven’t been, I mean.”
He set down his bread. “Do you want to start taking it again?”
If I did, if I started today, it’d negate what we’d done last night, but … “If I am a High
Lord’s mate, I’m expected to bear you offspring, aren’t I? So perhaps I shouldn’t.”
“You are not expected to bear me anything,” he snarled. “Children are rare, yes. So rare,
and so precious. But I don’t want you to have them unless you want to—unless we both
want to. And right now, with this war coming, with Hybern … I’ll admit that I’m terrified
at the thought of my mate being pregnant with so many enemies around us. I’m terrified of
what I might do if you’re pregnant and threatened. Or harmed.”
Something tight in my chest eased, even as a chill went down my back as I considered
that power, that rage I’d seen at the Night Court, unleashed upon the earth. “Then I’ll start
taking it today, once we get back.”
I rose from the table on shaky knees and headed for the bedroom. I had to bathe—I was
covered in him, my mouth tasted of him, despite breakfast. Rhys said softly from behind
me, “I would be happy beyond reason, though, if you one day did honor me with children.
To share that with you.”
I turned back to him. “I want to live first,” I said. “With you. I want to see things and
have adventures. I want to learn what it is to be immortal, to be your mate, to be part of
your family. I want to be … ready for them. And I selfishly want to have you all to myself
for a while.”
His smile was gentle, sweet. “You take all the time you need. And if I get you all to
myself for the rest of eternity, then I won’t mind that at all.”
I made it to the edge of the bath before Rhys caught me, carried me into the water, and
made love to me, slow and deep, amid the billowing steam.