"Catherine?"

I looked up from my book, taking a moment to let my eyes adjust. In the door to my room was Jacquelin, my niece for all intensive purposes. She was a teeny thing, I couldn't help but think. She was thirteen and only stood at 4'9". "Yeah, hon? What's up?"

She shuffled a bit. "Um, Henry heard a word at school . . . that one of the dads called you." I blinked, then readjusted my glasses. "I don't know if it's a curse word or not, and I didn't want to ask Mom just in case." I nodded, motioning for her to go on. Then it hit me. I was the cool aunt.

YESSS!

I mentally checked the item off of my bucket list. "Alright. I promise I won't tell anyone if it is a curse word." She moved closer, perching on the edge of my bed. "Just don't say it to anyone else in case it is."

"Henry said Sam and his dad were calling you a milf." I cocked my head to one side. I'd never heard the word before. "Well, exactly, he said," and she cleared her throat. "That Catherine sure is a milf. Only an aunt instead of a mother." It still freaked me out how she could imitate voices perfectly like that. Her abilities hadn't came in until a few months ago, and I was still adjusting.

Then I heard footsteps up the stairs, and watched as Victor walked into the room. It fascinated me how he could move so lithely for a man going on seven feet tall, and with biceps as thick as my head.

"I'll get back to you, Jackie. I'll look it up later." She nodded, then smiled at Victor on her way out. "Huh. Any idea what -"

"I heard. Don't let her repeat that." I moved over and patted the mattress, motioning for him to sit down. The thing considerably sank down when he sat.

"Why? What's it mean?"

He licked his lips, then glanced at me. "Milf . . . means mother I'd like to fuck." I pressed a hand over my mouth, and my eyes widened considerably. Victor popped his knuckles, then began kneading at the blankets on my bed. "I think I need to have a talk with Sam's father."

"No!" He looked at me. "I mean, he wasn't talking about me. We don't have any kids, in case you haven't noticed." I scowled when I caught the dark look on his face. Well, darker look.

"If not then he was talking about Marie." Sonuvabitch. I hated it when he had valid points. "Which happens to be Jimmy's mate." His voice had a considerable amount of rage in it, and I could smell the intent to kill. "But Jacquelin said that they were talking about you. Sam's dad even thought to mention, 'Only, an aunt, instead of a mother'."

I placed my hands on his knuckles, which were digging into my mattress. "Hey," I whispered. I needed to distract him before he decapitated someone. It took him a moment, but eventually the anger did subside.

"About us not having kids . . ." I said, playing with a piece of my hair. "What was with the dirty look?"

He gave me his best innocent face. "No dirty look."

"Like hell. Do you want . . . that?" I asked, already feeling awkward. This expressing feelings shit was not for me. "I admit, I have thought of it. Just . . ." Victor ran his hand up and down my back, and it felt really good. I leaned toward him.

"I know. Me too." He suddenly grinned mischievously. "Now, I sure wouldn't mind the trying part . . . " My skin tingled where he touched it, and he was getting a bit more handsy.

"Victor!" I snapped, both at me and him. "I'm trying to have a serious, adult conversation! Do you want to have cubs, yes or no?" I realized I'd slipped out cubs instead of kids. When I did, his whole demeanor changed.

"Catherine, I want cubs. With you. That's what I want more than anything. But how's that gonna . . . work?" I cocked my head. "You know, a murderer for a father . . . "

I smacked his arm as hard as I could.

"VICTOR CREED!" I shouted, standing up in an instant. "You know, tiger fathers usually have absolutely no part in raising the cubs. But occasionally, there's one exception. The remarkable couple rising above the rest and working together to raise our cubs." My claws had shot out, but I was pissed and didn't care. "I don't care what the hell you've done! I chose you, with good reason." To prove my point, I reached up and rubbed the side of my neck. I'd have a hickey if my healing factor wasn't . . . well, a factor. So would he.

He stood, and put his hands on my arms to restrain me. "Hey, hey." I glared up at him. Him and his damn sexy gray eyes. Fuck. "I want cubs. I want us to be together." I scowled and brushed his hands off, retracting my claws. "As long as you're fine with me being the father of your young. I'm just . . . I don't know if I'm cut out to be a father.

Which actually meant he was afraid.

"I'm afraid too, but that's the reason I made Marie go through this shit first." He chuckled. "So. Whaddya say we get started on our family?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

And with that, my mate kicked the door shut and twisted the lock.