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with me that I let my impulses get the best of me. It will not happen again.”
    She smiled tightly. “Make sure that it doesn’t. I am not a toy to be played with, in either form.”
    He nodded and scowled. “This is difficult for me. I have only ever left things casual with females.”
    Berry nodded. “I know. Taking a mate is a serious business. Being interested in me as a mate is doubly hard because I have a lot of emotional baggage.”
    He nodded. “And yet, you have skills, strength and character that will take getting used to but will be amazing in the next generation.”
    She paused. “You are really hung up on the kids.”
    “I am. It is the main enticement to mate.” Ashko shrugged. “We are going extinct, after all.”
    She blinked. “Right. I forget that.”
    “I was told that you are from a smaller family with two children.”
    “Yeah. My mom had complications with me, and she wasn’t able to have anymore. She lost ranking in the herd.” Berry grimaced.
    “Where do you rank?”
    “I am currently shunned.”
    He quirked his lips. “What did you do?”
    “I refused to join the beach master’s harem for breeding purposes.” She lifted her jaw. “My mate will be my own.”
    Ashko looked irritated. “He wanted to mate with you?”
    “No. Breed with me. There is a difference, as I am sure you are aware.”
    He reached and took her hand. “You knew that saying no would cost you your society?”
    “Of course. I have seen seals who have fallen in love with humans granted the right to mate with them, provided they leave the community. Only two followed love. The rest returned and accepted their lowered position in the group because of their request. It bites.”
    “Interesting. When fey mate with humans, they are asked to leave court, but that is so that the human can keep track of time. Surrounded by us, they wither and die in what feels like the blink of an eye. Most of their children are offered training if they show any ability with magic.”
    “Those that don’t?”
    “Live normal human lives with their fey parent remaining unchanged over the course of years.”
    “So, what about the shifter-fey children?”
    He lifted her hand to his lips. “They are welcomed to go wherever they want. They are our hope to make a new generation that can keep us from fading into history.”
    She enjoyed the increased tingle in their contact. “I am guessing that it would either be a fluffy pony or a walrus-sized seal.”
    “I am very willing to find out.” He smiled, and there was nothing but heat in his eyes.
     

Chapter Five
     
     
    Running was such an inelegant term. Telling him that she needed to rest and sneaking downstairs to the hot tub wasn’t an escape. It was simply a detour.
    She had never met a guy who looked at her as if she was the only hot woman on the face of the earth. She was cute. She knew that much. She had never aspired to elegance, and he was definitely elegant with a side of rough sexy.
    Juno appeared next to her. “Can I join you?”
    Berry waved at the rest of the huge tub. “Be my guest, or I will be yours.”
    Juno removed her clothing and folded it, placing her clothes on a nearby bench.
    “Where is your obsessive other half?”
    “Derix has a meeting with his brother at the Axion.” Juno slipped into the water and groaned. “Oh, that feels better. I didn’t know we had this.”
    Berry chuckled. “I made a request of the building, and it produced this on my second day. I had no idea that I would end up on a horse for the entire day.”
    Juno snickered. “Yeah, his kind definitely has stamina.”
    “How do you know?”
    “I asked Derix. He wasn’t happy, but he informed me about kelpies.”
    Berry cocked her head. “Well, come on. Spill.”
    They spent an hour soaking in the hot tub until Derix came looking for Juno, and he had Ashko in tow.
    Ashko took one look at her, and his clothing disappeared a moment before he entered the water.
    Derix followed suit, and