He just lifted a hand. "Can't. It's not a question of want, and I'm not opposed to adoption, but..." He shook his head. "Medical issues. I just know that's a deal breaker to some women."
"But you're ok with adoption?" Cora asked, sounding like it very well could be a deal breaker for her.
"Adoption, sperm donors, and yeah. I'm open to things, but I've known since I was eighteen that I'm sterile. I've had a bit of time to think about it."
"I'm so sorry," she breathed, reaching over to clasp his forearm. "Is that why you never got married?"
He nodded, deciding to just go with it. "Most women want kids. I can't directly give them that. Kinda why I said something. I don't want to waste your time."
And because he kept looking over at Dahlia. She was sipping on a drink. He couldn't tell what it was, but she seemed to be enjoying it. Her eyes kept going toward the front, like she was waiting for someone to show up. Or maybe like she was looking through the window. He couldn't tell.
Her legs were crossed, she was wearing a loose skirt that showed off her calves, and her sandals had little heels. He couldn't help but wonder if she was wearing panties under that skirt. He also couldn't figure out how she was alone. No one had tried to hit on her yet? Because Dahlia was the kind of woman who drew men to her whether she wanted to or not.
Cora was telling him all about her cat now. He smiled at the right places, and laughed when she did, but his mind was on a very different woman. So, when Dahlia stood up and made her way to the back of the building, Thane couldn't help himself. He had to know what the fuck she was doing.
"Would you excuse me for a second?" he asked. "Um... restrooms are back here, right?"
"Yeah, right around the corner," she said.
Which was where Dahlia had gone. Thane got up and walked that way as calmly as he could. He wanted to stretch his legs, to catch up with her, but he knew Cora would be watching. Then, just as he rounded the corner, he saw Dahlia's blonde hair disappear into the second door.
He didn't even stop to think. Thane just shoved the door open and followed her inside. He didn't give a shit that the sign on the front said "Ladies."
Chapter Sixteen
THANE
Thane stepped into a small restroom. He had just enough time to see that there was only one stall before he was slung across the room. The floor was slick enough that he slipped, rolling down the aisle. Just as he stopped moving, he looked up to see Dahlia lock the door, making sure no one else could interrupt them.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Fucking inquisitors," she growled.
And then the woman began to change. Once, she'd told him she was a valkyrie, and now he believed it. The woman staring him down only needed a sword in her hand to complete the image. She was a warrior, and while she didn't grow wings from her head or anything, she changed as she stormed toward him. The look in her eyes made it clear she didn't intend for him to live through this.
Talk about a shitty way to end a date!
Thane shoved when she was close enough. Her sandals slipped on the floor worse than his shoes did. It bought him a little room, but that didn't mean she was about to give up. Thane was barely on his feet before she slammed into him again. He slung her into the wall, but she pulled him with her. They both hit hard, and the air rushed from his lungs at the force of the impact.
Then the bitch slammed her fist into his face. Half blind with the pain, he slung his head forward, connecting with something solid. The grunt proved it had hurt her as much as him. She staggered back, but he wasn't about to lose the advantage.
Why was she trying to kill him? How had she even found him? A million questions ran through his mind, but he didn't have time for that. Thane hit her again, keeping her on the defensive. She was fast, but he was stronger. That was the only advantage he had.
Then she decided to change the rules. Grabbing his arm, she slung him toward the sink. The force pulled him down, and the side of his cheek collided with the ceramic, flinging him back. For a moment, all he knew was pain, but he couldn't lie still. This was a killer, and she was after his blood. He'd seen her rip a man's organs from his chest, and that was not how he wanted to die.
The moment she got close, he grabbed her leg and pulled. Dahlia crashed to the floor beside him, and he managed to get a good punch to her gut. She coughed out all the air in her lungs, and he quickly scrambled to his feet, risking a kick at her chest to keep her there.
Bad call. She caught his leg and twisted. In a split second, he was back on the ground, his chin bouncing off the tile. Thane kicked out, hitting her as hard as he could with his foot. She pushed herself back, and they both quickly got to their feet again. He could feel the pair of clavum at his waist. He always carried them now, and yet he wasn't ready to pull them out yet. Not against her.
"Why are you here?" he demanded as she circled around him.
"You think I'm going to tell you that?" she asked. "The last thing I need is any more of your kind after me."
"You kill me, and they'll know you were here," he warned.
She lifted her lip in the most feral snarl he'd ever seen on a human face. "They'll never find your body," she promised.
Then she charged. He tried to catch her, his mind convinced that she should be no stronger than an ordinary woman, but that didn't make it true. Dahlia shoved him against the wall. Her forearm landed against his throat. Thane kicked out, forcing her off, but she was right back on him.