Page 64

He saw Orion appear, seemingly out of thin air, and he blinked. “Hey.”

“Hello, love.” Orion chuckled. “The dads are impatient.” He held out a hand. “They reacted so much better than I feared. But then again, they told me I was just being a butthead and that I should have come home sooner.”

Cullen laughed. “Not butthurt, though?”

“No, baby. I’m so happy for you to meet them.” Orion kissed him. “Okay, are you ready?”

“I am.” Orion reached out and touched a piece of jewelry sitting on the table. One he hadn’t seen. Then a door appeared.

“Oh, wow. Look at that. Is this what you meant by you always have a door?”

“Yep. And it will cloak itself until we come back.”

“Neat! That’s handy. And it only works on the Glade?”

“As far as I know, yeah.”

“Huh.” He took Orion’s other hand, and they stepped through the door. “I’ll have to ask Mom if the Land of Summer has anything like that. Whoa.”

Cullen looked around as they walked into the Glade, and his first thought was that it smelled amazing. Not like flowers, like his mom’s place did. This was rich earth and verdant green plants and clear water. Corbin would plotz.

“This is beautiful, Orion.” It was sort of like…descriptions of paradise. No wonder Orion was a little butthurt about having to not live here. It was amazing.

“Yeah. Come on. I’ll take you to the?—”

“Is this him?” someone thundered.

“Yes, Father.” Orion winked at him as a large, dark man strode toward them, long, embroidered robes flapping around him.

“Well come, Cullen. I am Rigel. Come, I will take you to my mate.” The big guy smelled like the weather right before a storm, and Rigel latched onto his arm and they were off and running. Well, he was running. Rigel was marching.

“Father! That’s my pregnant mate you’re towing like an otter with a turtle on its tail!”

“Don’t you mean a beaver?” Cullen teased, already out of breath.

“Or something in the water.”

They trooped up a hill, along a stream, and as they came to the crest of the hill, he saw the house. All the air whooshed out of his lungs. “That’s where you grew up! Wow. Wow!”

“You like it.” That got Rigel to go from scowling to a slight smile.

“It’s gorgeous.” The place was both deceptively simple and like a palace. It was stunning.

“My mate is in back in the garden.”

“He’s like Corbin,” Orion teased. “He loves to dig.”

“He does,” Rigel agreed. “Who is Corbin?”

“My brother.” Cullen grinned. “He’s the gardener. Cosmo is the seer. I’m the illusionist.”

“Ah, no wonder you and my son are well-suited.”

“Cullen is amazing, Father. Though he has gone a bit haywire since he got pregnant.”

“Yeah, not going anywhere that I have to maintain the illusion for a goodly bit,” Cullen teased.

“Probably a good idea.”