Page 87

Story: Cullen

“Good, because I’m not a vampire and I do really want one. That sounds—oh…or we could get falafel wraps?”

Cullen rubbed his belly. “That sounds really good. And actually doable without cooking. Falafel and feta with maybe some fries.”

Orion beamed. Bingo. “We’ll just get him to leave it at the door. Let me get a big thing of hummus for later.”

It wasn’t fried tofu, but it was crunchy and it had sambal.

Unless… “Someone does deliver, right?”

“Yeah. One of the Mexican places in town has a cook from Israel. He makes amazing falafel. He’ll do it for the delivery fee.”

“Ah, small towns.” He grinned, and kissed Cullen lightly. “We’ll talk out the rest. But first, you order food, and I’ll get the shower going.”

“Okay.” Cullen stared at him a moment. “You promise you’re not infected?”

“I promise, my love.”

“Okay.” Clearly trying to trust, Cullen went to grab his phone to order food.

Orion went to start the water, feeling sticky and a little worn out from all the adrenaline leaving him.

Food. Baby. Nap, all of them together.

And then they would figure out what to do with the vampy fae.

ChapterNineteen

They all sat at the big kitchen table, even Corbin, who had hauled the fae man in a cocoon of sheets and laid him on the couch, and Cullen kept looking at him, hating that he’d bitten Orion, hating that he’d been bitten by those freaks of nothing natural.

Elliot’s magpie Eddie was watching the kids just over in Cullen’s house.

But Corbin and Cosmo kept staring at Orion. Waiting for him to change into something bloodsucking.

Orion finally chuckled. “I told you guys, I’m fine. I swear, I’m not going to change.”

“As long as you’re sure.”

They still stared. But Cullen kept looking at the fae guy.

“I am. Do you want me to show you later? I can go to the Glade. If I was infected, I wouldn’t be able to.”

Cullen glanced at Corbin and Cosmo and Hawk. “We went this morning. He didn’t disintegrate.”

“Did you take the baby?” Cosmo asked.

“Yes, and Da pronounced that Tisi was healthy, even if he needed to fatten up some, and that he was to come home with his dads.” Cullen grinned a little, then looked back at the fae guy, frowning. “Does he look different? Less pale?”

Pure, desperate hope shone on Corbin’s face for a moment. “Does he look better?”

“I think so,” Cosmo said.

“Hmmm.” Hawk withheld comment, but it was Orion who laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Corbin barked. Corbin didn’t have the most developed sense of humor at the best of times, but the plants were fading, and no one—no one—dared to open the door to the Summerland until they were one hundred percent sure that the fae was healed. Poor guy—they couldn’t even remember his name…

“Well, he’s lying in the sun, for one thing.” Orion waved, and sure enough, there was a stream of sunlight coming through the window, dancing with dust motes. It landed right on the fae man’s face, and he wasn’t smoking or withering away. In fact, it seemed to be helping.

“Holy shit.” Corbin blinked. “He’s okay in it.”