Page 88

Story: Cullen

Cullen stared now at his mate. “You healed him.”

Orion tilted his head. “Did I? I mean, I’m sure I started the process. I heal superfast, so it stands to reason that I could help heal him.”

Corbin whooped, then stood up to haul Orion out of his chair. “Goddess, you did it!”

“Has he shown any signs of waking?” Hawk asked.

That sobered them all up as they stared again.

“No.” Corbin sighed. “Not yet.” He put Orion down. “But maybe he will soon.”

“Well, it’s good to see him looking almost golden,” Orion put in. “You’ll see. He’ll recover.”

For Corbin’s sake, he sure hoped so. Cullen beamed at his brothers. “Maybe I can go back to being happily preggers now and not worry so much.”

Cosmo came to hug him. “Of course you can. I’m so sorry this has all been such a worry.”

“Well, no more of this shit. You need to be enjoying your babies, too.” He winked though, to take the sting out.

“I think I’ll take him back to my place and put him by the rose garden window,” Corbin said, going to lift the guy. “Holler if you need me.”

“Later.” They watched him go, and Hawk finally turned to them all.

“Do you think he laid him in the sun consciously?”

“No.” That was Orion. “But I think he knew on some level that if he was still infected it was time to let him go.”

“Well, I’m glad he seems better. Maybe not out of the woods…” Cosmo rose. “Hawk, let’s get?—”

A knock at the front door had them all stiffening and exchanging glances. “Who the hell?” Cullen snapped.

Cosmo checked the door camera on his phone. “Yarrow.”

“Huh.” Orion went to open the door. “Have you been bitten by a vampire?”

Yarrow blinked hard, then whistled through his front teeth. “Nope. I miss all the good stuff. I came to ask if anyone is missing a marten.”

“Like a bird?”

“No, that’s martin with an I.” Yarrow held up a weasel-like creature with a super poofy reddish coat and a big puffy tail. “I mean an American marten. Keeps trying to get into the house. Won’t leave me alone.”

Cullen blinked, utterly fascinated. “He’s so pretty.” He held his hands open, and the marten leapt for him.

Orion made a little squeak, but it didn’t matter.

“Oh my god, he’s so cute!” Cullen held his arms open, and the marten just jumped right into them.

Orion made this great noise that sounded sort of like somebody stepping on a dog toy, but it didn’t matter because Cullen was immediately and totally in love. Not in love like he was in love with Tisi or in love like he was in love with Orion—because that would be creepy—but still. In love. “I’m Cullen, it’s nice to meet you. Did you come to be with the babies, little marten?”

The little one chittered, and he tilted his head, listening.

“I don’t suppose that your name is Martin, because that would be really cool.”

The marten stared at him and blew out a hard breath.

And suddenly he knew, much like Tisi had told them his name only hours after Cullen had lamented he didn’t know it, that this was Roderick.

“His name’s Roderick.”