Page 15

Chapter Fifteen

“I really don’t like this, Orion.”

Orion nodded, stuffing a few things into a bag. Apparently, Corbin would carry everything, and Orion would concentrate on the portal or teleport or whatever.

“I know, baby. But we have to go. We can’t just leave this guy hanging in the wind.”

He chewed his lip, because he knew Orion was right. But he was scared. It had always been an adrenaline rush, to go out and do missions with Corbin and Cosmo, but the world was a very different place now that he had baby nieces and nephews and his own child on the way.

And a mate.

“I love you, baby. I promise I’ll be home soon, with Corbin and this Evander in tow.” Orion came to kiss him on the nose. “Please don’t worry too much.”

“I worry about you. A lot.”

“And I want you to be happy and healthy and keep our butterfly fed.” Orion put a hand on his belly.

Tears stung his eyes, and little hearts that were breaking started popping up everywhere.

“Oh, goddess, you’re killing me, baby. Please don’t cry.”

“I never cry! I’m a stud! Stupid hormones.”

“I know.” Orion kissed his mouth this time. “If you need anything, knock on any door that’s made of wood and call Father. Rigel. Can you remember that?”

“I can.” Cullen nodded.

“Good.” Orion hugged him hard. “I’ll be back soon.” He picked up the bag, heading for the door and making his way downstairs.

Cullen followed, and they met Corbin and Hawk in the main hallway.

“You all set?” Corbin asked.

“I am. Here, you take the bags.”

“Okay. You know where to put us?” Corbin looked excited, not worried. He’d put on enough makeup to cover things, and he had on an oversized hoodie to cover the rest. A beanie could cover his hair too.

Hawk was wearing a costume that was basically the same, with a pair of dark sunglasses.

“I do. I won’t land us on a wall.” Orion winked broadly, and Cullen tried to smile.

“Please be so careful.” Cullen pulled Orion in for a hug, then Hawk and Corbin. “Call if you need any support from afar. Tech, reinforcements, whatever.”

“We will,” Corbin assured him. “No worries.”

He drew in a deep breath, then stepped back. He had no idea if Orion could do what he needed to here or not, but he would bet he could.

Orion closed his eyes, and a glow surrounded him, so bright it hurt Cullen’s eyes. He heard Corbin say, “Whoa,” and he grunted when suddenly Orion was there. In his true form. And he was so beautiful it made Cullen cry again. This time for joy.

Corbin. Hop on. The sound echoed around them. Hawk, grab my mane.

“Wait, you want me to ride you?”

Hawk’s too heavy to. Come on!

Cullen snorted. Then he started laughing. “Go on. Don’t hurt him.”

“I won’t. I promise.” And then Corbin was on his mate, and they were all three off like a shot, Orion turning into the light and leaping.

And disappearing.

Cullen held it together for the most part, until he saw little Elliot. Standing there, little hand opening and closing over and over again as he waved goodbye.

That was it. It was all over but the crying.

Actually, there was a lot of crying. A lot of crying.

It was Cosmo who stamped his foot, finally, and caught his attention. “That’s enough. It’s not like they’re even going to be gone an entire day. We can totally cope for one whole day. Let’s go eat potato chips. Or popcorn.”

“Pa-corns!” Elliot cheered.

“That’s right. We could make popcorn and watch a movie.”

Cullen glared at his brother, not feeling like making nice. “They’re out there without us.”

Cosmo raised one eyebrow. “Guess what, butt munch. You and Corbin went out without me a lot. Do you remember Poe’s nest of v-a-m-p-i-r-e-s? Was I there? No. Why do you think that was?”

“Oh stop.” He didn’t need to be lectured.

“No, this is what happens. You get pregnant, you have to take responsibility for it.” Cosmo handed him Emily. “Now, we are going to take the children, and we are going to make popcorn, and then we are going to watch movies. Together. Cuddled up in the blankets.”

“Fine, but if you have some kind of a vision, I’m going to kick you. You cannot do your stupid vision thing while I have the babies.” That thought was terrifying.

“All right,” Cosmo conceded. “If that happens, we’ll go to Mother’s.”

He tilted his head. “We could all just kind of go to Mom’s.”

“And leave the house unprotected? And what if they need us? No.” Cosmo’s lips tightened. “Come on, we can do this. We’re going to have to learn how to do this.”

Cullen guessed that Cosmo was right. He hated when Cosmo was right.

But he was. So he smiled for Elliot, then kissed Emily’s cheek, and they went to Corbin’s area of the house to make popcorn. Elliot loved to listen to it ping against the pan.

He also listened hard for Orion and Corbin and even Hawk, who he rarely heard, but he could if it was an emergency.

“You’re going to give yourself a headache,” Cosmo said, putting oil and kernels into the pan. Cosmo wasn’t much for unitaskers, so he didn’t have an air popper.

“I go bye-bye wif Papa soon.” Elliot reached up toward the stove.

“Nope. Hot.” Cullen swooped Elliot up and into his chair. “Oh, my little gargoyle, I think that we should stay here right now, but soon we’ll go bye-bye and see the other dragons, okay?”

“Okay.” Elliot just didn’t want to be left out.

He got it. He didn’t either, but he did have his little butterfly to worry about. I love you, bug. More than I can say.

He felt a little—well, it was honestly like a flutter, like an honest to goodness butterfly in his belly.

He frowned, stilling with his head cocked, as if there was some way for him to hear the feeling.

“What’s wrong? Everything is okay?” Cosmo glanced at him.

“I think the baby just moved. I don’t want her to move, not until…” He began to panic. “Not until Orion comes home. She needs to not move. I want him to feel the first time she moves.”

“It may be a couple of days before that happens. You can usually feel it before.”

Cullen glanced at his brother, tears making his vision swim. “You’re sure?”

“Yep, that’s one of the benefits. Goes along with hormones.”

Elliot waved to him, banging on his highchair tray. “Buda-fly!”

“That’s right, that’s my little butterfly. She’s growing in here.”

“Like Izzy?”

“That’s right, just like Izzy.”

Elliot smiled, then came to hug him, ear to his belly. “Halloooooo.”

That had both him and Cosmo laughing. Well, until Elliot started having a conversation.

“Uh-huh. No, deys rode away wit Unc Orrie.”

His eyes went wide. Do you hear that, brother?

Cosmo nodded, shaking the pan. He used to talk to Izzy. He’s a baby whisperer.

“Unc Orrie is a uni-uni-unicorn! No. You’s budafly. Cuncle says. Bud. Da. Fly.”

Goodness, that was adorable. He chuckled softly. “Orion should be home very soon, guys. Very soon indeed.”

And if he wasn’t, Cullen was going to bite all three of them.

His teeth were way sharper than Orion’s.

Way.