Page 28

Oh my gods, this is actually happening.

The once-familiar gates part in front of the idling SUV after the guard checks our credentials, giving me my first unencumbered view of the human sector since Axel drove me away on my birthday.

I once told myself that I’d never come back. Not after learning I was adopted by the people who raised me. I planned to look forward, because you can never truly go back.

But that was a lie.

One massive freaking lie that I told myself.

And I couldn’t be more grateful for it.

I’ve grown since the last time I saw my parents.

When we drove away, I was an angry little girl. Angry at the world. Angry at my parents for lying to me for so long. Angry at the fact that I was a supernatural. And angry that my birth parents gave me up in the first place.

But now, six-ish months later, I’ve changed. Grown into my skin—not my curiomancer skin, but my supernatural one. I’m still not used to having my runes on display and opt to keep them covered by massive hoodies unless I have to. But I have come to accept that I’m one of the people I despised for so long.

That’s because I’ve learned that not every supernatural is the same. Yes, there’s those who you just want to rid the world of, but others—my mates, my friends—they’re different than what I was taught.

The leather creaks under my ass as I shift in my seat, leaning over Zane to peer out the window.

Not much has changed since I was gone. Not that I expected it to. If it didn’t change in the twenty-one years I was here, another six months wouldn’t leave time for any big developments.

Zane’s large palm spans my lower back, holding me steady as I use this tree-trunk thigh for leverage. The muscles bunch under my grip, but he doesn’t stop me, doesn’t push me back into my seat.

No. The big, sweet demon rolls down the window, so I don’t have to gaze through the tinted glass.

The route toward my parents’ house is one I remember well. We’ll pass on the outskirts of Neptune’s Lagoon—the place that changed my life—and drive down my favorite running path. Something I’ve been slacking on heavily since I joined the academy. Not that it shows. It’s one of the perks of being a supernatural. I can eat whatever the heck I want and not gain and ounce.

Finally, Axel turns onto the street I lived on all my life and pulls the SUV up to the curb out front of my old home.

Since I’ve been gone, it looks like the quaint little house got a new paint job, a pretty light blue, and the white windows and door look refreshed from what they were six months ago. The planter Dad put in still remains, but it’s teaming with wildflowers now.

And there, the reason we’re here.

My parents, Theo and Ann Matthews, stand on the porch, Mom fussing over the collar of Dad’s shirt, while he gazes down at her like she hung the moon.

Wetness gathers in my eyes at my first look at them since I left. They each look a little older, not by much, but the faint wrinkles forming around their eyes tells me they haven’t been unaffected by my loss. Dad looks like he’s lost some weight, and I can’t fully tell from here, but I swear there’s a few gray hairs streaked through Mom’s black mane.

My heart squeezes, and there’s a faint tickle on the back of my neck, Aero responding to the distress running through my body.

“Ready, pinky?”

It’s those words that make me realize we’re all just sitting here, waiting for me to make the first move.

“Please.”

Zane nods and opens the door, getting out. Before I can follow, he holds his hand out, palm facing forward, stopping me while he scans the unfamiliar-to-him landscape. When he’s satisfied, his wrist twists, palm facing up now, waiting to help me out of the vehicle.

My smaller hand slips into his, a jolt of electricity flowing through the connection. His long fingers curl around mine, and he steps back, making room for me to slide out next to him.

The other three doors slam behind us as the others get out, announcing our arrival to my still distracted parents.

They both turn toward our little group of five, their mouths dropping no doubt at the two massive, non-glamoured demons standing on either side of Luka and Axel, with me firmly in the middle.

“Mom,” I whisper, part in disbelief that I’m actually here.

“Bailey.” Her lips form my name, almost like she heard me calling to her.

“Mom! Dad!”

“Bails,” Dad cries, happiness infusing in his tone.

Mom and I take off in a mad dash at the same time, slamming into each other with an oomph as we meet in the middle. Dad catches us before we tumble over, taking us to the ground while he clutches tightly to us both.

Tears fall all around, whispered thank yous and prayers flowing from their mouths straight into my ears. I can’t choke down my sobs fast enough to keep them from escaping.

There’s so many things I want to say, to tell them. But the only thing I can muster is I’m sorry over and over again. I don’t need to explain why. They know.

“Bails,” Dad murmurs, “you have nothing to apologize for. We’re the ones who lied to you.”

“No.” I shake my head, gripping them both tighter. “I was so mad that I didn’t want to give you guys a chance to explain. And I harbored that anger for a long time. But all it did was make me a shit daughter because I forgot about the sacrifices you both made for me. Can you guys forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive, sweetheart. We’re your parents, and we love you. Unconditionally.” Mom always knows the right things to say.

“Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, maybe we should take this reunion inside. We seem to be drawing a bit of a crowd, and it’s making the demons a little… twitchy.” I snort a laugh at Luka’s description. But he’s right. Crowds are no good, especially when you have two demons, a vampire, a demi-god, and a curiomancer out front of your house.

“Of course. Of course. You’re right, Luka. Please, everyone come inside and make yourselves at home,” Dad says, standing, helping Mom and I up with him. “My wife has prepared lunch, and we can catch up over a couple of beers. You guys drink those, right?”

“Lucifer’s tiny testicles, we do. Hopefully, you have a good craft IPA on hand.” Zane brushes past us all and into the house, leaving the rest of us dumbfounded on the porch.

“Umm… okay. That was…” Mom shakes her head.

“That was Zane,” I giggle, used to his Lucifer outbursts. But this one? This one was new.

“Right,” Dad draws the word out. “Shall we?” He holds his hand out toward the open door.

Mom locks her arm with mine, guiding me inside. I stop just inside the foyer, taking a deep breath and reveling in the familiar smell of home. Freshly baked cookies and newspaper clippings. That’s what home smells like to me.

Mom gives my arm a tug, pulling me further into the house. Like the outside, the inside also got a new coat of paint, but that’s all that’s changed. Dad’s favorite chair is still in the same spot, all the same old pictures are still on the walls, and the hole from my controller is still marked in the drywall.

The delicious smells wafting from the kitchen, the boisterous laughter from Bane—the one that makes me gooey inside—Luka’s smile as he listens to whatever story Zane is telling, Axel and my dad deep in conversation, Zane chugging a beer as he gestures wildly to Luka, and Mom on my arm, mends the cracks in my heart that I’ve been trying to hide.

This. This is what I’ve truly been missing, and I hate that it’s taken me this long to figure it out.

The only person absent from the whole equation is Marion. Mom and Dad would love her. I know it. They’d take her in, in a heartbeat, treat her like she’s their own.

Maybe, one day, when she forgives me, I can bring her here and introduce her.

Mom pulls out a folding chair for me at the table, placing me next to Luka while she takes the empty spot next to me, with Dad right beside her.

Now that we’re seated, Axel starts filling the plate in front of him with a little bit of everything before holding it out to me. I ignore the quiet aww coming from Mom and take it from him, exchanging it with my empty one.

Once everyone’s plates are overflowing, Mom starts the inquisition.

“Alright, tell me everything.”

And I do. I tell her about what’s been going on at the academy over the past few months. I touch on the things I’ve learned, the friends I’ve made, and the few places I’ve been. I gloss over the horrible details of the gala, only mentioning my dress, the dancing, and the limo ride there and back.

The stuff I don’t tell them though are all the bad things I’ve been through. My parents don’t need to spend their days worrying that something is going to happen to me while I’m gone, and they’d never know.

I suck in a breath when I get to the end, knowing there’s one last thing I need to tell them both. They deserve to know about my mates. Both of them. It wouldn’t feel right to claim only one of them, so they don’t look at me cross. And it certainly wouldn’t be fair to either of my guys if I choose one over the other.

“Mom, Dad, there’s one more thing.”

Dad puts his fork down, giving me his undivided attention. “What is it, Bails?”

Just rip the Band-Aid off.

“Axel and Luka are my mates. Both of them. I love them, and they love me. And no, Dad, this isn’t some passing infatuation, so wipe that look off your face. They’re my soul mates. It’s a forever kind of thing.”

Mom and Dad share a look I can’t seem to decipher. Zane and Bane sit rigid in their chairs, awaiting the condemnation from the two humans at the table, while Luka and Axel look relaxed like they already know what my parents are going to say.

And what they do say, shocks the crap out of me.

“Oh, we knew that already, sweetheart.” Mom waves off the concern. “The first time Axel and Luka came to see us after you left, they introduced themselves to us again, but they did so as our sons-in-law. Your dad almost blew a damn gasket, but after they explained it to us, we understood, and honestly, Bailey, we couldn’t be happier for you guys.”

I think my heart just exploded in my chest at their easy acceptance.

“Really, Mom?”

“Really, sweetheart.” She pats my hand. “You’ve got yourself two amazing men and possibly more from what Axel explained?”

My cheeks burn at her question, but I frantically wave my hands, not wanting to touch on the subject of Hudson, since he’s the only other mate that I know of. And he sure as hell isn’t welcome at this dinner table.

“Nope. Just the two.” I point my fingers at Axel and Luka.

“Well, just make sure you keep me apprised of any suitors you get.”

“Mom!” I groan, thoroughly embarrassed as the guys around the table all chuckle—including Dad, the traitor.

“I’m just saying. There are some fine specimens out there.” Mortification rides me hard as she tosses a saucy wink at Bane.

“I’m right here, darling,” Dad grits out, dragging her chair closer to his.

Ope. Someone’s green with jealousy.

“That you are, honey,” Mom says with a sultry smile, making everyone laugh.

I mock-gag at their lovey dovey display. If they were supernaturals themselves, I’d swear they were fated mates with how they act. But it's good to see that hasn’t changed in the time I’ve been gone.

“I really hate to cut this short, but we have a strict time limit we must adhere to, and if we don’t leave now, we won’t make it back in time,” Axel murmurs, swiftly pushing back his chair and getting to his feet. With a quick flick of his fingers, he buttons his jacket back up and straightens his cufflinks. The picture-perfect display of a rich lawyer.

Wait… what?

“Do we have to? I swear we just got here,” I say in alarm, grabbing onto Mom’s arm, like she’ll be able to save me from being carted away once again.

“I’m sorry, cor meum , but we do. And as long as we stick to what we’ve been allowed, we’ll be able to come back again. And once you leave the academy, we can petition for them to move into the supernatural section of Faridity, if you’d like.”

“Really? They’ll let me do that?”

“Us, cor meum . They will let us do it. That is if Mr. and Mrs. Matthews want to.” He nods respectfully toward my parents.

“Silly, man. How many times have I told you to call me mom?”

“Many times.” Axel flashes her a fangy smile, a light chuckle on his lips. “Take time to think about it, and if it’s something you both would want to do, just let us know. We’ll take care of everything on our end.”

Everyone gets up from the table and heads in the direction of the door, but I drag my feet, not ready to say goodbye yet. It feels like we just got here, but in reality, I know we chatted across the table for over an hour.

These limitations suck, but it’s better than being told we couldn’t come at all. I don't know what kind of favors Axel and Luka had to agree to in order to make this a possibility, because I know it shouldn’t have been, but one day, I’ll pay them back for everything they’ve done for me.

“Gentlemen, why don’t we step outside and give Bailey a moment with her parents?” God, I could kiss that vampire right now. There are things I want to tell them, but I didn’t want to say it in front of everyone.

“I’ll be right out. Thank you, vampy.”

“Anything for you, cor meum .”

Luka shoots me a lingering look before he closes the door behind him, the last one to leave.

“Come with me.” I grab Mom and Dad’s hands, dragging them into the bathroom. They shoot each other questioning stares but stay quiet as I flip on the shower and the sink, praying it’s enough to drown out what I’m going to say.

“What’s going on, Bails? Are you being held against your will? Is everything Axel and Luka said really a lie? I swear I’ll kill them if they are,” Dad fires off twenty questions rapidly, but I wave my hands in denial.

“Nothing like that at all. I actually wanted to introduce you to someone, someone who means a lot to me, and while I can’t give you all the details as to why, his presence is secret for now.”

“Okay, but sweetheart, I thought you said there were no other prospects.”

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Mom.” I hold out my hand. “Aero.”

My Pegasus does a quick flutter against my neck before he zips out from underneath my hair, landing softly in my palm.

“This is Aero. He’s… well… the best way to explain him is he’s my spirit guide. He’ll protect me if he has to, and he’s become my best friend since he showed up. He snores, farts, and loves taking over the couch. And he’s not normally this size. I reduce his mass when I go somewhere so he can stay with me.”

I shift from foot to foot in the cramped bathroom, waiting to see if my parents will look at me any differently now that they see how much more there is to me besides what’s on my skin.

“Oh, sweetheart. He’s freaking adorable.” Mom moves closer, peering down at my pony. “Hello, Aero. I’m Bailey’s mom, and this brute here is her dad. Thank you for being there for our daughter while she’s away from us.”

Aero flaps his tiny wings until he’s hovering in the air. He zooms closer to Mom, nuzzling the tip of her nose before treating Dad to the same. Dad’s face breaks out in a childish grin when Aero whooshes away, back to his little hidey-hole under my hair.

“There’s so much more I want to say, but I have to go. As soon as I know when I can come back, I’ll let you guys know. And please, think about the petition Axel mentioned. I… I really want you guys there with me.”

“Are you sure, Bails?”

“Definitely. I don’t want to miss any more time with you guys than I already have to.”

“Then there’s nothing to think about, sweetheart. Your dad and I agree.”

I pull them both into a tight squeeze, hanging on for dear life. “Thank you. I love you guys so, so much.”

“We love you too, Bails. Always. No matter what happens. Now, get out of here before those two men of yours break down the front door thinking we kidnapped you.” Dad’s right on that part, but it wouldn’t be Axel or Luka doing the breaking. It would be Bane and Zane, hands down.

Mom and Dad walk me to the front door and out onto the porch. The guys, all four of them, are leaning against the red SUV like they have all the time in the world to wait for me. They do a bang-up job of ignoring the lookie-loos peeking out their windows or passing on the sidewalk, content to pretend like they’re not even there.

With one last hug goodbye and a few more tears, Luka ushers me back into the SUV, this time him and Axel bracketing me while Zane and Bane take the front.

My parents stay on the porch, their hands lifted in a wave as we drive away. I hate leaving them. Again. But this time, my heart is more settled than it was when I left on my birthday.

And I know, without a doubt, that this isn’t the last time I’ll see them.

Plus, the prospect of them moving out of the human sector and in with me makes me more determined to work harder so I can graduate from the academy and solidify my place in the supernatural world, so they don’t have to worry about a thing for the rest of their lives.