“Hmmm. Check Cullen’s mood first. On occasion, it bugs him.”
“I’m not sure I understand. What bothers him?”
“That the kids can hide out on the ceiling or on top of the big bookshelf in his living room. He and Orion are both a little too big to just fly around the front room, but the kids can do it because they’re little.”
She chuckled, and for the first time, they were in perfect accord. “Yes, I remember what it was like to have little flying children who could do things I really couldn’t. Thankfully, your father was more than willing to chase you.”
Cullen raised his eyebrows, widening his eyes, and going for innocent. “Really? We bothered you by flying around? I don’t remember that.”
“Yes, you zipped around like demented dragonflies.”
“Demented? See how you talk about us?” He rose from his table because she had appeared from the corner of the roommuch like her friend Arian would do, who was also a fae lady. “Shall we go see them?”
“Is it safe to leave Evander?”
He took another deep breath. “Yes. I’ve been safely leaving him here for hours at a time. Come, Mother.”
She followed him out of his part of the house and over the hallway into Cullen’s area, which had a totally different look. His house was sort of cottagecore, maybe a little whimsy goth, whereas Cullen’s was rainbows and magic tricks and prisms and all things shiny.
He knocked, because his mother would’ve just waded in, but he never had any idea what Cullen and Orion were going to be up to if the children were napping or even if they weren’t. Sometimes it was a good thing to knock because there were flying projectiles. With hooves.
Cullen answered the door, and his face broke into a wide grin. “Mother, it’s good to see you.”
“Thank you. That’s a much more appropriate reaction than I got from Corbin.” She swept past them both into Cullen’s part of the house, and Cullen raised his eyebrows at Corbin.
Corbin rolled his eyes and shook his head and mouthed “Evander.”
Cullen pursed his lips and shook his head, backing up with his hands up next to his shoulders as if to say, “What are you gonna do?”
Both of them followed her into the house, where they caught up with her in the kitchen. She greeted Orion, who was Cullen’s mate and also a unicorn, with a sweet kiss on the cheek.
“Hello, the son of my heart. How are you today?”
He swore he could hear Cullen’s teeth grind as hard as he felt his were.
“I’m glorious now you’re here. Babies, come and see your mhormia! She’s here!”
The temptation to scream‘incoming’is huge,he told Cullen, who almost didn’t smile.
Both Tisi and Serena zoomed into the room, little Tisi neighing his head off, Serena giggling as she chased him. They circled his mom’s head for a few seconds before finally landing on the floor to rub up against her legs. It was the cutest thing ever—a little black pegasus baby, a beautiful little dragon butterfly unicorn baby.
They made his heart happy.
Mom laughed softly and knelt down, loving on them both, the two babies nuzzling up into her fingers.
“How good to see you, Calla.” Orion hugged his mother gently, then scooped up the babies so she could kiss each one of them on the ends of their little snouts. “To what do we owe this honor?”
“Like I told Corbin, I wanted to see my grandchildren and my sons. I’ve missed you all.” She gave Corbin an arch look when she said it, which told him she missed him coming to see her in the fae world, instead of her having to come here to see him. He would leave Evander in his room and go to a different part of the house, but he would not leave him to go to a different dimension.
“Well, I know Evander’s taking up so much of his time, but you’re always welcome to visit.”
Don’t say that!
Cullen’s words made Corbin choke on his own spit.Right? She’ll have to come through my house!
“Thank you, sweetie. Now, who wants to make me a cup of tea?”
Orion gave them both an ironic grin. “I would be happy to, lady. What kind would you like? Mint hibiscus?”
