“Another half sibling,” Oliver sighed dreamily. “And so far, you’ve all been so nice!”
Nolen sat up at that. “Wait, you’ve met more of the newly arrived mates?”
Oliver nodded. “Sure have. Grovar has tasked me with the job of welcoming them to our world. It seems to help ease them into everything. One had a mother she loved back in our old world. It was hard for her to pass through the portal and leave her mother behind, but I helped her mate and together we made her feel safer here. She’s currently visiting her mother in her old world, and has visited once a week since she arrived here.”
I smiled at that. “It sounds like you’re doing a good job.”
Oliver grinned at that. “Grovar seems to think so.” Was that a blush on his cheeks?
Aiden sat down on Nolen’s lap, then smiled at Oliver. “Want to stay and eat with us?”
“Hell, yeah!” Oliver’s excitement was too cute.
“I’ll message Juno and Remi and ask them, too,” Nolen said, tapping away on his slate.
It only took five minutes, and then Juno just walked right in like he lived here. No surprise there.
Juno, Remi, and Oliver stayed for hours and chatted, loving that Aiden was now a part of us. While Nolen cooked dinner for us, we sat and chatted about how different our upbringings had been. I think it helped Aiden to learn how Remi had grown up, seeing as he had the same feeling of not quite belonging as we did.
“What about jobs?” Juno asked after we’d finished eating. “I mean, Nolen can’t really continue with the team anymore.” Juno had left the team himself, no longer seeking to leave their world, but now he trained others to do it instead. The rulers wanted more portals to be found and seeing as many still had the urge to leave, that could only mean more mates were out there.
“I want to cook food for a living, I just don’t know exactly how yet,” Nolen replied.
“And since we were told to rest and get our strength back for the next year or two,” I cut in. “It isn’t something that has to be decided this instant.”
Nolen’s hand found my lap under the table. “Precisely. I want to enjoy my mates a little bit longer before I begin working again.”
“But what about you two?” Oliver asked Aiden and me.
We both shrugged. “I guess that’s something we’ll figure out as we go, too.”
After a perfect chocolate mousse dessert, we waved goodbye to Juno and Remi, who promised to be back in the morning for waffles. Oliver left shortly after, having been picked up by Grovar who’d briefly said his hello’s before they’d left.
Nolen closed the front door and grabbed us both in a tight group hug. “I can’t believe this is my life now. Having friends over and having fun while my two beautiful mates sit beside me.”
“Now we just need to have Nix and Louis over, too,” I said, looking forward to our house being filled with our closest friends.
“And family, too,” Nolen reminded me.
“That too,” I smiled.
The doorbell rang and I eyed Juno and Remi who were already sitting at our table and eating their waffles. Could it be Oliver had changed his mind and wanted to join us for waffles anyway?
Leaving the table, I went and opened the door, then froze. An older version of the man I loved stood in front of me, a woman who was noticeably shorter was next to him, both of them grinning as they watched me.
“Um,” I said, swallowing. I was not up for meeting the parents right now! I had my pajamas on for fucks sake! I’d thought it would just be Remi and Juno. Had I known I would need to impress I would’ve showered and gotten dressed!
“Good morning, dear,” Nolen’s mom said, her tone gentle and kind. “Hope we didn’t wake you.”
“Um,” I said again, my other words escaping me.
“Mom!” Nolen exclaimed happily from behind me. I jumped, not even noticing he’d approached the door. “Dad!” he hugged them both. “Where’s Yaz?”
Nolen’s mom wiped her tears away before answering. “She just travelled through the Numbious portal an hour ago. That’s why we’re here, actually.”
“She left our world?” Nolen gasped, and I could feel his sadness over it. I just didn’t know if it was because of her leaving, or him not being told. It was likely both.
“We wanted to surprise you,” his dad tacked on. “Hope you don’t mind.”
