“Not at all,” I assured them, finally finding my voice. “I’m Derek.”
His mom hugged me then, not saying a word as I felt what a mother’s hug should feel like for the first time in my life.
They followed us inside and I watched as Aiden got the same hug and how his eyes teared up. We’d never had that. He had his dads, but it was different being so welcomed by our mate’s family. It was healing in a way, to be so accepted for who we were.
Juno and Remi were hugged too, and soon we all sat and ate Nolen’s waffles. Nolen even teased his parents that they’d likely smelled the freshly made waffles and that had guided them here. I hadn’t known until then that his dad’s favorite food was waffles.
“Now,” Nolen’s mom said, wiping her mouth. “Let’s talk about vacations. I, for one, would love to show your mates where you grew up.”
And that was how we spent the morning. Planning a trip to visit Nolen’s parents and promising them it would be soon.
With Remi and Juno out the door, too, I grabbed Nolen into a big hug. “I can’t believe how big our family is now.”
“Just wait until we get my dads involved too,” Aiden said, his tone amused. “I wished they could visit us here, but I know it’s best to keep this from them.”
“The rulers seem to think that wise,” Nolen reminded him and he nodded, even though I knew he wanted to show our new world to them. It was simply for the best they stayed in their world.
“I can use magic on them whenever they ask to visit us,” Nolen offered. “That way it won’t be a problem we have to dodge every time we see them.”
“Thank you,” Aiden whispered, then hugged us both.
Feeling cheeky, I used my glamour on Nolen, then bumped my elbow into Aiden. “Oh, no,” I said in mock surprise. “Look at Nolen’s skin!”
Aiden seemed shocked when he spotted all the little red hearts I’d dotted all over Nolen.
“He needs our love to get cured!” I exclaimed dramatically, then tugged Nolen behind me. “To the bedroom!”
Aiden cackled behind me as I continued to tug a very confused Nolen with me.
Our poor mate wouldn’t stay confused for long.
Epilogue
Nolen
Six months later.
The lush green hills greeted us as we stepped out of our car. Another sign our world was healing and would soon be back to how it once was. Aiden and Derek stood at either side of me, all of us comfortable in the silence. Ever since we dreamed of this place, I knew I had to bring them here for real someday.
The yellow flowers bloomed and fit perfectly against the vibrant green grass. The sun was high up in the sky, warming our skin as we stood and just breathed in the fresh air.
“It’s beautiful,” Derek whispered, tugging on my hand to move. I let him lead us into the field, stepping on the delicate flowers as he found a spot we could lay on.
Aiden let out a sigh of relief as he laid down, closed his eyes, and smiled. Derek and I followed his lead and with me in the middle, I cuddled them into my sides, holding each of my mates close as we enjoyed nature together.
“Are you glad we came?” I asked Aiden.
He scoffed. “Fine, I’ll admit nature can be cool.”
“Cool?” I laughed.
“You know what I mean! As long as there’s no bugs and creepy crawlies, then I’m good.”
“Aha,” I pretended to agree.
“It’s true!” Aiden defended. “I can do outdoorsy shit.”
The fact he rarely left our house proved that to be a lie, but he was adorable, so I could let it slide.
