the early morning sunlight and their antics, he hurried into the main house. He was after coffee. He could have made some in Grey’s small kitchen, but he suspected someone had already brewed some.
Sure enough, Dane and Wiley were seated at the small breakfast table in the kitchen, each with a mug in their hands.
“Good morning,” Dane called out. “Join us!”
“Yeah, we’ll have a mates’ gathering.” Wiley lifted his superhero mug.
“I’m not exactly bonded to Grey yet.” Cort walked to the coffeepot and got the stripper unicorn cup for himself before pouring. He strode to the table and sat next to Wiley, who held out his mug in a toast. He grinned and tapped it with his own. Bright sunlight poured in through the back windows and French doors, giving the breakfast room a cozy feel. He settled into his seat and wrapped both hands around the warm cup. It felt good on his cold fingers as he blew into the mug to cool the coffee a bit. Ruby barked from somewhere outside. He marveled over how much he felt a part of this family already. He’d been mostly just working here in Savannah—without friends—and now he was involved in something bigger. Something important. His bond with Grey hadn’t only given him a soul mate, but a family.
“It’s only a matter of time.” Dane shifted in his seat to face Cort. “You two are soul mates. I had a feeling you were. I’m happy for you. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Grey had been stretched out on his stomach this morning, hugging the pillow. Cort inwardly sighed. His long, gorgeous body had been all kinds of inviting, but he knew Grey needed to sleep after all the excitement of getting his sight back. Cort was truly a lucky man. “So, a mate meeting, huh? Tell me what I’m in for.”
“It’s amazing,” Wiley answered. “I love being bonded to Baer, and I know Dane feels the same.”
“I do. Love being bonded to Clay, that is.” Dane smiled, his expression still a little sleepy, his brown hair tousled like he hadn’t been long out of bed. He wore jeans and a brown sweat shirt. “You’re in for a lot of excitement, that’s for sure.”
“Yeah, it’s like nothing else.” Wiley pushed up his glasses before brushing away a lock of blond hair out of his eyes. He had on one of the superhero T-shirts Cort usually saw him in—this one Superman. “Baer thought it would be funny for me to wake in bed with a monkey. Freaked me the fuck out. I’ve also now ridden an elephant and petted a grizzly bear. I still have to sometimes pinch myself as a reminder I’m awake and not caught up in a wild dream.”
“You do know he writes comic books, right?” Dane winked at Wiley. “He’s living the ultimate dream right now.”
“And you’re not?” Wiley asked. “Go ahead. Tell me you don’t love all of this.”
“Oh, I do. I was married before. Lost my wife and child. It’s still hard on me.” Dane frowned, sadness filling his eyes as he traced a ring left by the mug on the table. “I never expected to find love again, so I count myself pretty damn lucky.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that.” Cort frowned, unable to imagine losing a family like that. But he’d seen Clay and Dane together often enough to know that it was truly a love match—the two were crazy about each other, touched each other often, and he’d witnessed more than one passionate kiss.
“Now we just have to find the other soul mates, and we’ll have our own club,” Wiley declared. “I will admit it can be exhausting with the pestilents always after us.”
“And scary.” Dane eyed him closely. “You’ll have to get used to living in constant danger.”
“I know. It’ll still be worth it if I have Grey.” Cort took a sip of hot coffee, letting the caffeine work its charm. He settled in his seat and crossed his legs at the ankles. “I can’t believe I’m his actual soul mate. Like Wiley said, it feels like a wild dream.”
“That feeling never entirely goes away,” Dane murmured as he got up to get more coffee. He walked across the kitchen to the coffeepot, saying over his shoulder, “I’ve been with Clay about six months now, and I still have trouble taking it all in. The Weavers, the spells, the creatures sucking the life out of our world.” He returned to the table with his fresh cup