Page 27 of Immortal Bonds

Creighton took a deep breath and gave an affirmative nod. Thalric opened the door, leading them inside. He would happily lead his mate anywhere. This was only the first of many visits to the observatory, he guessed, because as much as he knew his little mate would be happy to meet the Gnomes, the Gnomes would also want to keep in contact with his Little Biter.

"Where are they?" Creighton asked when they walked inside and no one immediately came to them.

Thalric chuckled. "We have to get closer to where they are. They will come out, don't you worry. But this first area is more for people who want to leisurely stroll through rather than sit and chat with the Gnomes. They can be a talkative bunch."

Thalric would forever remember the look of utter contentment on his mate's face at that news, like he'd been waiting his whole life to meet these creatures, to get to know them and share his love for them.

With their hands clasped, Thalric led Creighton through the observatory until they reached the area where the Gnomes typically congregated.

"Let's have a seat here," he said, his voice gentle. He tugged Creighton down and pulled him close to his side.

Creighton didn't fight. He was too riveted by the space, by how many obvious Gnome touches were around. If you knew about Gnomes, you could see where their influence was here, where the little pieces of them were ingrained into the very soil among the plants.

The space that his sister and her family had crafted was beyond compare. He'd forgotten how much he loved it, how peaceful it was to be here. When he wasn't trying to maintain his position in the horde, he was often just trying to recover enough to do it all again the next day. But here, in the safety of the observatory, he could simply be.

He had his mate beside him, touching him, and his heart was so full. The quiet of the space was wonderful.

Creighton was buzzing with energy, and it amused Thalric. The calm, quiet, shy man was long gone, and in his place was this jittery boy, happy to meet the creatures he loved so dearly.

When the first Gnome slipped out of the tree line, Creighton's entire body went still. Thalric turned to look at him and smiled at the wonder on his boy's face.

He couldn't sense Creighton's emotions. They didn't have a mate bond yet. He hated that he was missing out on what had to be an overwhelming flood of joy inside the other man. Part of him was angry to be missing it, but he had a feeling it would not be the only time he experienced such a thing.

His mate was adorable and clearly loved the Gnomes so much. Thalric suspected it wouldn't be long before they were back visiting the Gnomes again.

Maybe next time, the mate bond would be in place, and he would feel those emotions in real time. He planned to have a very long life with his mate.

For now, it was time to sit back and enjoy watching his boy flourish.

CHAPTER 10

CREIGHTON

Creighton couldn't believe what was happening. How had his life come to this? What had he done to be so blessed as to meet a Gnome in real life? He watched as the small-bodied being came forward, taking in their features and noting how accurate all the information he'd seen online and in books had been.

There was no mistaking this Gnome, no missing the fact that it was real and alive and right in front of him. He was giddy with excitement, happy to be experiencing this. And then he realized that more were coming out.

An entire group of Gnomes was pouring out of the trees.

Creighton's jaw was practically on the floor, buzzing with a level of happiness he couldn't quell. He didn't want to come across as too eager, but he sure wasn't able to control himself with everything happening.

"Are you happy?" The voice beside him was startling for a moment. He'd forgotten that Thalric was there. The big man had gone quiet the moment the Gnomes started to appear. It felt nice because Creighton didn't have to try to fit into a mold. He didn't have to pretend to know what was going on or say the right words. He got to exist.

"It's amazing. They're amazing," Creighton forced the words out. His body tingled with awareness, and his heart beat faster than he could ever remember. "I'm so happy," he said, his voice breaking slightly.

"Good," Thalric said. Their fingers were still laced together and Thalric gave his hand a squeeze. It was encouraging, and it made Creighton happy. The connection was peaceful.

Somehow this man, this person, had come into his life and presented him with an alternate life from what he'd been living. He was kind and giving, and in the few short exchanges they'd had, Creighton found himself ready to bend over backwards.

He wanted to be everything Thalric wanted and needed.

He froze at the thought. Why did he want that? He'd never craved affection or anything of the sort before. Why was he suddenly having the urge to be romantic with this man? What had changed?

He didn't have time to analyze it because the Gnomes were upon them, and the moment they were within range, several of them walked straight up to Thalric. They hugged him, and Thalric, though seemingly surprised, returned the gesture.

"It is good to see you again too, friends."

Creighton's heart warmed. These Gnomes were happy and friendly with him. This wasn't just a chance meeting, or Thalric bringing Creighton along of his own desire, though there was no doubt Thalric's decision to come see them now had something to do with Creighton, since he had said, "Do you want to go see them?" and not "I'm going, do you want to come?" It was all semantics, and Creighton didn't feel like parsing through all the details just yet.