Page 75 of Beyond the Darkness

Hudson lifted their joined hands and kissed Connie’s knuckles. “Not in a bad way, no.”

As they approached their private living quarters, Connie’s pace quickened slightly. Hudson opened the door for him, and Connie hurried through. Was it bad of Hudson that he envied Connie’s excitement at seeing his parents? Hudson had certainly never felt that for his own. More like dread.

As they entered the living area, Connie’s parents rose from their seats, smiles lighting up their faces.

Again, Hudson’s own parents never looked at him like that, and he promptly shoved those thoughts out of his head. His parents and their uncaring bigotry no longer mattered.

Connie’s mother, Henrietta, was as elegant as ever in her dark blue pant suit, her warm smile lighting up the room. Like all red dragons, she had flame-colored hair and brown eyes. Her hair was piled up on top of her head in an artful bun.

One of Connie’s dads, Leo, stood slightly taller than Hudson. His golden-red hair was cut short, but he had grown a beard somewhere along the way. Hudson thought it was very becoming on him.

Leo had a stern demeanor, which was kind of funny since he was very much the jokester. Ford, Connie’s other dad, grinned at him. He had grown his auburn hair out somewhat. It now touched his collar.

“Mom! Dads!” Connie exclaimed, moving quickly to hug them.

Once Connie’s mother was done hugging his neck, she zeroed in on Hudson. “Your Majesty.”

Protocol demanded the use of Hudson’s title until he said otherwise. “Hudson, please. That goes for everyone.”

“Hudson, dear,” she said as she embraced him. “It’s so good to see you. Connie told me about your mother. I’m so very sorry.”

Leo and Ford moved closer and patted Hudson on the back. “As are we.”

“Thank you,” Hudson murmured quietly, then stepped back when Henrietta released him. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Okay, so, Connie gave us an update on the wedding plans.” Henrietta rubbed her hands together enthusiastically. “Everything sounds just wonderful.”

Hudson smiled, appreciating her enthusiasm. “We are still very much in the planning stage, but it’s coming along. In fact, we were just discussing a potential honeymoon destination before you arrived.”

Connie chimed in, anticipation clear in his voice. “Hudson told me he found this amazing ski resort in Colorado—secluded, beautiful. We thought it might be a nice change from the beach.”

Henrietta nodded. “Oh, that sounds delightful! Cold, but delightful!”

“Makes sense,” said Leo. “I mean, you live right by the beach, so why not do the opposite?”

“Skiing is a lot of fun,” Ford added.

“Plus, it’s something Kit really wants to do too,” Connie said.

“Well, there you go. And speaking of Kit, where is this lovely young man? I’m so eager to meet him.” Henrietta clapped her hands together excitedly.

“He’s on his way in.” Hudson checked his watch. “He should be here within the next twenty minutes.”

“Oh good,” Henrietta said. “So? I hear the planning for the masquerade ball is also in full swing. How’s that coming along?”

Conversation flowed easily as they caught up on recent events and shared more about the upcoming celebrations. As they talked, it dawned on Hudson just how much he enjoyed their company. They’d always treated him like one of their own, even when he and Connie were just dating.

He glanced at Connie, who was laughing at something one of his dads had said and felt a surge of gratitude for the family he was becoming a part of. Because that’s what it felt like—a family. It was odd how he never noticed how much he’d missed that until now.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – CONNIE

CONNIE SAT comfortably between Leo and Ford, discussing the latest local news, as his mother drilled Hudson about wedding plans, peppering him with questions and ideas. Oh boy, was that the wrong one to be talking to.

The desperation in Hudson’s eyes further amused Connie.

Eventually, Kit texted—they were just pulling into the driveway. The timing could not have been more perfect. The tantalizing aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the house, signaling that dinner was almost ready.

“That was Kit. I’ll go meet him,” Hudson said, jumping to his feet like his ass was on fire.

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