“Thanks for coming with us,” Storm said. “We’re going to spend the night with my family at the clan, and then we’ll be back after breakfast.”
Chase nodded with a smile. “Going to meet the parents. Are you nervous?”
Seren chuckled. “A little bit.”
“Our mom is an angel,” Winter said. “She’s going to love you, and she’ll definitely ask when you’re planning to have kids because she can’t wait to have grandcubs.”
“Not until we’re ready,” Storm said.
“I’ll be the favorite uncle, by the way,” Winter said as they walked toward the portal.
Hunter slugged him in the shoulder. “No chance of that little brother.”
“Ow, shit,” Winter said. “You’re just jealous because you know it’s true.”
“You’ve got time to argue about it,” Storm said. “We’re not having kids for a while, we just met four days ago.”
She and Storm were in the center of the six men, three in front, one on either side of them, and Hunter bringing up the rear.
While there were no guns in Northernmost, the men had batons and knives strapped to their bodies, and Storm told her there was extensive combat training once someone decided to become a Guardian. He and his brothers had grown up learninghow to fight in their animal forms and human forms as well, and she felt very well protected by her sexy mate and the others surrounding them.
She was still a little nervous, though.
She kept hearing that Jack Frost wasn’t going to give up trying to get control of the Well of Magic, that her abduction, the tracker, and the bomb were just the beginning, and he was going to try more things, worse things, to get into the protected town.
Storm gave her hand a squeeze and she smiled at him.
“First group, let’s go,” Hawthorne said, “we’ll come back for the rest of you.”
The Entrance was already humming and glowing. Being so close to the magic made her skin tingle and her eyes sting, but it was fascinating to watch. The three men disappeared through the portal. It was a tense few minutes as they ensured things were safe on the other side.
Winter appeared through the portal. “All clear.”
They walked through the portal, and from one moment to the next, they were suddenly no longer in the North Pole but were now in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Snow was falling, and the late afternoon sunlight warmed the chilled air.
“Welcome to Arctic Springs,” Storm said.
She inhaled deeply, drinking in the sweet, crisp scent of fresh snow and mountains, picking up the scent of pine and smoke from the chimneys of the cabins in front of them.
He turned to the guards who’d come with them. “The plan is to leave tomorrow around ten. I’ll reach out if that time changes, but otherwise we’ll see you all tomorrow. Thanks for coming with us.”
“Thanks, guys, have a nice night,” Seren said.
“Say hi to our folks for us,” Winter said.
The guards left and the portal closed as if it had never been there. The only evidence that more people had been therebesides her and Storm was the mass number of footprints in the fresh snow.
“Well, well, well, look who’s come home with someone special,” a voice boomed out into the quiet.
A big, burly man stood on a porch with a wide smile. He was clearly Storm’s father because they had the same features, down to the icy blue eyes.
“Hi, Dad,” Storm said. He gave a little tug on Seren’s hand and they walked together to the wooden steps that had been recently swept free of snow.
He greeted his dad with a one-armed hug and said, “This is my mate, Seren Winters. Sweetheart, this is my dad Lucius.”
His dad gave her a big hug and chuckled. “You’re not nervous, are you? I promise we’re wonderful people.”
“I’m trying not to be,” she promised.