Page 35 of Frosted Torment

I sipped my coffee and Lex walked past me, then winked. He carried the paper bags full of food and the thermoses out to the porch, then returned to wash the dishes.

“Lex?” I blew into my coffee mug, cooling it before taking another sip. “What turned you into such a domesticated, er?—”

“Angel?” He chuckled, nodding toward Nevaeh. “No one says no to her. We earn our keep and keep our lives.”

Nevaeh flapped her hands at him, then gave him a side hug. “Do you like the coffee, Noa?”

“It’s fantastic, thank you.” I raised my mug with a smile.

“It’s my own special blend. It’s a hobby, but I have a few coffee bean plants in my greenhouse on the property. I spend a lot of my time in there these days.”

“And the vanilla?”

“A supplier ships those to me in bulk.”

“Nice!” I ran my finger around the edge of the coffee mug, inhaling again, then I smiled.

Jossy closed the front door and walked into the kitchen to plant a kiss on Nevaeh’s cheek. “Her coffee is one of many reasons we keep her,” he chirped, and she swatted him with a dishtowel. “They’ll be on their best behavior now.”

A twinge of jealousy stung my heart as I watched how close they were. I was close to my friends, too, or at least I thought so, but their connection with Nevaeh was different. I began to miss my mom as I watched them.

In that instant, a husky voice trailed down the hall from the other side of the kitchen. “What do we have here?”

A man rounded the corner, taking up most of the doorway. My mug slipped from my grasp and fell to the floor, but his quick reflexes caught it before it made a mess. Not a drop spilled, and he flashed me a gentle smile as he placed it back on the counter.

He towered over me like a bear with thick, inky waves of hair that hovered over the top of his broad shoulders. I wanted to grab it and run my hands through the sheen of it. Drawing a deep breath, I inhaled the heady scent of mountains and cedar that clung to his skin.

He helped me down from the barstool. “We didn’t get a proper introduction last night. I’m Vincent.” He extended a hand and I shook it, my pulse quickening at his touch. With a gentle hand on my back, he guided me to the couch. “Let’s sit.”

Vincent looked back at Nevaeh and gestured to the porch. When I glanced outside, two enormous wolves materialized on the porch. Their fur was as white as snow, threaded with glimmers of copper and flame. What struck me most was their staggering size as one occupied the entire doorway, its fiery orange eyes boring into me.

My body quivered as Vincent cupped my chin. He tilted my gaze up into eyes that blazed with the same feral intensity as the wolves. The door clicked shut, sealing off the beasts outside.

My throat tightened as I pointed a shaky finger toward the door. “What are those?”

His expression remained unruffled. “A special type of wolf.”

“Are they yours?” I whispered.

“Yes,” Vincent chuckled. “They help provide security here.”

“Those aren’t ordinary wolves,” I murmured in disbelief.

Vincent shook his head and chuckled. “You’re right. They’re not.”

We sat on the sofa. The fabric of the couch was smooth and cool against my skin. As I leaned against the arm, my fingers grazed over the armrest, feeling the slight give of the material. Jossy and Lex sat across from us on the hearth of the oversized stone fireplace.

“Was it one of those wolves that came out to greet me last night?”

Nevaeh brought over a tray of coffee and handed us each a cup. “Would you like more, Noa?”

I waved a hand at her. “No, thank you.”

Nevaeh poured one cup, then doctored it with cream for Lex. Jossy drank his black. Once we were comfortable in the living room, Nevaeh grabbed her coat from a hook by the front door. She then stepped outside to give us privacy.

“Yes,” Vincent told me.

“Why was it angry with me?”

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