Page 51 of Daddy Frost

“Aren’t we all broken in some way?” Raidh stood and turned to face him. “I’ll go get you something to drink.”

Delta simply nodded, unable to meet the man’s eyes.

Raidh squatted in front of him, tilting his head until he caught Delta’s eye, and then smiled. “That doesn’t mean I think you’re a coward, Delta. We all process trauma in different ways. Whatever helps you cope, right?”

“I don’t think sitting ten feet from the kitchen I’m too afraid to go inside of would be considered coping,” he quipped.

“At least you’re sitting by it and not upstairs. I want you to keep something in mind.”

“Tell me, oh wise one.” He grinned.

“Hardly. I’m a hot mess.” Raidh’s snort was cute. “Keep in mind everyone in this house has suffered in some way or another, even Kalen. The Frosts believe when you’re at your lowest point, that’s when you lean on each other, not shut everyone out.” He patted Delta’s knee then headed into the kitchen.

“How am I the grandpa but you’re a fountain of wisdom?” he grumbled to himself. “You look even younger than me.”

Delta rested his elbow on his knee, his chin in his palm.

“Mind some company?”

Glancing over his shoulder, his gaze landed on Hercules, the demigod of strength. That didn’t quite encapsulate what Kalen truly was. But damn if he wasn’t a cavity of sweetness to look at.

“Come to impart some wisdom?” Delta turned back around and crossed his arms over his bent knees, gazing into the living room. Was that a wall of knives?

Kalen walked down the steps and sat next to him, leaning back on an elbow. “Do you want me to impart some wisdom, muffin?”

Delta’s body instantly reacted to his mate’s all-consuming presence. The air around Kalen just felt like it emitted masculinity and prowess whenever he entered a room or walked down the steps.

He just had a quiet, commanding way about him that made a person feel safe and noticed. Like they mattered. At least, that was how Delta saw him.

“Maybe just sit with me for a moment.” His gaze once again drifted toward the kitchen just as Raidh walked out with a drink in hand and gave it to him.

“Here you go. I’m heading back to my room.” He patted Delta’s shoulder before heading up the stairs.

Iced tea with the smell of sweetness like little popping fragrances filling his nose. Delta stared at the drink, noticing Raidh had even added some of the floating strawberries to his glass. His hand began to shake, causing the tea to slosh over the sides.

Kalen took the glass and set it on the other side of his large body. Just because Delta could no longer see the drink, it didn’t stop him from staring at his wet hand and or the dark spots on the T-shirt he’d stolen from Kalen.

“I thought he was Damon’s mate.” Delta was so focused on the tea droplets on his hand that he jumped slightly when Kalen whipped off his shirt and used it to wipe them away. His mate then draped the shirt over Delta’s lap, covering up the dark spots so he couldn’t become fixated on them next.

“Because you hadn’t met Casimir yet.” Kalen’s voice was soothing, rumbling through Delta like a quiet thunderstorm.

“Yes.” Delta stared at his mate’s pajama bottoms, studying the red-and-black plaid patterns. The thin pants looked really nice on his mate. The colors suited him. “He played along. I was uneasy at first, but then he disarmed me.”

“You can’t blame yourself.” Kalen caressed Delta’s arm with his pinky.

“I should have gone with my initial instinct. The one that made me uneasy in his presence. I knew something wasn’t right, but I easily dismissed it.” His gaze detached from the pants and landed on Kalen’s bare chest then glided over his tattoos. “He contacted me right before I went down to the kitchen to get something to drink.” Delta told him about the text message. “But I thought the text was harmless.”

“Sweetheart, you were dealing with a master manipulator. I almost fell for his ‘I’m a moron’ act.” Kalen kept his touch light, as if the man was afraid he would break Delta’s concentration if his caresses were any firmer.

For the fourth or tenth time, Delta glanced toward the kitchen. “He wanted me to help him with something then switched it by saying he wanted to show me something. It wasn’t until later that I figured out he’d been trying to get me outside the entire time. His sly smile was what rattled me.” Finally, he looked up into Kalen’s diamond-blue eyes. “It’s the same smile I’ve seen Leo use when he’s up to no good.”

Kalen scooped Delta off the steps and gently placed him on his lap then curled his strong arms around him.

“He told me to call him Mr. Fox then finally gave up the ruse. Told me if I made a sound, he had someone outside that would burn the house down. It wasn’t until Arion walked into the kitchen that Mr. Fox pulled out a gun.” Delta slammed his eyes closed as a chill swept over him. The sound of the gunshot still echoed in his ears, but he forced himself to finish, to choke out the last of it. “I told him he would have to shoot me if he wanted to kill Arion. So…so he shot me.”

Delta fell apart in Kalen’s arms, trusting Raidh’s wisdom that he could lean on the Frosts, Kalen Frost in particular, while he was at his lowest, most terrifying point. His mate hugged him tightly and rested his soft beard against the side of Delta’s face as he cried against the man’s bare chest.

When he felt like he had no more tears to give, he looked up at Kalen. “How am I even alive?”

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