Page 30 of Daddy Frost

Her gaze shifted to Kalen. “You haven’t talked with him yet?”

“It’s kind of hard when he was ambushed as soon as he arrived,” Kalen replied.

“Except for the pups, our family is finally complete!” Elvine exclaimed, clapping her hands together and fluttering her wings excitedly.

Turning to face Kalen, Delta asked, “What haven’t you told me?”

Chapter Eight

Watching Delta fight back tears struck Kalen square in his heart and left behind a small bruise. It had taken him only a microsecond to understand why Delta had a pained expression. The guy had yet to process his mother’s death. It was also obvious from the way Delta clung to Elvine and the wet lashes his mate tried to hide.

Even Elvine had felt the pain Delta kept trapped inside of him.

There wasn’t any shame in mourning the loss of someone you cared about. It had taken a long time for Kalen to get past his wife’s death, and he more than understood his mate’s grief.

Delta cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed to hear Elvine speak the truth out loud.

“Don’t worry, Daddy Frost.” She patted Delta’s cheek with a bright smile. “This house is filled with love and kindness. You’ll get so much sweetness you’ll have a bunch of cavities in no time.”

Delta’s stomach took that moment to rumble again.

“Looks like someone is hungry.” Elvine stated the obvious.

“Which means it’s time I took Delta inside and whipped up something for him.” Kalen opened the screen door to allow his mate and Elvine to pass under his arm as the two entered, and then he glanced back at his son. “Are we good, or do we need to settle this further?”

Jax was gazing at the doorway. “It was my wolf reacting to another male touching our pregnant mate.” He looked compassionately at Kalen. “I have no problem with Elvine hugging him. She was right. He looks like he needs more than one. Do you know why?”

They were a close-knit family, had always had each other’s back, and Kalen appreciated his son’s concern. “He lost his mom six months back.”

“Shit. I know how that pain feels.” Jax rubbed the center of his chest. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’ll let you know if there is.” Kalen walked inside and headed straight for the kitchen. His mate wasn’t the only one starving. When Kalen had come home to get ready for his outing with Delta, he hadn’t eaten. It was late evening, and so far today, all he’d had were snacks at the ice cream parlor.

Kalen came up short when he spotted his mate by the stairs that led to the second floor, gazing up at Jaytee, then down at his flat gut. “I’ve never met twins before.”

There was no doubt in Kalen’s mind his mate was thinking the same thing he had earlier. Comparing Jaytee’s flat gut to Damon’s swollen belly.

Only Delta was too polite to say anything about the contradiction.

“If you get confused, just remember I’m the good-looking one.” Jaytee gave Delta a devilish grin. “But don’t feel bad. Even my old man has gotten us confused sometimes.”

By scent, Kalen could tell which one was which. By sight alone, he’d mixed them up at least a hundred times, if not more.

He also wished Jaytee wouldn’t refer to him as “old man” since Delta had confessed he normally didn’t date older men. Now Kalen wondered what his mate thought of him after he’d revealed his age.

“How are you the better looking one when you two are identical?” Delta’s gorgeous smile was teasing, and damn, Kalen wanted to haul his mate upstairs to his bedroom and have the human smile at him in the same way while they were naked.

“Don’t let him pull his Rick Blaine on you.” Damon exited the kitchen, a plate of fried chicken in his hands.

Kalen growled when he remembered his son had started a small grease fire earlier. He’d yet to see the damage, but hoped it wasn’t too extensive.

Cooking was a passion Kalen thoroughly loved. So much so that when he’d built his home, he’d meticulously designed the kitchen himself, making it not only a blend of functionality and aesthetic appeal but also an inviting space to create cherished memories.

Bracing himself, he headed into the kitchen to assess the damage, leaving Delta with Jaytee. His mate was a part of this family now, and Kalen wanted him to become comfortable with everyone.

Besides, Delta didn’t need him constantly hovering, even if that was exactly what Kalen wanted to do. None of this felt real. It felt like Delta was some gorgeous creation who’d entered Kalen’s dreams. Eventually he would wake up, only to find Delta had been nothing more than a tortured reminder of just how alone Kalen truly was.

Surveying the stove and surrounding countertops, he was hard-pressed to find a single indication a fire had even started. There was only one explanation for the lack of evidence.

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