Page 4 of Daddy Frost

“Over medium,” Kalen grunted, still unable to tear his gaze away from Delta.

His mate was undeniably stunning, with a perfect blend of feminine, boyish, and masculine features that made him incredibly good-looking.

But it was those captivating green-gray eyes that had caught Kalen’s attention from the moment they landed on him.

Human.

Damn.

This complicated things in many ways, namely taking Delta around his very pregnant son, Damon.

Not to mention the fact three members of the Frost household had pointed ears and four of them had wings.

Or how two of them drank blood.

Kalen’s home had become full of life and occasional mishaps. He loved his boys and, for a time, had worried about three dark fae in his home, still did to an extent, but he wouldn’t change a thing about his life.

Except for finding his mate, which he just had. Now he needed to figure out how to break the news to the human that a preternatural world existed.

“I was thinking about shaving off all the hair on my body and joining a boyband. Maybe go on tour naked,” Quinton said. “Might even have exotic animals running amok on the stage while fairies throw hex bombs at the crowds. Are there such thing as hex bombs?”

“No thanks, I don’t need a refill,” Kalen replied.

Quinton slammed his hand down on the table, causing everything on it to bounce. “Earth to Kalen.”

Kalen tore his gaze away from Delta and glared at Quinton. “I just found my mate, and you’re rambling on about breakfast. Who do you think I’m going to focus on? A hairy-ass bear shifter or the human I have to talk to about our world?”

Kalen grinned when he caught a glimpse of his mate peeking over at him, only to quickly turn away with a blush.

If this was Delta’s first day, he probably wouldn’t want to take any time off. He’d most likely want to make a good impression for his new boss.

“That’s what I love about having breakfast with you,” Quinton said. “Good coffee and stinging insults.”

The bear shifter wasn’t insulted. Kalen had known Quinton for over two hundred years and they’d said a hell of a lot worse to each other without taking offense.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” Kalen got up from his seat and walked through the door leading into the kitchen, knocking before fully entering.

“Hey, Kalen,” Roman greeted him, moving around quickly as he cooked.

The guy definitely needed some help, other than just hiring a new server. If Kalen wanted to talk to the snow leopard, he was going to have to pitch in and help.

He grabbed an order ticket and began filling it out then tossed the completed dishes onto the pass. “You have a new employee.”

Roman added four plates alongside Kalen’s and began stirring a pot of grits while pouring pancake batter onto the griddle. “Delta started this morning.” He paused for a moment. “Is something wrong?”

“Not at all.” Kalen toasted some bagels then flipped the pancakes for Roman while Roman turned multiple sausage patties and bacon.

“Good. I know Delta pretty well. I used to bring meals over to his mom’s house when she was too sick to work.”

Kalen was aware of Roman’s charitable efforts outside of running the diner. Not only did he run the diner, but he also provided free boxed meals for elderly and disabled individuals in the community. Most preternatural beings had enough wealth to last them their entire extended lives, so giving away meals wouldn’t affect Roman’s profits.

“You said ‘used to,’” Kalen noted.

Roman skillfully cracked open a dozen eggs and whipped up two perfect omelets. “Yeah, Angelina passed away about six months ago,” he said as he worked. “From what Delta told me, she had some rare blood disorder that couldn’t be cured. It’s a real shame. She was such a kind woman.”

Kalen helped with the cooking, his mind still dwelling on the recent loss his mate had experienced. He wished he had been there for Delta during that difficult time.

Having gone through the pain of losing someone he loved dearly himself, over 150 years ago, Kalen knew how hard it could be.

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