Page 5 of Daddy Frost

“Why are you asking about him?” Roman grabbed what looked like a napkin off the wheel, and he and Kalen quickly prepared the dishes. Once they were done, Roman turned to him. “He’s your mate, isn’t he?”

It suddenly occurred to Kalen that they’d just cooked his own and Quinton’s orders. “What makes you say that?”

Roman gave him a look that said he wasn’t an idiot. “We’ve known each other too long for you to insult my intelligence, Kalen.” He tossed his towel onto the workbench. “Just when I get more help, they’re taken away.”

“Now hold on.” Kalen raised his hand in defense. “I never said I wanted him to take his honeymoon period right this second.”

It wouldn’t do any good to ask Roman if Delta could take two weeks off with pay while Kalen hadn’t even properly introduced himself yet.

Roman eyed him suspiciously. “But there’s a reason you came in here and pitched in, which I appreciate.”

Kalen gave a small nod. “I would have helped regardless. You know I love cooking and don’t shy away from hard work.”

Roman grinned. “All right, spill it, wolf.”

Usually, Kalen was capable of taking care of things on his own, but he knew when to ask for help. Like when he’d called Quinton and his sons to help deal with what he thought was an imminent vampire attack. After dealing with two in a row, Kalen hadn’t wanted to take any chances. But the vampires had backed down, and Kalen’s oldest boy ended up killing the coven leader’s son without any interference.

It was a deserved death for Akai, after what he had done to Arion, one of Jax’s mates. If Akai hadn’t targeted Arion, maybe he wouldn’t have ended up with his heart torn out of his chest.

Then Kalen and Quinton had killed Akai’s father to ensure Ozel wouldn’t come after Jax, seeking revenge.

“Look,” Kalen said, his voice low and serious, “Delta is human.”

“And as far as I know, he has no idea about our world,” Roman replied, his tone equally grave.

The snow leopard was perceptive.

“But you said you know him pretty well,” he prodded. “Do you think he can handle this?” It would be good to get a feel for Delta’s reaction since Kalen never had to reveal the truth about his world to anyone before.

“It’s hard to say for sure.” Roman leaned against the sturdy worktable, his fingers curling around the edges. “He’s a pretty grounded guy. As long as you don’t throw it at him all at once, I believe Delta will be able to handle the truth without panicking.”

But Kalen was willing to bet the human had never been hit with the news that there was a whole world beyond what he had ever imagined.

Roman furrowed his brow. “I’m confused why you’re asking me for advice on this. You’ve always struck me as a confident and decisive man.”

Kalen was wondering the same thing. Did he honestly need anyone’s help when it came to his mate?

“Ah. I get it.” Roman nodded.

“You just admitted I confused you,” Kalen quipped with a smirk.

“Clearly, you’ve been single for far too long, wolf.” Roman patted him on the back in mock sympathy. “If you need the ‘sex talk,’ you’ve come to the right guy.”

Scowling, Kalen knocked Roman’s arm away. “The day I need advice on what to do with my dick is the day I’m too old to remember I even have one,” he growled. “Trust me, that’s one area of my life I’m an expert in. In fact, I could probably give you some pointers.”

He shook his head in disbelief. Roman must have lost his mind if he thought Kalen had forgotten what to do with his cock. He’d never had any complaints when it came to sex, because Kalen was a selfless lover, always putting his partner’s pleasure before his own.

But he also knew how to satisfy his own needs. It was a skill he had honed over two centuries, and he was damn good at it.

“I was just trying to lighten the mood,” Roman said with a mischievous grin. “Since things have slowed down, Delta can take a break, but I’ll need him back for the lunch rush.”

Kalen glanced at his smartwatch to check the time. “Two hours okay?”

“Take three, but don’t return him addlebrained. I’ll need him on his toes, not screwing up because you...” He wiggled his brows suggestively.

A smile tugged at the corner of Kalen’s mouth. “You were wise to keep that to yourself, kitty cat.”

Even though they hadn’t even introduced themselves, Kalen already felt possessive of Delta. He didn’t want Roman talking about his mate in a sexual way, even if it was just harmless banter.

---