Page 24 of Unclaimed

Gemini glanced over. “Oh. My mom gave me that for protection. You’re supposed to keep it in the northwest corner of your home. At the old house, that was the kitchen.”

“Huh.” Frost eyed the adorable cherub. He swore he felt power pulsing from it. Frost pulled out his phone and opened his compass. He followed the arrow to the northwest corner. It was the living room. Frost cleared a spot on the corner shelf for the piece. The room felt dark for late afternoon, but winter had fully taken hold. Frost pulled back the curtains that covered the French doors, letting the sunlight in. He met the stare of a cobra.

“For fuck’s sake.”

At the sound of his aggravation, Gemini appeared at his back. “Oh.” He stepped around Frost and opened the door. The moment he did, Riku stepped inside. He was fully dressed from head to toe in black.

“Thank you. This isn’t snake weather.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. It was you this whole time?”

Riku didn’t even look ashamed. “Celeste asked me to protect you. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

Frost shook his head. It seemed like he should have some argument here, but he couldn’t think of it at the moment. “Why do you have on clothes when you shift? Gemini is out here just showing his body to everyone.”

Gemini and Riku exchanged a glance, as if silently laughing at him.

Riku met his stare again. “Godling,” he said, pointing at himself, reminding Frost he was much more powerful than most. “I’ve come to help you unpack.”

A disbelieving-sounding snort escaped Gemini.

Riku’s smile grew. “And draw protection wards around your home. Celeste says they’re necessary to keep people from popping in unannounced for Frost’s help. It seems that’s a problem at Jonathan’s place. With more vampires heading this way, it’ll likely become an issue here as well.”

“In that case, I’m happy to see you.” Frost paused. “Not that I wasn’t already happy to see you.”

Riku laughed and got to work. One by one, more of the townsfolk appeared to help. Waylon and Audor arrived, followed shortly by Leif and two wolves he had met briefly. Before long, Deidra’s husband manned the grill while people demanded various degrees of rare meat. From the couch, Frost shook his head.

“Thank you.”

Frost glanced over at Deidra at the words. “For what?”

She motioned toward where her husband stood outside, drinking a beer and laughing. “We used to do this kind of thingback in Georgia almost every weekend. It was a little warmer, but Jacen loved being around his friends. You’re giving it back to him. I don’t think anyone would’ve let us in if you hadn’t befriended me.”

Frost draped his arm over her shoulders and cuddled close. “For the record, you befriended me because I’m awkward as hell. But I’m glad you’re here. Meeting you has been one of the best parts of moving to this town.”

As he said the words, Gemini turned his head. Their gazes met through the glass door. Hunger rose inside Frost. He didn’t know if it was Gemini’s or his. Not that it mattered. They were one.

“You’re making a difference around here. I don’t think Boston could say that.”

Frost couldn’t deny the claim. There was nothing in Boston for him. Never had been. “Do you want to bundle up and join the guys?”

A loud bark of laughter burst from Deidra. “Hell no. They’re insane to be standing out in that wind. Let the dumbasses freeze and drink. You owe me all the juicy details about that fine-ass man you married. I’ve never seen anything like it. That man married so damn fast. He must be smart as hell. He wasn’t about to let you get away.”

Frost laughed, but his gaze slid Gemini’s way again. His heart skipped a beat. There was no power in heaven or on earth thatcould keep them apart. Frost would choose Gemini in every lifetime. This was beyond love. It was fate.

People couldn’t leave quickly enough for Gemini. He wasn’t used to spending so much time in a crowd. As much as he appreciated the help and was glad Frost got to spend time with his friends, they were still newly mated. Gemini just wanted to sit with Frost.

“Do you think your mom will like me?”

The only reason Gemini didn’t laugh was because he felt Frost’s genuine worry. His mom planned to visit soon, and Frost had barely thought of anything else.

“Baby, you are who Celeste chose for me. How could she find fault in that?”

Frost shrugged. “She doesn’t live with your dad.”

Gemini shifted positions on the couch, getting more comfortable and tucking Frost closer. “They’re not mates.”

The way Frost looked at him, completely horrified, made Gemini laugh. “It happens in the Were world just as much as it happens with humans. Maybe more so since our lives are so long. Just because a Were hasn’t met their mate doesn’t mean they’re not out there getting busy with every animal they meet. Babies are made that way,” Gemini tacked on with a laugh.

---