Chapter Two #2
As he strolled out of the grocery store and into the street, he caught sight of something that stumped him beyond words.
Wulfe was very much one of those small towns where the diner and grocery store were on Main Street alongside the freshly kept lawns of medium-income homes.
Everyone knew everyone, and most places were within walking distance if a person lived on one of the many streets in what was considered “town.” People who lived in or around the forest were a different matter.
But when the weather was nice, it wasn’t uncommon to see people milling around outside, doing yard work or walking and jogging.
That was why it shouldn’t have caught his eye to see a lone man walking from home to home, except it was Frost.
Leif jogged across the street. “Frost!”
Frost froze and turned his way, looking confused. “You can see me?”
Leif’s forehead furrowed. “Of course I can see you. I thought you were missing and had everyone looking for you, most especially Celeste.”
“No. Seriously. How can you see me?”
It hit Leif. Frost was cloaked in magic. Strong druid magic wiped his existence from the map, making him impossible to find… unless someone had druid blood—like Leif.
“Oh.” He didn’t know why the realization shocked him so much. He had known—as a healer—Frost would possess powerful abilities. Leif just hadn’t known Frost knew how to use them.
Frost looked slightly panicked. His gaze shot around, openly searching for the edges of his spellwork.
Leif rushed to reassure him. “You’re safe. I have druid blood as well. Plus, you have wards up only meant to hide from everything else in existence. You have to add a separate ward to be invisible to me.”
“Oh.” Frost didn’t look relieved. “I didn’t know that. So…” He tapped his foot, looking nervous.
Even though Leif didn’t know why Frost hid, he completely understood the desire to disappear. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone where you are. But could you at least tell me what’s going on? I leave town for a few weeks and the whole world turns on its head.”
Frost cleared his throat. “I’m guessing anyone looking your way right now thinks you’re talking to yourself.”
A smile exploded across Leif’s face. “I suppose they do.”
Frost visibly relaxed a hair. “Sorry. You’re right. A lot has happened since you left. I need to stay hidden for my mental health. At least for a little while. I can’t abandon my patients, though.”
Leif eyed Frost’s wards. He had them secured to where only a certain list of people could see him. Leif couldn’t read the names. Those were hidden, but Leif’s curiosity rose by the second. “It’s that bad, huh?”
A wry-sounding laugh burst from Frost. “I’m not even sure.” He waved a hand toward the wards that would be invisible to anyone else. “For now, this is my life while I make some big decisions. I just need some time, and no one will let me have it. So, Gemini taught me this.”
Leif’s eyebrows rose. “Gemini?”
Frost nodded. “His mom is pretty close with a druid priestess. He knows a trick or two. We also visited his mom to get more tips.”
“Leif.”
At the sound of his name, Leif turned his head. He found Gemini on the sidewalk surrounded by the same faint circle of symbols. What the fuck was actually happening?
When their gazes met, Gemini shook his head and moved closer. “Damn. You really can see us.” Gemini shared a look with Frost. He imagined they held a private conversation, like mates tended to do. Gemini focused on him again. “Let’s go for a walk and let Frost work.”
Leif cast a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching.
With a single gesture, a matching dome surrounded him, hiding him from all eyes.
He didn’t go as far as Frost and Gemini.
There was no need to create a list of names or anything like that.
Leif only hoped Celeste didn’t check in on him and find him missing too.
But he also didn’t relish looking too crazy while Gemini and he talked.
Frost went to the door of his next patient, and Leif moved to the sidewalk with Gemini. Gemini stayed quiet for a few minutes.
Leif allowed the silence to grow. He wasn’t uncomfortable. Leif had gone decades over the centuries without speaking to another living soul besides Audor. They had known each other for way too long to have many conversations left in them.
“Frost says you haven’t heard the news. I’m torn on what to say because you will find out sooner or later.”
Leif nodded. “Talk travels fast in a small community.”
Gemini stopped and met Leif’s stare. “Here’s the thing.
You can obviously see us, and what I have to say might make you feel differently about Frost. But my mate deserves peace, and this community needs him.
If your knowing we’re still here puts Frost in any danger whatsoever, we’ll be forced to create stronger barriers elsewhere.
I’m sick of seeing our world do its best to tear him to pieces.
All he does is give, and all everyone else does is take.
But I will take him from here, and we’ll spend eternity in our own bubble before I let our kind destroy him. Fuck this town.”
Leif nodded along. Every word Gemini said only served to confuse him even more.
“Okay. If you haven’t noticed, I’m not in a real good place with our world either.
Walking away from my post meant turning my back on Celeste.
I imagine my punishment will come at any time now.
” He knew what that price would be, but Gemini didn’t need to know any of that.
Gemini took a deep breath. “Celeste wasn’t quite honest about why she wanted Frost so protected.”
It hit Leif. He knew exactly where this was headed. “Oh. Is this about Frost being Lucifer’s son?”
Gemini’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow. You said that so casually, as if that wasn’t enough to make him a pariah among immortals.”
Leif shrugged. “Obviously, Lucifer ripped Audor’s leg off when we annoyed him, but—honestly—I feel safer knowing Frost is his son.
Not only does that explain the weird soft spot Lucifer has always had for him, but I doubt he’ll destroy the place where his son lives.
Frost’s existence might be the thing sparing the world right now. ”
“In my mom’s opinion, she thinks Lucifer doesn’t know.”
Leif shook his head. “How could he not know? He’s a god.”
“For the same reason Celeste can’t see him now.
Magic. A druid priestess my mom knows says someone pulled some powerful spell work to hide Frost. Whether it was his great aunt—since his powers showed up after her passing—or someone she knew, the druid involved had to be imposing.
Even the priestess couldn’t deconstruct it.
Since we’re dealing with Lucifer, it was her opinion false memories were created of his true parentage to keep him safe. ”
“Why would she let him stay in the dark about something so important? His life could be at stake. Every tainted creature alive will hunt him.”
Gemini shrugged. “Maybe she thought his not knowing was enough to protect him when she passed. All of this is purely speculation. With everyone we could ask gone, except Lucifer, we can’t know how he came to be or if Lucifer even knows.
All we know is this is a lot, and I’m done allowing free access to my mate for everyone’s use and abuse.
He’s taking care of the pregnant Weres in this town, doing his best to make sure as many survive as possible.
Otherwise, the closed for business sign is out.
I’ve sat back too long and watched him killing himself for everyone else. ”
Leif didn’t even have to think about it.
If anyone stressed Aspen the way everyone had stressed Frost, expecting him to be a twenty-four-hour miracle worker, Leif would have snapped a hell of a lot sooner.
“You don’t have to worry. I won’t say anything.
You’d be surprised how much I can hide. No one beyond Audor and now Frost and you know I was born druid.
” Leif chuckled. “And I use my magic all the time.” His hands lifted and fell.
“No one really sees me. It’s always been that way.
An invisible foot soldier and nothing else.
” He hadn’t meant to get so personal and let his bitterness spill out, but fuck.
A life of service with zero reward was enough to break anyone.
“Good for you for protecting your mate.”
Gemini squeezed his shoulder. “Thank you. Using his skills to help others is important to Frost. But sometimes you have to know when to walk away. Sometimes it takes someone else to decide for you.”
Gemini’s words took his breath. He was right.
The fear of losing Aspen had Leif sick all hours of the night and day when they were together.
Every day, it had gotten worse, until he turned into someone else.
Aspen had loved him enough to set him free.
Now they had a real shot, and Leif had pissed on all Aspen’s sacrifices. Leif had no idea how to fix it.
With his heart in his throat, Frost left his last patient’s house.
Gemini waited for him—alone—on the sidewalk.
His mate’s thoughts were soothing and sweet.
He was proud of Frost, and his love consumed Frost every second of the day.
There were no thoughts of being found or worries of being exposed.
That let Frost breathe easier. Then Gemini smiled, and Frost nearly missed a step.
He was so pretty. Every day, he got sexier to Frost, and that seemed almost impossible since he kept Frost mesmerized.
Frost wanted to run his fingers through his long, soft locks.
Goddess, he was just everything to Frost.
Gemini’s expression turned loving. “Same, baby.”
As much as Frost knew Gemini was in his head every second of the day, he still hadn’t gotten used to someone hearing every thought he had.
Frost kept moving until they were nearly toe to toe. “Done. Everyone is doing fine.”
Gemini took his hand. “Ready to go home?”
“We should stop by the house and check on it. I don’t want anyone thinking they can just move in and take over or whatever.”
Gemini nodded along. “Sounds great.”
Frost took a shaky breath. Even though he had been using his magic for a bit, he still hadn’t gotten comfortable moving through space and time to get anywhere with a single thought. His biggest fear was losing Gemini somewhere along the way. “I guess this is it.”
Gemini held his stare like the rock he was. “You couldn’t lose me even if you tried. I believe in you.”
With a sharp nod, Frost braced his feet and held tightly to Gemini’s hand.
He envisioned their cabin, and they were there.
Frost took a breath. They were okay. Together, they moved around the cabin, checking each room.
Everything looked the same until they reached his home clinic.
His entire desk and the surrounding floor were covered in stacks of books.
“What in the hell?” Frost moved to the first pile.
Before he inspected the top book, he spotted a note on a stack nearby.
Frost leaned closer to read it. For some reason, he didn’t want to touch anything.
He read the note aloud. “Frost, these are the books on medical care for each species and cross-species that you’ve been wanting.
I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner that you’re my nephew.
When I lured you to Wulfe, I only knew you were a powerful druid with awakening powers.
It wasn’t until you called out for Lucifer, and he came to you, that I realized there had to be more to you.
Lucifer would never come for a single damn soul crying out in distress.
His bitterness and anger mean too much to him.
I knew I had to look deeper. You come from a powerful line.
It took a lot of research and hunting to find the truth, but you're his. I didn’t know what to say.
The last thing I wanted was to feel as if I had failed you the way I failed Tam.
Please know that you are loved and wanted. I know you’ve needed these books for research. If you decide to come home, I’ll wait for you to come to me. You’re owed the choice. Love, Auntie Celeste.”
Frost turned Gemini’s way.
Gemini looked resigned, as if he already knew what Frost would choose. He chose Gemini.
“Are you ready to go? It looks like everything here is fine.”
Gemini’s eyebrows rose. “I feel how badly you want to be here to help the community.”
Frost closed the distance between them. “Then I know you also feel the way you’re more important to me. Let’s go back to Tibet. I can’t go back to you feeling stuck in last place. You are and will always be my first choice.”
Gemini flashed him a wry smile. “You know that’s not entirely true. I know I’m your first everything, but you felt like I was stuck last because of the way you’ve been torn in a million directions. Whatever makes you the happiest is what I’ll do.”
Frost held Gemini’s stare. “You make me the happiest.”
Gemini rubbed Frost’s arms, as if trying to warm him.
“How about this? We stay hidden for a little while longer, but we do it here. You can relax, read your books, and still be within shouting distance if a true emergency arises. I get to rub your feet and kiss any place I want on this delectable body.” He shuffled closer, tempting Frost in every way.
“When you’re ready, we’ll wipe away the wards. ”
“Kiss anywhere you want, huh?”
“Yep,” Gemini said, making the p pop.
Frost couldn’t stop smiling. “I’ve missed our bed.”
Gemini grabbed two handfuls of Frost’s ass and lifted. “Then let me reintroduce you to it.”
Frost wrapped his legs around Gemini and buried his face against Gemini’s neck.
Everything felt easier when he let Gemini take control.
Frost might not have any real answers yet, but he knew one thing.
Gemini would always be there to look out for Frost no matter whose toes he smashed—even the Goddess herself.