Page 4 of Caught By Her Guardian
“How was your shift?”Winter asked.He was sitting on the couch in the gathering area for the polar bears that was connected to the individual apartments.
“Cold.”
“It’ll get worse since it’s Solstice.”
“I know,” he said, shaking his head.“But I don’t mind the cold since we get to go home for the night.”
Normally, because Jack Frost spent the time leading up to Christmas Day trying to kill his brother, Santa, and take over the Well of Magic, it was all-hands-on-deck in the security office, and no one took time off.Santa had made an exception for Winter and Hunter because Storm’s little boy, Hale, had been born a week early, and the clan was having a big party to celebrate.
Jack Frost was too busy spreading ice and cold over the world to bother with trying to get into Northernmost or take out any of the security team, so they were fairly certain it was safe to be away for the night and return in the morning.
“I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes,” he said.“Lemme change and grab my bag.”
“Orin’s asleep,” Winter said, mentioning the polar bear who’d replaced their brother, one of the clan members.“He asked if we’d stop at his parents’ and drop off something his dad asked him to pick up for his little sister.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Winter changed out of his uniform and cleaned up, dressing in comfortable jeans and a thick hoodie.While shifters didn’t tend to get cold, it was going to beverycold once Frost hit the States with his magic, and he didn’t want to get stuck outside waiting for the portal in the morning and freezing his nips off.
After running a hand through his white-blond hair, he grabbed his puffer coat and his backpack, excited to meet his nephew Hale.
The name made his chest tighten.He was so happy for his brother, but he also wanted that for himself.He wanted to find his truemate and start a family.
Someday freaking soon.
Striding from the apartment, he shouldered his backpack and grabbed the baby gift that the elves had helped him and Winter put together, while Winter stood with his own backpack and Orin’s package under his arm.
They made their way through the corridors to the surface, bracing against the cold and walking out into the chilly, frozen terrain.The elves had cleared paths from the main building to the Well of Magic and the Portal.While magical people could open a portal from anywhere in the world to Northernmost, they all opened at the Portal, and the security team ensured that there were staff to keep everyone safe.
Shifters weren’t magical so they couldn’t open portals on their own, which was why they were meeting their elf escorts at the Portal.The Portal was already glowing as its magic was being tapped, and three elves stood by it.
“Hey, guys, ready to go?”Griffin asked.
“Yep,” Winter said.“Thanks for opening the portal for us and covering my shift.”
“You bet.Say hi to Storm for us,” Ventura said.
The elves activated the Portal, and it opened, and they could see their clan’s territory.Once they checked out the area to ensure it was safe, they wished them well.
“We’ll open the portal here tomorrow morning at seven,” Griffin said.“If anything changes, just holler.”
“Will do,” Hunter said.
The portal closed and they turned around, seeing the freshly fallen snow.He took a moment to inhale the sweet smell of the snow and the trees.
Home.
“It’s good to be here,” he said.
“Agreed.Let’s go check in with the folks and meet our new nephew!”
The town of Arctic Springs was tucked in northern Pennsylvania, deep in the wilderness.They moved through the woods toward their parents’ home.
Hunter inhaled and grinned.“Smells like Mom made her cinnamon apple cider.”
“Hell yes,” Winter said.
They made their way to their parents’ home, which was next to their brother’s home.Since Hunter and Winter lived in Northernmost, they didn’t have homes in town and stayed with their parents when they visited.
