Page 39 of Threads of Fate

“We’re good. They said he’d be out for a few hours. We’re going to take some meds and try to sleep.” This wasn’t the hospital’s first rodeo—aside from the structural damage to the room, of course—so painkillers were on offer for the long-suffering betas. Althoughlong-sufferinghardly seems accurategiven Gideon is sure Leo said “yeehaw” at one point, and Luca came almost as many times as Grayson in the last several hours.

“All right, my loves, I’m going. I’ll text from the real world.”

“Kisses!” Leo makes kissy lips, hobbling after Gideon to the door.

“Okay, you big baby. Now, go shower while you can. Nothing about this rut is normal, and I’d bet he’ll be awake any time.” Luca just waves at him as he slips out the door.

Gideon climbs into the elevator and leans against the wall, exhausted, head lolling with every motion as he absently reads the posters for support groups and fundraising taped to the walls.

Stepping out into the ICU, he’s surprised to see both Jay and Finn are sitting in the waiting room and not in the room with Nix. He moves Jay’s pizza (ew? pineapple!) off his alpha’s lap so he can sit down. Wincing, he opens his mouth, gesturing for Finn to feed him.

Finn raises his eyebrow, and Gideon rolls his eyes in response. The battles of wills would normally feed his fire, but Gideon is fucking tired of this hospital and the horrible food, and his ass has seen more traffic in the last twenty-four hours than it has in a month. He’ll complain about the first two in excess, even if he secretly enjoys the last. “Pizza! Feed me, Finley. We’ve got to figure out what to do with Grayson. He’sstillin beast mode.”

“Is he resting now? You texted that you had to sedate him? When do they think it’ll pass?” Jay asks and smiles at him when Gideon scowls a bit as his mouth is full of Finn’s veggie pizza.

“He’s currently out, but for how long, they can’t say. They can keep him that way for a day or two, but…” He shrugs.

Finn hands him another slice, this one has meat on it and no pineapple, thank the Goddess. “Where was this when you were feeding me that last travesty of a slice?”

His mate cackles with glee.Dammit, he’s missed the little shit.

Finn speaks before Gideon can, “They can’t keep him under indefinitely. I don’t like it, but the last resort for this kind of imbalance is usually suppressants until they can get the hormones regulated. They suck and they have so many side effects. But I think Grayson would prefer them over being unconscious or having his dick fall off.”

Jay shifts uncomfortably, nearly choking on his pizza. “Will he have to be on them for long, do you think?”

“Good question. Maybe I should go up and check him over for myself. To be absolutely sure they’re necessary.” Finn says, his voice overly casual as he shifts a bit and adjusts his khakis.

“Are Luca and Leo surviving?” Jay had stopped eating, and, by Gideon’s judgment, he’d barely managed to eat a single slice. Might be the pineapple, but Gideon doubts it.

“Luca is in heaven; don’t let him tell you differently. Leo is a bit worse for wear but managing. He was in the shower when I left.” When in rut, Grayson and Rowan often see Leo’s bulk as a challenge, and even though the beta is soft and often submissive, their wolves want to make sure he knows who’s boss. Every single time.

Finn’s black currant scent goes sweet, and Gideon smirks, “Maybe youshouldhead up, puppy, just to get a feeling for things? I’m sure Luca would tap out.”

Jay keeps his smirk on lockdown, but just barely.

“Oh, that’s a great idea. Sure. I’ll just go do that.” He’s out the door in a flash. But when he comes back seconds later to put his shoes on, his face burning red as he pointedly avoids eye contact, Gideon can’t help but burst into laughter.

Once he’s gone, Jay nudges Gideon’s shoulder. “Don’t be so hard on him. He’s been feeling a bit—pent up. Unlike you, he hasn’t had the literal pleasure of spending twenty-four hourswith an alpha in rut.” Jay closes up the pizza boxes and gets up to shove them into the fridge. He washes his hands in the sink and grabs two water bottles from the case on the counter.

“Oh, it won’t be me being ‘hard’ on him. I wasn’t kidding when I said Gray’s in beast mode.”

He gulps the water and chucks the empty into the recycling bin. “Speaking of pent up…how are you holding up? I could—?” Gideon raises his eyebrows and mimics a blow job with his hand, tongue in cheek.

Jay chokes on his water, coughing. “Fuck, Gid.”

“Sorry, Gideon’s ass is closed for fucking until at least tomorrow. Pleasecomeagain later.” Gideon’s robotic voice makes Jay laugh.

“Haha. So funny. I’m serious, though. I’m okay. I can’t think of anything except figuring out what’s going on with Nix. And now Grayson. What a week.”

“Well, if you change your mind… Speaking of our boy, why are you out here and not in there?” He’s surprised because Jay hasn’t left Nix’s side since he’d come in.

“Rowan arrived an hour ago with food. Strong-armed me right out the door after Nix came back from his scans, handed us the pizza, and said he needed time alone with Nix so that he could get him up to speed on how to manage ‘the grown-ups.’”

“Did he use puppy-dog eyes?” Gideon asks sagely.

“No. Worse. He strong-armed me out the door. And I mean literally. Took off his sweatshirt, and he’s wearing that tank top he picked out with Gray last week. I was genuinely distracted by the muscles. Finn nearly slipped in his drool. If I hadn’t separated them, Yasmine was going to go for the spray bottle.”

“At least it’s not the tranq.”

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