Page 53 of Threads of Fate

He’s surprised to see Luca has brought two bags of nesting materials, looking like he’s prepared to stay for the long haul. It’s not that Luca isn’t capable of staying with Nix; it’s that he’ll be here alone, fielding questions from medical staff who still come around for regular vitals checks or to change Nix’s IV and urine output bag. The added responsibility, interactions with others, and non-fun bodily fluids are things Luca has previously identified for himself as anxiety triggers. To say Jay is surprised it’s Luca instead of Grayson or Rowan is an understatement.

“Luc, are you here by yourself?” Jay treads carefully because he can tell Luca is gearing up for a defensive argument.

“Gideon says I can take care of Nix while you’re all with Leo’s dad. I brought my stuff, and I’m going to build Nix a nest so we’re comfy. I brought snacks and my tablet so we can watch some shows.” He’s shifting from foot to foot, and it’s a dead giveaway that he’s hiding something. “Here’s your suit, you better hurry.”

Gideon steps into the room behind Luca, having been delayed by parking the car. He’s clad in a sleek black suit paired with a matte black shirt beneath. There’s no tie—there never is. Gideon had once told Jay, with his signature bluntness, that hewouldn’t put a potential weapon around his neck just to make it easier for an adversary.

Not that it matters. Tie or not, Gideon in a suit is a vision that makes Jay’s train of thought derail spectacularly mid-conversation with Luca.

Gideon smirks at his alpha’s glazed-over expression. “Alpha, you better get going. We’re going to be late. Leo and the others are meeting us there. Luca.” The beta, who had been sneaking toward the bed, freezes. “You’re going to be okay?”

Luca smiles and jumps into Gideon’s arms. “Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll be so good.”

Gideon slides his hands under Luca’s skirt, only to sigh in exasperation.

“Luca Wilde, where is your underwear? You can’t walk around with your ass hanging out.” He pulls up the back of the skirt so Jay can see that perfect ass for himself.

It is bright red.

Jay raises an eyebrow, and Gideon rolls his eyes. “Luca decided the best way to get his way was by calling names and throwing things this mor—” The words cut off as Luca presses a hand over Gideon’s mouth, and it’s obvious he hadn’t thought about the consequences of the action at all. Jay can see his eyes go wide in a classicoh shitlook that he wears far too often for his own good.

“Ten more, Luca. I’m not going to forget. What do you say?” Luca rubs his face against Gideon’s cheek. “You were asked nicely to put your underwear on.”

“Sorry.” Gideon isn’t easily appeased by a very cute pout, and he surely has a long enough memory.

“Jay, we’re late if we aren’t out of here in fifteen minutes, and you smell like you ate a whole vanilla bean cake last night. I don’t think we want to show our hand too soon, no?”

The very mention of a vanilla bean cake has Jay’s mouth-watering.

“Can you make that?” he asks, and Luca also looks very interested in the answer too.

Gideon laughs, shooing Jay away for the quickest shower ever.

His suit is also black, but his shirt is white, and he’s chosen to wear a tie. It’s an iridescent shimmer woven with eight different threads, one for each mate. Even Nix is represented in the bright sunshine yellow that Grayson picked out when he had the tie commissioned a few years ago. It means he carries them all with him whenever he wears it. That he’s wearing it to this meeting gives him a boost of confidence.

He hands it to Gideon, who efficiently ties a classic Windsor knot in seconds, planting a kiss on his lips with a whispered, “Morning, hot-stuff.”

There is a bit of commotion by Nix’s bed as Luca moves Jay’s chair out of the way so he can haphazardly unpack the bag of nesting supplies. Jay rushes to grab his tea before Luca can knock it over, giving his bare butt a pinch under his skirt. His squeak is music to Jay’s wolf’s ears. “Luca, you text me, okay? Just so I know, you’re both okay? It’ll be a few hours, and then we’ll be right back—”

“You’re going home afterward, Jay. Our nest is sorely lacking in our pack alpha’s scent, and it’s unsettling the masses.” Jay knows he means himself but won’t say so. “Let’s go. Honey, you call us if there’s anything you need, yes? We’ll be back before dinner.”

Luca’s busy putting Gray’s t-shirt by Nix’s head and Finn’s white sweater right beside it, so careful of Nix; there’s just enough room for him to squeeze in.

“Mmhmm…bye-bye, Jaybird. Bye, Sugar.”

Rubbing a hand over his eyes, Jay leans down to press a kiss to both Nix’s and Luca’s cheeks. He then places a firm hand on Gideon’s waist, steering him toward the door before he can find something else to take issue with, inevitably making them late—and, of course, blame Jay for it later.

It’s weird to be outside under the blue sky for the first time in a while. Gideon insists on driving, but the drive to Antonio Costas’s office is thankfully uneventful, and the valet parking is convenient enough that they’re entering the luxuriously chrome and steel highrise with seven minutes to spare.

Finn, Gray, and Rowan are waiting just inside the second set of doors while Leo chats with the receptionist. The entire ten floors house legal teams in all specialty areas, from real estate and contract law to criminal and Alliance law. Even Kennedy Pack’s Henry is in this building somewhere.

Rowan greets them with an absentminded “dudes.” The other alpha’s intense gaze is on Leo, where the beta is laughing at something the receptionist has said. The young alpha has his hands shoved deep into his gray suit pockets, and together with the mauve tie, he looks handsome and mature.

In fact, Jay is so proud to see all five of his mates dressed to impress. None of them are in their element in suits and ties, except maybe Leo, who has been raised with this level of luxury, and maybe Gideon, who is justGideonand always reeks of physical confidence.

Finn takes Gideon’s hand while Grayson follows behind, hands in his pockets, looking like he stepped off the runway.

“Looking good, Gray.”

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