Page 59 of Threads of Fate

The yelling seems to have done what the growling had not, as the voices stop for a second, and then the door slowly opens. Nix shakes his head, recognizing the shape ofthisperson backlit from the hallway. If Nix didn’t know better—and hedoes—he’d think it’s Jamie.

His heart breaks into a million pieces because it can’t be Jamie. It’llneverbe Jamie.

The pain of that realization makes him livid; he snarls and bares his teeth, and there’s blue light coming from somewhere, followed by a chorus of gasps. He hears, “Holy shit” from the crack in the doorway.

“Nix.” This time, the voice sounds so sad. He wants to make the voice sound happy, to make it giggle and hear it teasing. But he can’t leave Luca for what is surely a trick. He growls louder, forcing menace and warning into it so the trickster will back off.

“You okay, Luca?” The voice is addressing the boy, and that feeling inside him takes offense.

Luca whispers, “Peachy.” A small thumb pops up high out of the blankets.

“Don’t talk to him. Mine. Get out.” His voice is guttural and vicious. He takes his eyes off the figure, who is shaped like Jamie, for a second as a hand reaches through the crack in the door, reaching for the light switch. If they turn on the light, they’ll be able to see Luca.

Nix steps backward until he’s almost on top of him, and his long teeth are cutting his bottom lip now; he only notices once the taste of blood fills his mouth and runs down his chin. His growl intensifies as the overhead light goes on. Nix can’t see for a moment, the glare blinding his sensitive eyes, and, in a panic,swings a clawed hand in front of them, anticipating an attack that doesn’t come.

Through it all, he still can’t make himself let go of the basil-scented t-shirt. It’s been clenched in his fist this entire time, but he can’t bear to release it, even to protect himself and Luca.

When his sensitive vision rights itself, he can see Jamie Rhodes standing in the middle of the room, tears on his face and arms open. “Nix,” he says again.

“No!” Nix doesn’t know why that’s all he can say. He can’t think. Everything is too much, and now, his mind thinks it’s Jamie. He’s different but also somehow the same. The pain explodes in his chest; grief and the pain of losing the love of his life like a knife to the chest. “Not Jamie,” he whispers again. “NeverJamie.”

The imposter groans in anguish. “Baby, please.”

Then he starts softly singing a song that Nix hadn’t heard for oh, so long. One his Jamie had written years ago, about forever; about love, and about Nix being the happiest moment to ever exist. It sounds sad now, rather than the wayhisJamie would sing it: happy and loving.

No one knew that song. It was Nix’s song.

“Ja–Jamie?”

Nix finally sees the only person he has ever loved, the one he has looked for in every face for the past nine years, and launches himself over the bed and into his arms. No one is as surprised as Nix when he sinks his teeth into Jamie’s shoulder, taking them both to the ground, thin arms holding him like he’ll never let go.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Jay

Jay

Nix’s fangs sink into the muscle between his neck and shoulder; the pain is excruciating, but Jay’s wolf howls in victory at the feeling of his omega drawing his blood.

Not for the first time this week, he feels the itch in his gums as his fangs drop until he’s panting with the effort to hold himself back. His wolf’s demands are fierce, as they have been since they scented their mate in the ER, and they have only grown since. He presses his lips carefully to Nix’s cheek and his ear, whispering brokenly, “Nix. Nix. Nix.”

The words cause his mate to tremble, and he withdraws his fangs without finesse, growling and pushing Jay over with surprising strength, just to sink his teeth into Jay’s neck on the other side. Then again, again and again. They’re not bites intended to bond them, but Jay feels claimed anyway.

He hears Luca gasp, eyes wide; Jay hopes his sweet beta stays where he is. Jay gives him a smile of reassurance as their omega bites down directly on his sensitive collarbone, sending a shiver down his spine. It’s everything he’d dreamed of having: his beloved mate straddling his belly, staking his claim.

It’s as if the part of Nix’s brain that always recognized them as fated mates—even if he didn’t know it—has reached its limit, and in relief, he’s letting everyone know, especially Jay. It burns through Jay’s restraint like wildfire, that feeling surging again;he wants his teeth in his long-lost mate’s neck to bond them so no one will ever think they can take him away or harm him ever again. Jay clings to his promise to himself and the others that hewillcontrol it. Hewill.

Nix is alternating between fierce rumbling growls and whines. His deep voice vibrates through him when Nix presses their chests together. Jay glances over the bed, locking eyes with Luca for just a moment—a single heartbeat long enough to take in his expression. Fingers in his mouth and cheeks red, his overly sweet mocha-aroused scent is adding fuel to Jay’s fire and probably Nix’s.

Fuck.

Sliding back so his butt is sitting on Jay’s groin, Nix takes both sides of Jay’s dress shirt between his clawed hands and pulls it open, buttons flying everywhere as his vanilla scent takes on the musky allure of a down-and-dirty-fuck. Once he’s got Jay’s chest bare, he rubs his nose and cheek over the surface, smelling and scenting. There’s a set of sharp stings when he sinks his teeth into each of his pecs, where they’re extra meaty, over Jay’s phoenix tattoo, and then he’s lapping up the blood. It looks like he’s not going to stop until he’s put his mark on every part of his alpha.

Jay cannot recall a time when he’d been this turned on as if he could come in his pants on the floor of a hospital room. It’s not long before the entire room is flooded with their omega’s vanilla-sex scent. Like ambrosia on his tongue, he sucks in deep, greedy lungfuls, the sweetness blending seamlessly with the faint trickle of Luca’s mocha arousal. The combination might just be Jay’s new favorite flavor.

He can still see just Luca’s face over the edge of the bed, barely restraining himself, two fingers from one hand in his mouth and soft mewls escaping his puffy bitten lips while his other hand pulls his hair. He’s proud of his beta for not giving into the urge to slip a hand under his skirt because Jay is having a hard time not giving in, too.

Deliberately sliding back onto Jay’s now-very-hard cock, Nix moans long and loud. He’s beautiful, Jay thinks, golden hair in a cloud around his head, fangs extended, and lips bright red with Jay’s blood on his chin.

He cannot help but grab onto his mate and buck up. Nix’s responsive groan is enough for Luca; the beta’s eyes roll up in his head, knees giving out, and he disappears from view with a softoof.Jay struggles not to follow him over into orgasm as Nix works his hips, forcing the ridge of Jay’s cock between his cheeks, right where they both need it.

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