Page 87 of Threads of Fate

“Come on, I want to snuggle too.”

He barely grasps the back of Luca’s t-shirt, who’s squirming to get away. “Luca, you will not disturb them. Nix needs his sleep, and you need to let them be.” It’s not a request, so Luca deflates. Gideon might feel bad for stopping his mate from easing his anxiety in an omega-scented puppy pile, but by thetime he makes it downstairs to the kitchen, Luca has his sass back.

“Next time, I’m getting Nix-snuggles and I get to be on the bottom.” He beelines to Jay for a kiss and smacks Leo’s butt as he passes by. Gideon marvels again at how good Luca is at loving people.

From his position at the breakfast bar, Rowan is trying (and failing) to be unobtrusive as he watches his mates sleeping on the couch while still making sure he’s not missing out on taste-testing tidbits in the kitchen, where Jay is trying to make something edible. He’s not the only one to snort at Luca’s joke.

“Luca…”

“Don’t say it, Ro. I know. Ha-fucking-ha. Now kiss me.” He makes his usual big kissy lips and loud smacking noises as Rowan pretends to get away while holding the beta to his enormous frame by his ass cheeks.

Gideon puts his chin on Jay’s shoulder, careful of the bandage he knows is under his shirt, to see if he can decipher whether he should step in so they don’t starve. “What hellish repast have you prepared for us tonight?”

“Ha-fucking-ha,” Jay echoes. “Uh…I don’t know.” He distractedly scoops up meat and broth with his spoon, and Gideon thinks he spots a chili or two. Jay is deep in thought, and knowing him, it’s about something that went down this afternoon that’s not sitting right. Jay is an honorable man and Gideon suspects that if Nix pushed back about the transition—which he has every right to do—then Jay’s guilt will push back, too.

“How did it go?” He’s trying to be gentle, and he pumps a bit of calming scent out, causing his alpha to briefly close his eyes.

“As well as could be expected when we got to the transition part. He’s hurt, scared, and angry but conflicted because he’s also grateful and happy to be here. I hurt him, Gid. I did thatonce before and look where it got us. Fuck.” He drops the spoon on the counter and turns in Gideon’s arms.

“He loves you. He’ll come around.” He kisses the side of his head and breathes in pine and home. Since the day they met, Gideon always associated Jay with a feeling of home and safety. It’s not something he will ever take for granted, and he knows their omega won’t either.

Jay is the foundation on which they build their pack, and no one would ever say it’s not sturdy.

“Sugar, please peel me a tangerine?” Luca’s straddling Rowan’s lap facing the kitchen while Rowan is alternating between watching Nix sleep and his phone. The sound of possible pre-peeled fruit has Finn popping his nose out from the library, book in hand, with the worst attempt at puppy dog eyes ever contorting his (handsome) face.

Gideon tosses him a tangerine, barely missing said face. “Ew. Stop that. You are perfectly capable, Finn Merritt.”

“Andthey’renot?” He replies and puts it back in the bowl in protest. Gideon will feel bad later. Not.

Grabbing two tangerines from the bowl, he peels them both and hand-feeds both his babies a piece at a time. Luca nips at his fingers while Rowan just opens his mouth absently like a baby bird.

“Whatcha looking at, Ro?” Gideon whispers right in his ear just to see him shiver, following his gaze to their sleeping beauties.

Chewing and wiggling his butt on Rowan’s lap, Luca is trouble personified. “I think Rowan hasideas.”

“I do not have any fucking ideas. I will dump you on your sore, sweet butt. Be quiet—you’ll wake them up,” he mutters, flustered and blushing. It’s a good look on the young alpha.

“I think it’s time to wake them up, anyway. How’s dinner coming?”

Jay holds up five fingers, and Leo starts pulling out bowls for serving and hot pads for the dishes. He lays out eight bowls, then just stops, staring at them. Looking up at Gideon, he smiles—his sweet, happy smile, eyes damp.

Eight.

Grayson had said they were a never-ending infinity of love during one of his more coherent moments during his rebound rut. Gideon isn’t one for poetry, at leastpublicly,but he is one for prayer, and he feels that place where he keeps his connection to The Goddess flutters.Thank you for bringing him back to us.

“Set the table, you three. Go. Tonight, we are finally eight.”

Grayson had spent most of the first year of their residency in their new home, stressing over their dinner table. He wanted it not only to suit the space but to suitthem. Finally, on a short weekend getaway to the Smoky Mountains, he’d discovered a local artisan who’d dragged a timeless fallen black walnut tree from the depths of the ancient forest.

It’s modern, but carved from one piece and so majestic that Gideon could almost feel it singing its ancient mysteries to him. When it had arrived with eight chairs, Jay had sat on the couch and stared at it for hours. The absence of their mate was a physical pain. He smelled so sad that every mate had cuddled him on the couch until Finn had fallen off too many times and convinced them to take it to the nest.

Tonight, every chair would finally be filled.

“Jay?”

Their leader stands staring into the soup, still holding the dry rice noodles aloft, as if the liquid held the mysteries of the universe.

“I’m okay, love. Just happy.” Dropping the noodles in, he smiles a soft smile and Gideon is satisfied for now.

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