Page 100 of Bonds of Fate

“You’re right…maybe with a bit of time, we can…”

“What the fuck is going on?”

Gideon is standing in the doorway, ready to go a round with the new heavy bag. His hands are only lightly wrapped—he wants to feel it, wants to bleed a bit.

“Just watch for a minute. Rowan, show him.” Leo nods at his mates.

Nix’s eyes are a bit wary, and Luca is once again crying softly, mocha scent gone burnt-coffee-in-the-pot because his soulmate won’t look him in the eye.

The room has gone to shit in a minute or less.

Leo is grateful both boys give it their all, or in Nix’s case, not much at all. They go twice, then three times, and still Gideon just watches.

“Enough.” As usual, Gideon is unreadable.

He just heads over to the heavy bag and starts hitting it. Boxing forms.Jab. Cross. Left hook. Right hook. Left uppercut. Right uppercut.Lightning fast and with absolute precision.

The others stand aside. The only sounds are Luca’s quiet cries and the rhythmic thud of fists hitting the bag.

Leo isn’t particularly brave, but in the past twenty-four hours, he’s faced down Rowan’s horny wolf, endured Jay’s Alpha-Voice, and now he’s going to turn the dragon’s gaze on himself for the good of their pack.

Usually, he thinks there’s merit in a cool-down period, but his family is in crisis, and they don’t have a lot of time if Erin is to be believed.

Gideon stops his rhythm to add two kicks and then goes back to his boxing drill.

“Gideon. Come on, at least talk about it. You saw how strong he is. He isn’t ‌unarmed. We can help him.”

The next hit cracks so loudly in the room that LeoknowsGideon has broken the bones in his hand, but he doesn’t stop—he just keeps hitting the bag harder and harder.

Luca jumps up and grabs him around the waist.

“Gideon. Stop.”

Jab. Cross. Hands bleeding, he gives no reaction to the broken bones hitting the bag.

“Stop! Please!”

He’s shouting now, and Nix looks like he’s seen a ghost.

Finn has already left to fetch Jay, who arrives at a run.

“Gideon, enough, love.” Jay approaches slowly, and Gideon only hits the bag harder, his jaw clenched hard.

No one sees Nix step up on his blind side, and when the next left cross is aimed at the bag, his palm intercepts the punch. It’s enough to break Gideon’s concentration.

“Gideon, you’re hurting Luca. Look at him, please.”

That Nix trusts Gideon’s self-control is clear—because Gideon is dangerous.

But never to them.

Gideon does, and Leo sees the moment he locks onto his soulmate, wrapped in Grayson’s arms after his rejection. The rest of his mates are frozen, waiting for him to blow.

The scent of lightning fades just enough, and Luca throws himself into Gideon’s arms. They all breathe a bit easier as Gideon buries his face in Luca’s neck.

“Maybe I should go.” Nix wrings his hands, and his words set off a cacophony of panicked protests.

A sharp whistle has always been one of Leo’s Mama’s best lessons, and it’s appreciated now. “Quiet. Fuck. Nix, you can’t leave.” It hurts to even say the words.

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