Page 123 of Bonds of Fate

They have to trust in others to do what Jay cannot and have faith that they will succeed. It’s not going to be easy.

Well, fuck. Isn’t that the same as it is with Nix? Jay is going to have to trust his beloved to meet his tormentor and have faith that Nix can bring about the justice he so desperately needs.

Jay is not sure he can do it in either sense.

“Gentlemen, it is my understanding that any extra time we can buy our team to make ready our strategy would be to our advantage. I’m assuming Nix has some things he would like to accomplish and can use all the time in preparation?” Erin asks with a raised eyebrow.

She’s deliberately cryptic, and Jay knows it’s because she hasn’t had the time to bring Antonio up to date on the trial-by-combat plan.

Jay can’t think about what Nix needs extra time for—not if he plans to close his eyes in the next few hours. It’s a nightmare in the making.

Luckily, Antonio is distracted by his note-taking and by someone coming into his home office. Leo’s Mama-Frankie’s face soon fills the screen, far too close for the large computer monitor, and both Jay’s mates and Erin sit back, like distancing themselves will make her larger-than-life face shrink a tiny bit.

“Frankiecara mia, I am working. Say goodbye to our son and his boys, and then away with you, my love.”

“Hello, boys! Love you, Boo-Boo. See you on Friday for our date. Bye!” She blows a kiss and is gone.

“Bye, Mama!”

Leo blushes, clearly embarrassed by his mother—some things never change. Frankie is the epitome of warmth—a sweet, loving mother who’s sharp as a whip and never afraid to show she cares.

She’s the kind of mother Jay wishes he had.

“Does anyone have anything they’d like to talk about before we adjourn? No?” They all shake their heads except Antonio, but Erin cuts him off before he can start up again. Jay is grateful for the reprieve. “Then let’s adjourn. Sir, may I meet with you tomorrow to go over Henry’s suggestions and my concerns?”

“Alright, boys. No need for you to stick around for the rest. We will be in touch.”

“Thank you both for helping us. Let us know exactly how we should proceed. I will track down the forms, and we can get on that part right away.” Finn already has his hand on the mouse to disconnect when Erin nods with a smile and a wave.

“Goodnight, boys.”

When the screens are thankfully dark, Jay rubs a hand over his face, and his mates sit in silence, surely taking a moment, as he is, to think about the calls they’d made.

It’s been afuckingday, and tomorrow will surely bring more—a whirlwind so far, but no matter how weird things have gotten, he wouldn’t change a thing. He has Nix back, and he’s finally filled that aching place around his heart.

He takes a moment to rub his chest and thinks about if Nix is resting. The bond feels settled, and Jay hopes against hope, which means he has fallen into a peaceful sleep. Something he could really go for himself right now.

Jay remembers he still has to change his bed sheets from this morning, and then maybe he can convince Leo and Finn to cuddle him. Of all his mates, this combination of sleep partners seems to calm him the best, and he could use the grounding of physical affection to help turn off his brain so that maybe tomorrow he can be strong again for his mates.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Nix

Nix

Nix barely takes in anything of Luca’s room before he’s ushered into a dimly lit bathroom. It’s cluttered but comfortable, the kind of lived-in mess that speaks of comfort, not appearances. The faint scent of lavender cleaner lingers, a reassuring sign that—despite appearances—it’s mostly clean.

Luca presses a new toothbrush into his hand, and Nix welcomes the distraction, letting the sharp taste of mint chase away the lingering bitterness of vomit and fear.

By the time he’s rinsing his mouth, Luca is already pulling him toward the shower. The sight of the rainfall shower head makes Nix huff a quiet laugh—the pack must have bought them in bulk, considering how many he’s had the pleasure of standing under this past week.

Luca twists the water on, setting it to perfect warmth, then tugs Nix’s t-shirt over his head before pulling off his own.

His beta’s body is beautiful and golden, with round shoulders and pecs and the tiniest waist Nix has ever seen. Luca is gorgeous, and someday, he’d like to spend time just looking at him.

That will have to wait because Nix is so tired, and all he can do is just let the warm water cascade down his exhausted body and enjoy his baby’s soft hands rinsing the duvet fluff out of his hair and down onto the floor of the shower. There’s a vanilla-almond body wash in Luca’s hands, too, and Nix can just rest his forehead on Luca’s shoulder.

“Tired, baby?” Luca’s voice is soothing, and together with their combined scent of vanilla and mocha that’s trapped with steam inside the shower enclosure, it makes his eyes close, and he sinks further into Luca’s soft, silky skin.

“Mmhmm. I’m so tired, but I’m also glad to be here with you.”Safehere with you, Nix means. Turning his head to the side and rubbing his cheek against a surprisingly round deltoid, Nix jumps. “Holy shit, Gideon! Have you been there the whole time?” Gideon is sitting on the toilet lid, watching them under the shower.

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