Page 129 of Bonds of Fate

“Come here,” Grayson murmurs. “I’msomething sweet.”

Gideon chuckles. While it’s true, he won’t be sucked in (or off) by a pretty face when his wolf is urging him to prepare his not-battle-ready omega to face a psychopath. He needs to run. “No way. Come and run with me. Your wolf will thank you.”

“You are passing up on a blow job to run through the streets of Nashville at the ass-crack of dawn and just for coffee? What is wrong with y–”

Grayson raises his nose and finally gets a whiff of Gideon, and his eyes flash red for a moment. “You bonded him? Is that why you didn’t go back to the nest?”

There’s frustration in his mate’s voice. Gideon can apologize for one thing without being sorry for another.

“Look, I’m sorry we didn’t get back to the big nest, but I will not be sorry for bonding with our omega. He asked, and Luca and I…we have wanted it, too.”

His mate is on his feet, shaking off his lethargy in an instant with a stormy expression on his face. “Give me five minutes, and I’ll meet you at the door.”

“Don’t run away, Grayson.”

“Five fucking minutes, so I can get my shit together and run this off. Please. Don’t push.”

Grayson’s scent is fiery, so Gideon gives him a wide berth as he blows past.

“Well. Fuck.” Gideon had been sure Grayson was okay about Jay and then Rowan for being first and second. It’s clear the alpha has powerful feelings about something, though.

When Gideon gets to the kitchen, there is sadly no coffee, and the house is silent otherwise. Gideon sends a text to Luca to let him know he’s gone running and will be back with breakfast, adding a reminder to be good at the last minute. Gideon might be able to resist their soft, sleepy omega, but Luca will undoubtedly have a harder time.

There are heavy steps on the right-wing stairs, and Grayson is out the front door without stopping—Gideon is going to have to run like fuck to catch up.

Morning is the best time to run, and this end of the city is like a place out of space and time. It is mostly Were homeowners on large estates like the Rhodes Compound, and in fact, the Were Prime’s estate is just to the North.

But it’s the small neighborhood town center that they head toward. It’s about a six-mile run to Common Grounds, and Grayson’s long legs and frustration mean Gideon has to move at top speed right out of the literal gate.

Gideon finally catches up at the two-mile mark—neither of them speaks, their feet pounding in sync, fallen leaves swirling in their wake. Grayson sets a brutal pace, and Gideon’s wolf surges, pushing at his chest.

The community has a small-town feel at this end of the city. It’s quaint and has a little of everything. The now-empty flower boxes in front of retailers have been replaced with the usual decorations that will undoubtedly give way to Halloween before long.

The biggest draw for Gideon, though, is Common Grounds, a busy cafe with the best pastries even by his exacting standards. It has a welcoming yellow brick facade and several cozy seating areas inside and out when the weather permits.

When he and Grayson slow to a walk, Gideon can see the line is already at least six people long.

People.Yay.

Grayson still won’t meet his eyes when he asks, “I’m going to go wash up. Could you get me my usual, please? And a breakfast sandwich.”

Ah, so they are staying for a talk. Fine. Good. Gideon loves talking about his emotions while soothing his mate’s feelings. Loves it. Where the fuck is Jay when you need him? Maybe he could call and get him here in time?

“Can I take your order?” It’s the friendly, tiny beta with pink hair and a smile that is too perky for so early in the damn day. Gideon orders his and Grayson’s coffee and remembers their sandwiches at the last minute.

He tacks on the dozen pastries to go, just in case they sell out before Grayson has had his say. He cannot go home without something sweet for his Luca, or there will be a divorce. Or, at the very least, a lot of loud complaints.

Gideon finds two chairs in a corner by the window with a small table between them. There’s a small, bushy-tailed squirreloutside, and he’s trying to crack an acorn open on the sidewalk. It’s so persistent while swishing his fluffy tail around that it reminds Gideon of Luca trying to open a jar of pickles the morning they heard about Nix.

Gideon had arrived in the kitchen after the fastest shower of his life to see Luca finally get it opened on his own, but he’d been distracted by Rowan before he’d even had a chance to eat one.

It’s such a random memory to have that when Grayson sits down, smelling of industrial hand soap and basil, he points the little guy out.

“Look at him, Gray. So determined.”

“Hmm.” Grayson bites into the veggie-and-egg croissant with his usual frown, as if the food pains him to his very core. It had taken a few of those one-on-one cooking lessons when they were courting to figure out his mate was more likely to make that face when he liked his food than when he didn’t. It had been a harrowing few dates while Gideon worked at getting a smile instead.

Gideon eats his own unsurprisingly good sausage wrap, and by the time he’s done, the squirrel has cracked his tough nut wide open.

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