Page 141 of Bonds of Fate

No matter that the injury was unintentional or that it was just training. Jay’s fangs are down, claws out, and he shoves Nix behind him—hard enough that Finn has to step in to keep their omega from stumbling.

His scent is a raging wildfire, thick with fury and warning. The deep, feral growl that rumbles from his chest locks the room into a second, breathless stillness—no one daring to move, to breathe, lest they draw his attention.

Jay is both horrified and incensed. Horrified because Gideon is his mate—his love. Incensed—because someone made Nix bleed.

Someone hurt him—and Jay had sworn that no one would ever hurt Nix again.

Gideon is motionless, holding his ground but making no move to defend himself. His chin dips, head tilting in submission—something so uncharacteristic that it should register. Should matter. But it doesn’t.

Not to Jay’s wolf.

His grip is slipping. He feels it with every warning growl curling in his throat, the instinct surging like a storm under his skin, ready to charge—

A sharp smack lands on the back of his head.

Jay barely has time to register the shock before Nix is in his face, growling—his eyes glowing that eerie, electric blue, just like last night.

“No.”

The single word carries an authority Jay isn’t prepared for, but what really throws him is thepushbehind it—strong enough that his wolflistens.

“Jamie, it was an accident, and you will stop this shit right now. You hear me? Right the fuck now.”

No one moves.

And then—just like that—Jay feels it. The moment his wolfbacks downwithout a fight—he just obeys.

Holy shit.

Gideon falls into a relieved crouch, hands in his wet hair, and Nix pats Jay’s cheek. There’s a collective sighbefore Nix joinsLuca to help Gideon to his feet and enjoys a three-way hug. His words to them are imperceptible over his labored breathing and the blood pounding in his head.

Gideon seems to steady after taking long, deep breaths from Nix’s throat, the alpha’s hand under his t-shirt, and over the wound in front.

“I’m okay.”

Jay wishes he could say the same. He is so far from steady, and the words are the last straw. Where Jay’s wolf has had his say with growls and shows of dominance, Jay has not.

“You’re okay? What the actual fuck, Nix? You took seventeen stitches! The only way could be less okay was if you were fuckingdead.I thought youweredead. Gideon obviously thought you were, too, or he wouldn’t have lost his fucking lunch. How are you in any way,okay?”

“Jamie–”

Fear that feels like grief floods his chest, and he shakes his head. “No. You know what? This is ridiculous. I’m not letting you do this. No more. I want you to have anything and everything you want. I do. But if it means you’re going to die trying, just so you can go out there and do it for fucking real? No. We’re done.”

Jay doesn’t think he has ever been as angry as he is right now. Not the wolf, but theman.

“And Gideon. What were you thinking?” Gideon looks ashamed, and Jay knows he’s right. Knows that Gideon agrees with him. “You are a fucking fifth-degree black belt, and you are teaching a pussycat to fight a fucking tiger. It’s on you that he’s hurt. It’ll be on you if he goes out there and–”

Jay had not expected the small fist to his belly.

Later, Jay will consider himself lucky that Luca didn’t reach in and yank his heart out.

He is so angry Jay can see himvibratingwith it, his fury rolling off him in waves. When he hits him again, he starts yelling.

“Fuck you. You don’t get to decide this for Nix, Gideon, or any of us. We aren’t your fucking property. We’re your mates. Fuck. You.”

The last is punctuated by a shaking finger in Jay’s face, Luca so livid Jay barely recognizes him—hissweet, amiableLuca, who avoids conflict, whoneedsharmony.

But it doesn’t change Jay’s mind—it can’t. Jay won’t survive this life if he loses Nix again.

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