Page 16 of Bonds of Fate

“Listen to yourself,” Leo says again. “Strangers? They’re our friends. This isn’t about you. Fuck, it’s about him. What is driving this? This is so unlike you. You’re usually chill—you never let Gideon rile you up—but right now, you smell like someone set the garden on fire, even through your suppressants. You’ve been weird all week.”

And there it is.

Grayson should have known Leo would get to the question he’s no doubt been sitting on all week. It doesn’t matter, though—he’s still not ready to talk about it.

“Let it go, Leo.”

Leo never gets mad. Despite rumors to the contrary, in this house, he always keeps his cool, but now he’s on his feet, heels dug in, hands on his hips.

“I will not. Is this because he’s with Jay? Do you think our omega is more interested in the love of his life than you? Worried that Jay is more of an alpha than you are? That Nix needs him more than he needsyou?”

“If Grayson had been thinking clearly, he would have recognized the questions for what they were—an attempt to goad him into breaking his self-imposed silence. But clarity had eluded him since the moment he scented Nix’s broken body in the hospital.”

Growling, he grabs his beta by the shirtfront. “He is my god damned soulmate, Leo. My fucking other half. It hurts to be this far away from him. What if he is feeling the same? Ithurts, fuck.” Gives him a tiny shake at the end to be sure he gets it.

It fucking hurts in his soul, god dammit.

His anger drains away when Leo takes hold of his wrist and pries his hand off the front of his shirt. “Is that like hyperbole? Are you serious? Soulmates?”

Grayson grabs his tablet and pulls up the star charts. They’re professional-looking, as expected—after all, the Were community puts a lot of faith in astrology. How could they not, with The Moon Goddess at the core of their beliefs? Grayson isn’t sure Leo’s going to understand what he’s looking at any more than he had at first.

Before this, Grayson knew next to nothing beyond the usual sun sign; now, he knows far more than he ever thought possible.

However, Leo gets it immediately. “Gray, these are a perfect match.” He sounds genuinely shocked.

They both sit on the edge of the bed as Leo pages through the charts, and Grayson shows him the emails as well.

“Wow. Fuck, they look legit to me. What made you even think to look for someone? I never knew you had any interest in soulmates.”

Grayson flops back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. “I knew it the first day—that he was something different to me than—”

“The rest of us? Not more, though, right?” Leo’s voice carries a hint of hurt. His sweet, sensitive Leo.

“Notmore, just different. I’m in love with all of you, even that high-handed jerkface Gideon. I justneedNix. Need him. I didn’t know it until now, but I was only part of myself, running after something when I had no idea what I was looking for. Hiding pieces of myself because they didn’t fit, even from myself. Fuck, who could wantmorewhen I have all of you—perfect for me in ways I never knew I needed. But Nix is supposed to bemine.”

Leo looks like he’s going to remind Grayson again that Nix istheirs, but Grayson cuts him off. “No, wait, just listen, notjustmine.” It’s frustrating that he can’t figure out what he means exactly, and it’s stressing him out.

“So, he’s your soulmate. Does hecompleteyou? Is he the wind beneath your wings?” Leo sing-songs, and there’s a sneaky little smirk on his mouth.

He should kiss it off, so he does.

“Fuck.”Kiss. “Off.”Kiss. He falls back on the bed again. “But you’re right. He fills all the holes I didn’t know I had. No. Don’t say it. You know what I fucking mean.”

Putting the tablet back on the desk, Leo flops backward onto the white duvet, too. They’re lying on their backs when he reaches for Grayson’s hand, and he breathes deeply. Leo’s scentis so soothing when he’s not pissed off, and Grayson realizes that, finally, he’stold someone.First, Finn, about his fears, and now Leo, about his discovery. Maybe he should tell the others. Even Nix.

Especially Nix.

They jump when the door flies open, and Luca is breathing so hard he must have run all the way up the stairs.

“Leo! Rowan’s rut is early, and he’s freakingthe fuckout. Nix triggered it with a run, and they’re in the gym…Oh, and Gideon knocked Jaybird out cold. I hope it was by accident…” He turns right around after delivering his dire message, booking it back to the gym.

Grayson’s halfway to the door when Leo puts his hand up. “You can’t come, Gray. He gets one whiff of you, and he’s going to throw hands. I can’t see either of you hurt. We are not going to fight over our omega. We are a family. Please, I can’t make you, but please stay. I’ll bring Nix to you. Just stay here.”

“Leo, we gotta go!” Luca yells from the top of the stairs.

Leo is right—Grayson will not divide this family, but it’s nearly impossible not to follow them out. The only thing keeping him here is Leo’s promise to bring Nix to him.

He can’t make himself leave his room, either, since all roads will lead him directly to the gym despite his original intentions. So, he throws himself into a hot shower and tries not to think about Rowan’s rut or why Nix wouldrun.

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