Page 19 of Bonds of Fate

Nix’s stomach twists. “Nix is bad?” The words are small, almost a whisper, and his chest tightens as he braces for rejection.

“No, baby, not at all. You’re so good. I’m just…uh… surprised, that’s all.” Leo’s cinnamon scent blooms, stronger now, warm and comforting, yet still tinged with something nervous.

Nix’s mouth waters despite himself. The scent isn’t strong enough—not enough to truly taste it. His wolf wants the real thing—he wants Leo’s taste because the cinnamon is Leo, and Leo is the wolf’s.

His body hums with need, and the want is so sharp it almost hurts.

“Whoa, Nix, no, no. You can’t do that right now.”

Nix is already on his hands and knees, drawn irresistibly to the cinnamon warmth radiating from Leo’s dick. The “no” stops him—just enough to slow down—but not enough to make him pull away. Instead, he presses his nose and mouth to Leo’s belly, inhaling deeply, the scent soothing and grounding him.

With a contented sigh, he lies down again so he can rest his head in Leo’s lap, face pressed under his mate’s shirt against the soft, warm skin. His body finally relaxes, tension melting as the connection quiets the insistent hum of need just a little.

His mates. They should know they belong to Nixie, so he tells them.

“Mates. Mine.” He’s quiet now, just enjoying the taste of Grayson in his mouth and the scent of Leo in his nose.

“I think he’s scent-drunk as fuck. Is he out?” The voice high above the cinnamon-scented tummy murmurs.

Nix wants to say he’s awake, but the words don’t come. He feels too good—weightless, as though he’s floating in a place where arousal hums through him, warm and steady but without urgency. It’s the kind of bliss that makes him want to stay right where he is, neither fully awake nor asleep, just existing in this perfect in-between.

“What the fuck just happened? That’s a bond bite, Gray.” Nix wants to ask whatthatis. Bond bite. Bonnnnnnddddd biiiiiiiiite. It sounds good, though, and his wolf is so pleased that he wants to wiggle with joy.

“I wish I knew. He was lucid, Leo. I swear.” It’s a plea for understanding, and Nix frowns at Gray’s tone.

“I know, love. I watched the whole thing.” Nix feels a hand through his hair, and he rubs his cheek against the semi-hard dick under his cheek. He likes the sound Leo makes when his breath hitches.

“Mmmmm. Leo?” Nix opens his mouth against his mate’s soft belly and sucks.

“Sleep, baby.” A finger in the corner of his mouth breaks the seal he’s created on the bit of flesh he’s been sucking, so he takes the digit in instead—and the suckling almost sends him under.

He brings a sluggish hand up to just under his sternum and rubs the spot where he feels Grayson and Jamie, so happy he’s not alone.

Soon, there will be seven.

**

His mouth tastes like ass. Well, not ass, exactly, but come and…pennies? It all floods back in suddenly. Grayson above him, the scent of fresh basil in his nose and salty-sweet come on his tongue. His cock had been the perfect weight in his mouth—smooth, hard, and bigger than…well, big.

Nix refuses to let thoughts ofhimtaint the sheer pleasure of remembering how it felt to take Grayson down as far as he could. His throat is sore now that he thinks about it—and he likes that.

Ten out of ten. Would recommend.

Wait, there was Rowan, too.

He’d been giggling with Luca about something, and he’d smelled Rowan’s spiced rum scent tinged with that irresistible musk, and his wolf had sensed a challenge—followed by a fierce surge of desire. One moment he’d been perched on the corner of the coffee table, and the next, he’d been flat on his back, held down, with a big, hard dick pressing into his belly, promising pleasure. But his wolf hadn’t wanted it to betooeasy.

He’s not prey.

The wolf had wanted to run and to be chased, have his alpha earn therightto fuck him. There’d been the scent of Jamie and Gideon at the end of the hall, sweat, blood, and alpha, and he’d wanted them, too. Wanted them to witness how strong he was, to see how he could evade and make the alpha—Rowan—work to have him. So that they would want him, too, so he could beworthy.

Then Rowan had made him feel so good, his mouth on his hole and tongue in deep, only adding to the hot, wet vanilla scent of his own body and the scents of his mates. It had only taken the feel of a hand on his cock, and he had come on his terms. It made him feel powerful and finallyinhis own body. Grounded in the sensation of pleasure.

His body, his pleasure.His decision, his choice.

It was the best he’d felt,ever.

Certainly, that was until he’d sunk his teeth into Grayson and tasted his blood on his come-soaked tongue. Then, somehow, something forged itself in his chest, a bond built of fire and stronger than anything, wound tight around his very soul andintertwined with another. They’re different, but both are strong andperfect.

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