Page 20 of Bonds of Fate

Why is it different for them than for Luca or Rowan? Leo or Gideon? Where is Finn? Aren’t they mates, too?

He needs answers. He’s tired of waiting.

Finn will know what to do. Finn is the smartest. He’s so handsome, too—with broad shoulders and long fingers.

The wolf urges him to find Finn, to fill that space in Nix’s chest where Grayson glows. The need is so sharp that his foot twitches, shifting toward the floor.

Soon. But not yet.

That floaty feeling keeps tugging him back under, muffling his fear and pulling his thoughts into a haze.

The room is silent, and Grayson’s not in bed. It’s still dark outside, and it feels like it’s the middle of the night. There’s a light on in the restroom, and the bed smells mostly like Grayson and himself now. Sex and vanilla and fresh basil. He can detect a bit of cinnamon from earlier if he tries really hard. Maybe he’ll just take a moment to roll onto his belly and smell the scents, then he’ll go find Jamie and Finn and demand some answers.

Any minute now.

Annnny minute now. He makes a purring nose deep in his chest and huffs in great breaths.

“Hey, Angel. You okay there?” There’s a laugh and a corresponding twinge in his chest. Grayson is happy—his mate is happy.

“Yup. Great. Stellar, even.” Nix’s voice is muffled because his nose is still pressed hard into the bed.

“Could you look at me, please? So I can see your pretty eyes?”

Nix doesn’t want to move his nose from the bed. “No.” Then there’s a wrist close to his head, and the basil scent is stronger. He turns so he can get a better sniff straight from the source, grabs the arm in his hand—and then sinks his teeth in.

What. The. Fuck.

He flings Grayson’s arm away and scrambles to the head of the bed, as far from his mate as he can get—his mate, who he just bit.

“Holy shit, Gray. M’sorry.” His words come out slurry, thick with confusion. “Why did I do that? Am I—am I what Gideon warned me about? Am I scent-drunk?”

Grayson licks his wrist, right over the still-bloody bite, and hums. “I think so, and maybe last night, too. Do you remember any of it?”

Nix grabs a pillow from the head of the queen-sized bed and pulls it to his chest; it doesn’t help that pang of uncertainty any, but it gives him something to do with his hands that aren’t holding Grayson down and biting his neck. “All of it. I remember all of it.”

His mate looks concerned, and Nix realizes Grayson is not sure if Nix is okay with it.

“Best fucking night of my life. Did you–oomph.” Nix is being hauled into his mate’s arms and being kissed. Grayson has a hand in his hair, tilting his head back and the other on the bolt of his jaw, holding him still while he nips and sucks at his mouth. Nix lets out a moan that’s muffled between their lips, and the simmering heat from earlier bursts into flames.

It encourages Grayson, whose tongue darts out and presses against his lips, demanding entry. He eagerly parts them to let him in. The world tilts as Grayson pushes him back onto the bed so he can lie with his chest pressed against Nix’s, tongue searching out every corner of his mouth he can.

Nix uses his hands to anchor him to his body and makes a small noise of approval.

Both their mouths are open, and Nix lets their tongues tangle together, matching Grayson’s pattern, smooth and slick. He wants to feel more of his alpha, so he runs his hands down overthe smooth expanse of Grayson’s back over his boxer-clad ass. The flesh is firm, and he digs his fingers in to pull him into a slow grind. His hard cock is riding up against Nix’s smaller one in a delicious dance.

He breaks the kiss to nip under Nix’s jaw and behind his ear, whispering, “Nixie, so pretty. Feel so good.” This time, he rolls his hips down hard enough that it makes Nix whimper. He wants more—a few more thrusts, and he could come just like this.

“Make me come, alpha. Make me come.” Grayson picks up a faster rhythm, rocking forward into the cradle of his hips and back into the squeeze of his hands. Nix loves the play of the muscles and slides his hands under the boxers.

He tilts his head back because he wants Grayson tobite him. His wolf is howling for his mate to bite down hard right where everyone can see—but he only nips at the skin with a groan.

It’s not what the wolf wants.

“Bite, Gray. Please.” He opens his eyes just in time to see the way his mate looks when he comes, mouth parted and his breath catching on a silent cry. He doesn’t slow his rocking hip, though—the scent of his come, making Nix’s mouth water at the thought of tasting it again.

He’s debating about sneaking a hand inside the front of his alpha’s boxers for a taste when Grayson slides a hand down between his legs, then up past his balls. He gathers the wetness there, and then it’s on Nix’s cock, slick and smooth, working it up and down the shaft until it’s an easy glide.

It takes two firm pulls and a thumb over the head, and Nix is coming in shuddering jerks, hips bucking. His mate bends to take his cock into his mouth so he can suck the rest of his release, licking and kissing. Nix would let him do that until he could get hard again, past the over-sensitivity and into arousal, but his mate pulls off with a pop.

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