Page 26 of Bonds of Fate

But besides the ‘not-so-easy’ and the honesty, Gideon is also about trust and maybe a bit about I-told-you-so. So Gideon isn’t going to give his boys the words Jay will have to find on his own, and to drive that point home, Gideon pulls a blanket over his lap and grabs a bottle of water, with a lift of his chin that conveysget on with it, you made your bed, now lie in it.

Sighing again, Jay decides the beginning is as good a place as any. “Look. I didn’t exactlylie, Luca, as much as I didn’t share.”

“Sounds the same to me, Jay.” Finn has also attended the not-easy/honesty school under Gideon’s excellent tutelage.

“Just tell us, and then I can decide for myself, please. You’d never lie if you didn’t think it was important. So what’s so important that you kept it to yourself? It’s about Nix, right?” Jay sometimes thinks they all underestimate Luca too often.

Just because he often prefers to avoid conflict and interpersonal hardships doesn’t mean he isn’t as emotionally intelligent as the others. In fact, sometimes, he’s even more attuned to the unsettling forcesinsidetheir relationships.

“When Nix woke up and bit me, it was a claiming bite.” He removes the bandage on his left shoulder. It’s deep and perfect but certainly not in need of first aid by this point. It’s clear to everyone present he meant to hide it under the pretense of an injury.

Finn hoists Luca to his feet so their beta can seek some comfort from Gideon and then comes closer to inspect the bite. “It’s perfect.” There’s a small smile on his face. Jay’s not sure if there’s a bit of envy there. “But why hide it? I can’t think any of us would begrudge you both a bite that was a long time coming, Jay. It’s something to celebrate, not hide.”

Jay hates disappointing his mates, and that’s twice this week that Finn has had that look on his face. He’s kneeling, naked beside him, and it’s worse than if he’d been clothed and pacing. This is Finn pared down, and he still manages to make Jay feel like a puppy who peed on the carpet—all he’d need is a newspaper to the nose.

“I’m not ashamed of it or him. I hid it becausehe didn’t mean to give it to me.He didn’t do it on purpose or with intent or whatever. He…” His eyes water, and until this point, he hadn’t been able to put it into words, but hearing it aloud made it harder. Nix had bitten him out of instinct, and maybe if he’d been aware, he wouldn’t have wanted it at all.

Luca looks surprised. “Jay. Were you there? I think you were there, right? Isaw him.I saw him clear that bed in a single leap, land on you, and he one hundred percent wanted to make sure you were never,evergetting away. He would have let you make him come, too, if you hadn’t been honor-bound to stop him. I mean, you were right not to fuck him thirty seconds in, but Jay, he wanted you.”

Finn nods in agreement, running a fingertip over the deep bite. “Luca is right. This isn’t even on your scent gland proper. The blood flow runs through here, but without intent, it might not have taken. It’s still here and deep as fuck. He clearly meant it, even if he didn’t know exactly what it would look like afterward.”

Jay looks at his mates, uncertainty about the whole thing making his eyes burn.

“What are you really worried about, Jaybird?” Luca makes his way across the nest so he can crawl into his lap and straddle him, hand on Jay’s cheek, searching his eyes.

Looking deeply into his first mate’s eyes, he sees only understanding. “What if he really doesn’t want me like that, Luca? What if he’s angry that I left him and his life turned to shit? What if he thinks it’s my fault he almost died? Itismy fault he’s an entirely new species. What if this ties him to me, and he hates me forever?”

Finn leans into Jay’s spine, and Gideon gingerly knee-walks into the pile, muttering, “Ow. Fuck, Rowan. Ow.” He grabs Jay’s shoulder and looks right into his eyes. “That’s insane. He loves you, and heneedsyou. Even after all this time, we can all see how connected you both are.”

The other two nod, but Luca says, “You share the same heart like it beats in your chestandhis, Jay. The same one. I can feel it when you’re together and even when you’re apart. Don’t you feel it now that he’s here? Like all your pieces are right where they’re supposed to be?”

Finn’s looking at Luca with that look of awe he gets almost every day when their beta surprises them. “Awww, Luca.”

“Finn, don’t cry. I love you that way, too.”

“You do?”

Luca launches himself off Jay’s lap, and Jay narrowly avoids a knee to the dick. “Of course I do. I told you ‘I love you’ not five minutes ago.”

“Yeah, but not like that.”

“You need the romance? I can do that.” He leans forward and whispers something so low in Finn’s ear that no one else can hear; Jay watches as the staid Finn’s mouth drops open, and his face goes red. Luca leans back a bit to see Finn’s reaction. In seconds, Finn has Luca under him again and is peppering kisses all over the giggling beta’s face. “Finn…you love me, baby.”

Jay never thought it possible that someone could shriek in “whisper.”

“Okay, enough of that, you two. If you wake the sleeping wolf, one of you is taking that boy’s new giant knot. My ass isruined.”It’s enough to give the younger mates pause, and both track Rowan’s still-hard cock under the light blanket, both wondering if it’d be worth it to take the chance.

“Fuck, don’t even think about it. Neither of you is ready. Jay, don’t cover that badge of honor from anyone. Hegaveit to you, however unknowingly, and he’ll be thrilled once he realizes he’s done it, mark my words. You said he’d done the same to Gray?”

Luca squawks out loud for real this time before shooting a glance over at Rowan, who twitches but doesn’t wake. He gets the evil eye from Gideon but only smirks. The little shit did that on purpose. Ah well, he’ll learn the long andhardway—just as he likes it.

“He bit Grayson, too? I want one. Jay, can I go see Nixie now?” He’s crawling out of the nest, pretty ass leaking come on full display, and Jay takes a moment to just enjoy the view. Even after six years of seeing it, he’ll never tire of no-pants-Luca.

Thankfully, Gideon is not as easily distracted, or maybe his ass-on-fire is enough of a deterrent. “No, you may not. Jay is going up, and you are going to let Finn help you prep because I think our sleeping alpha is just about in his next wave. That okay?” Gideon is right, as always, as Rowan’s spiced rum scent is stronger than ever.

Luca squints his eyes, like he’s debating internally the pros and cons, but eventually decides on a sure thing. “That was a hard decision.” He spots the lube and flops on his belly over the side of the nest, chest flat on the floor. The sunken nest adds a lot of options regarding positions, and Finn grabs the lube, easily distracted by the perfectlyjuicyass in front of him.

“You’re not mad, then?” His question is meant for the three of them, but he’s looking at Gideon, who’s more focused on Finn prying apart Luca’s cheeks so he can slide in two fingers, watching as Finn’s load leaks out and runs down his perineum. “Gideon?”

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