Page 29 of Bonds of Fate

Perfect things.

Except Nix isn’t used to luck going his way.

Near-death coma aside, good things hadn’t been his usual life experiences. His brain has managed to keep up so far, but Nix thinks he sees a shutdown point incoming. Grayson has not wanted to talk about theall-natural, in-home, vanilla lubricantcoming out of his behind. He’d convinced Nix that all would be well when Jamie could break away from Rowan’srutand thatthe others can explain it better.

Whatever a rut is. Nix hopes Rowan is okay, and he feels a twinge of desire in his belly at the thought of him.

It’s such a strange feeling—to think about desire, to feel pleasure—without fear clawing at the edges. Without pain. Without despair. Five years since he’s let himself want anything like this. Five years since his body has felt like his own.

Hayes had tried to take that from him to make sure he never felt anything good again, but he failed. Nix is still here. Stillbreathing, still standing, still fighting. And now, for the first time, he wants—reallywants.

Not because he has to. Not because it’s expected. But because it’s his choice.

His wolf is telling him it’s safe. That it’s okay to reach for this, to take this, to claim the pieces of himself he thought were lost. To let himself be whole again.

And maybe, just maybe, to be happy.

After they’d come together, Grayson had run them both a bath. It’s so soothing; Nix feels like he needs a few hours where he doesn’t have to think for himself, just so he can finally let the good stuff sink in.

The water is hot, and the scent of expensive green tea bath salts lingers in the steamy air. It’s decadent, and he revels in the luxury of silence, feeling safe in his mate’s company.

Nix can’t get the blend of Grayson’s basil scent and the green tea out of his nose—or out of his head. He leans back against Grayson’s chest, nestled between his thighs, in the massive white freestanding tub, big enough for both of them with room to spare.

Grayson presses his nose to the side of Nix’s neck and breathes him in, dragging slow, deliberate inhales through his hair—then down again, over and over. It’s difficult to limit himself to running his hands up and down his mate’s thighs while trying not to wiggle too much against the impressive erection digging into his back, their slippery skin heightening the sensation.

Nix wants to go up on his knees and slide back down on itso badly. So, to distract himself, he asks Grayson instead, “Tell me something about you, Gray. I think I should know more about you than just how you taste, ya?”

He’s causing trouble with his words, but teasing isfreeing, and he loves how Grayson groans. It might be his new favorite thing.

“Angel, you can’t say that shit. I’m holding the wolf off, but…” Large hands squeeze his hips, and Nix wants them on his belly and his cock.

“But, what? I make my own damn lube. What’s stopping you from just lifting me up and mrumf–” There’s a hand over his mouth stopping his words, and he can’t help but laugh.

“No. I told you: if I fuck you, I will bite you, and that’s not how things go around here. Iwant to. Fuck, I really,reallywant to, but we can wait, right? Soon.” He sounds a bit desperate, so Nix takes mercy on his lover.

“Okay, big guy, I won’t tease.” He brings one of those large hands to his mouth to kiss his palm.

“Thank you–”

“Much.”

He gets a splash to his face for his trouble, and he squeals.

“You’re as much trouble as the chaos minions.”

“Chaos minions?”

“We call Luca and Rowan the chaos minions. If there’s trouble to be had, it starts there. They’re already teaching you their ways.”

Nix feels the warmth of love in his belly at being part of something so quintessentiallyfamily.

“Maybe I’ll teach them some new things. Nooooo! No tickling! What is with all the tickling?”

“We just like to hear you squawk. It’s an old predator/prey instinct. Alphas love to chase, and if you’re making noise, it makes it more fun.”

“More fun for whom? Do you think that’s why I like tobechased? Because I’m an omega? Do other omegas like to be chased?” The ins and outs of Were culture are a mystery to him,and he wishes he could just download all the answers directly to his brain.

“I don’t know. There aren’t any.”

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