Page 33 of Bonds of Fate

“Well, we’d made little tiny shelves out of wood before the break, and I’d love going to that class because of the smell of the wood.” Both alphas laugh. “I was in your room when you got back, and I heard you coming, so I hid in the closet. I think that was the minute I recognized how physically attracted I was to you.”

Jamie’s hair is dripping down his shoulders, and he picks him up so they’re chest-to-chest, bloody hands on his ass, and he walks them down the hall and into the kitchen, content just to hold him. Legs around his waist, Nix tries not to think too hard about how his cock is pressed up against that eight-pack while Grayson hunts for the first aid kit.

“I wish I’d known. Not that I would have done anything about it back then—you were still too young, but at least I would have known I wasn’t alone in it.”

“What are we looking for in my hallowed space, Grayson Pearce? Also, is that blood on my kitten’s ass?” Gideon stands just inside the kitchen door, waiting for an answer—naked, his gorgeous arms crossed, and smelling like an orgy in a candle store.

Nix wiggles to be put down so he can get close enough to follow that scent to its source.

“Mmm, Gideon, why do you smell that good? What isthat?” Nix needs to know where that delicious scent is coming from, and he presses his nose to Gideon’s chest, rubbing it up and over his pec. It’s rain and spice, but also chocolate and fruity. “Yum.”

It’s sex—pure and unadulterated. Just the thought of how Gideon came to smell like his absent mates brings that floaty feeling lurking at the edges, urging him to sink beneath the welcome fog—a fog that shields him from the hard memories the last hour has dragged to the surface.

He grasps Gideon’s hips in his hands, holding him firmly so he can run his tongue over the places where those delicious scents are strongest.

“Kitten, I have to shower and take this food to Luca. You don’t want Luca to be hungry, right?”

Gideon is always right. He doesn’t want Luca to be hungry—because that hurts. His baby needs food. Maybe Nix should take him some, too, just to be sure he gets enough. Maybe Luca knows why Gideon smells better than ever—after all, Gideon is mostly Luca’s.

Before he fully thinks it through, he snatches the box of protein bars off the counter, grabs Gideon’s wrist, and starts towing him along. He isn’t entirely sure where he’s going—he’ll just follow his nose.

There’s a bark of laughter as Gideon pulls them to a stop. “Kitten.I’mgoing to take this to Luca, but Jay needs you to wash his hands and put My Little Pony Band-Aids on the worst of the cuts. He likes them better than the plain ones. I’ll come right back—can you be good?”

Nixcanbe good, but debates whether hewants to.

“Grayson, can you open the sliding doors a crack? I think our Nix needs some fresh air. I’ll be right back.” He kisses Nix’s cheek and slips away. Nix feels melancholy as the scents and any hope of seeing his Luca disappear with him. He wants to be good, but he wants Luca, too.

He lets out a soft whine, and Jamie’s hands are on him in an instant, steady and sure. Strong arms wrap around his waist, pulling him close until he’s pressed against Jamie’s solid chest,warmth seeping into his skin as he shivers. The cold, early morning air creeps across the floor, but Jamie holds him firm.

His smooth chest smells like wood. Pine, Nix realizes now. It suits him—Jamie smells like something meant to build things. Something strong. Something lasting.

“I love the way you smell, and this tattoo is so hot. What is it?”

The bird covers most of the top of Jamie’s chest, with the wings up and over his broad shoulders and the fiery body down the center over his sternum. It’s burning vibrantly in shades of bright red, orange, and yellow. It’s not his only one, as several cover his arms and a pretty rose bower covers his shoulders on his back, but this one is magnificent—glowing under the kitchen lights.

Jamie smiles gently and runs a finger down Nix’s nose, pulling his lower lip down before answering. “It’s a phoenix. I’ve had it for about ten years.”

Aphoenixtattoo he’s had since he lost Nix. “You got it forme?”

“I wanted you with me, where I could see you every day over—in—my heart.”

“Seriously? Jamie…” Nix does not know what to say, so he just puts his lips on Jamie’s with a sigh. When he finally breaks away, he runs his hands over the image of the beautiful bird and his shoulders, fingers feeling a rough patch of skin. “Hey, is this where I bit you?”

Jamie shivers, his body betraying him, and Nix suddenly has both alphas’ full attention.

“Gray told me this is a claiming bite.”

Jamie looks away, his jaw tight, but he nods. His scent shifts—sharp with fear.

“I told Nix that it means we belong to him.” Grayson puts the first aid box on the counter and watches them intently.

“Is that okay with you? That I’m yours?” The uncertainty in Jamie’s voice causes Nix’s heart to twinge.

“Of course it is. Am I yours, too?” They’re both nodding like bobble-heads—exactly like the ones he’d seen on the dashboard of a taxi he rode in once. “I asked Gray to bite me, but he says you have to do it first. I’m not sure I understand why, but if it means I can belong to you—toall of you,then let’s do it.”

Jamie is almost panting at the words, and Nix can feel the hardness in Jamie’s borrowed pants pressed up between his thighs. It fits between the front edges of Gray’s robe and presses up against his own. It turns the simmering in his belly into a low burn. He smells his own musky vanilla scent and feels that slippery feeling return between his cheeks.

“Gray, I’m making lube again. What the fuck.” He knows they were all over the place yesterday, last night, and this morning, with revelations and discoveries, and getting distracted seems to be a sure-fire way to cock block himself, but this seems important and, well…slippery.

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