Page 51 of Bonds of Fate

“Or I’ll walk out of this room, and you can sit in your mess instead of me fucking the stupid right out of your head.” Well, thatisan interesting offer. His wolf is still mad at being denied the chance to maybe get what he wanted from his father, butGideon has never been one to pass up angry fucking with Jay. Or any fucking, really.

“I went to see Carnell because I know our omega is going to try to take that sadistic asshole on in combat alone. Then you—no doubt—will go berserk and murder Hayes in his stead. And that is not something I can let you do.”

He hates that his voice shakes with conviction. “It is my honor and my privilege to protect you and this pack. It is my right, Alpha. My fucking right.”

He hears the tears of frustration in his voice—he hadn’t even felt them coming.

“Carnell can get me access to the bastard, and I can end this before it even begins. No trial. No jail sentence. And our kitten will never have to worry about him again.”

“Fucking hell. You were going to trade…what, exactly, to get this magical all-access pass?” The words come sharp and raw, crackling with barely restrained fury. His voice is rough, his breath uneven, and his hands curling into fists at his sides.

“Nothing you have to worry about.”

His jaw tightens, and something dangerous flashes behind his eyes. “What do you mean? Everything to do with you is something I’m going to worry about. Every. Damn. Thing. You’re mine, Gideon.Mine.”

“You don’t own me.”

“No. You’re right. I don’t own you. But you are mine—body and soul. You gave yourself to me first. Before your soulmate. Before your sweetheart, Rowan. Before yourbeloved nemesis, Finn. Before yoursecret sweetheart, Leo. Before your prince, Grayson. Before your Kitten. You were mine first. Tell me.”

A bolt of joy burns through Gideon’s belly. This is what Jay does to him—strips him down to his most basic self.

With Jay, Gideon doesn’t have to be strong.

“Quest.” Gideon hates the sound of it. That he would give Carnell the only thing he values—a close second to his mates—makes him sick. It’s his legacy and the memory of his mother, all tied into a place, and it is ingrained in his personality. Quest is as much a part of him as anything else in his life.

“Jay’s jaw drops. He blinks once, twice, his whole body stiffening as if Gideon just drove a knife between his ribs. ‘Fuck, Gid, are you serious?’”

He knows exactly how much Quest means to Gideon. How it was his salvation and his only connection to his mother. It had been the topic of countless late-night pillow talks—especially back when they were still courting—and that wasn’t even that long ago.

“What? You thought I’d sell my soul instead? My left arm? What’s worth more than Nix’s freedom from a life of constant fear? Nothing.” Gideon tilts his head, pushing, goading. “So…am I going to get fucked for real now, or just fucked over by Carnell?”

Jay’s eyes go wide.

For a beat, there’s nothing but silence—then tiny smirk tugs at his lips, amusement flickering beneath the sharp edge of his frustration.

“You are unbelievable.” Jay exhales through his nose, shaking his head.

“Well, shit, that didn’t sound as good out loud as it did in my head.”

It’s met with laughter, and he can’t help but chuckle too.

“Right, please never use ‘fucked’ and Carnell’s name in the same sentence again. I think my dick shriveled up.”

Sure doesn’t look like it.

Gideon pulls off his boxers and climbs into bed, sliding under the quilts. He lifts the edge, wordlessly inviting his alpha in.

Jay doesn’t hesitate—he sheds the rest of his clothes and slips in beside him.

Gideon pulls the covers up, wrapping them both in warmth, tucking them in until there’s nothing but heat, steady breaths, and the quiet press of skin against skin.

It’s not an angry fuck, but Gideon thinks it’s better—if he loves an angry fuck with Jay to break him down and put him back together, hecravesthis just as much, if not more. Having 100% of his alpha’s attention—his love, his focus—just the two of them, out of time, is so rare that they both treasure it.

Here, beneath the covers, they meet as equals.

Jay and Gideon.

Gideon and Jay.

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