Page 62 of Bonds of Fate

Finn looks like he’s inclined to push, but after a look from their leader, he nods.

Okay, then.

Gideon slaps Rowan’s hand away from the croutons in the salad and shoves the bowl into his hands so he can take it to the table. Grayson gets the pasta with a yelp because the bowl is hot, and Gideon walks away with a smirk.

He’s a bit sadistic, sue him.

“Finn, wine. Trebbiano d’Aburzzo 2015, please.” They won’t drink to excess because Gideon is a stickler for sober play, but everyone except Luca can enjoy a bit at dinner.

Speaking of which, where are his kittens?

“Leo, can you go see if Nix and Luca are ready for dinner, please?” He hears no complaint this time from delegating the task, and Gideon is sure it has everything to do with those photos he sent to the chat.

Finn arrives fresh from the wine cellar, and Gideon takes the bottles of d’Aburzzo and the corkscrew. Once they’re open, he lets Grayson pour six glasses, though he seems unsure if Nix is bound by the same rules as Luca for tonight’s debauchery. He must decide to ask Nix himself because he places it near his and Nix’s end of the table.

“Gideon?” Grayson shifts from foot to foot, uncharacteristically fidgety.

“You alright with all this, Gray?” Grayson seems to know what he means: tonight’s plan and Nix’s role in it. Leo has mentioned that Grayson had a theory or two about them. It was another thing that he had lost track of in the past two days.

“Yeah, I’m glad I had him to myself for a bit this afternoon. He’s excited, so I’m excited. I mean, I would be anyway, but hecould decide he wanted to join a circus, and I’d be excited, you know?”

It hits him, then.

Soulmates.

It’s what’s been tickling his brain about the two of them. Grayson’s behavior at the hospital, his rebound rut, and certainly the bond bite—it’s the exact feeling he gets with Luca.

Anime? Sure. Dancing in the rain? Let’s do it. Pizza picnic in the hot tub in January? Yes, please. Cat cafe? Obviously. Okay, that one is him. But the truth remains. If his soulmate loves it, so will he, and it looks like Grayson and Nix have that, too.

Gideon looks to Jay, who has the bigger Rowan on his lap, casual affection overflowing now that the pre-rut/rut territorial posturing is done. He wonders how his pack alpha is taking the idea.

“Soulmates, huh?”

Grayson’s eyes bug out, dumbfounded by Gideon’s genius, no doubt.

“It’s all right, pretty. We can talk later. Let’s eat before it’s cold. Now, where are they?”

Leo’s been gone longer than it takes to retrieve Luca and Nix.Does he have to do everything himself?

“Rhodes pack! Sit. I’m going to find out what happened to Leo. Start without us.” He’s half out of his chair before he sees Luca in his red dress, a blond head peeking out from behind him, tiny pink bows in pigtails. They’re standing in the doorway from the right-wing, and Luca appears to be gently dragging his kitten along.

Where Luca is a devil with his bright red dress, dark hair, and a mischievous smirk, Nix is an angel.

He’s wearing the pink dress Luca had picked out for him, but they’d found some matching ruffled panties, Goddess knows where. He’s covered in ways Luca is not because only his longlegs and arms are bare. But in the light of the room, it’s easier to see the material is diaphanous; its shimmer seems to mimic the glimmer of gold brushed along his cheeks and down over his collarbones.

Together, they look like devil and angel—spicy and sweet. A combination that has Gideon unable to put a single thought together. He’s proud of Luca for being so giving and even more of his kitten for giving this new thing a try.

Gathering his wits about him, Gideon smiles. “Baby, I was just coming to find you. We sent Leo up ten minutes ago.”

There’s a giggle from behind Nix’s hand.

“Leo took one look at us and locked himself in his bedroom. He says to start without him—he’ll be a few minutes. I think he liked our dresses.” He raises Nix’s hand in a twirl so the dress flares out, and they can all see the tiny ruffle-bottom cheeky panties. “Nixie likes the ruffles, sugar.”

Rowan groans and drinks all of his wine in a single gulp, wasting no time in refilling his glass.

Gideon is keeping a close eye to be sure that rut does not rebound on them.

“Rowan, enough. You want to play—you drink in moderation.”

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