Page 97 of Bonds of Fate

The closet. Their sunshine mate was locked in a fucking closet? It’s worse than Leo could have imagined. It makes his stomach churn and scent turn cinnamon-smoke rotten.

He thought Leo was going to lock him in? Oh. Goddess.

Nix is inside the room now, though, with a reserved eagerness, not paying Leo any mind. He disappears into the en suite bathroom, and Leo can hear that he’s opening the cabinets only to come out holding a yellow towel to his nose. “This is my favorite color! Hey, why are you on the floor?”

His mate sits beside him, cross-legged, placing the soft towel on his lap.

Leo must smell awful, but Nix—ever empathetic, ever gentle—is quick to reassure him.

“I really like it here. I’m thankful for this, truly. I promise to keep it nice until the visitors need it.”

Leo physically flinches.

“Nix, stop. Goddess. Please.” His voice breaks, but he pushes through. “This—this is yours. We all have our own space, and this is yours. Yours. You can decorate it however you want. It’s…fuck.”

He can’t hold it back anymore—Leo just starts to cry.

Because they made Nix think—what? That they wouldn’t want him close? That they’d force him away, lock him up in this room like some kind of afterthought just because they disagreed? That he didn’t deserve his own room?

It’s too much. Too horrible.

He can’t stop.

His sweet, beautiful mate had been locked in a closet. He’s never had a pretty yellow towel of his own—and now he wants to fight a psychopath to the death.

Leo exhales sharply. Because after everything, after having no choices—none—in anything that’s ever mattered, big or small…

Maybe they should let him.

Maybe they shouldhelphim.

“Oh my gosh, did you miss the bed and hurt your bum?”

Even though he’s probably got a hundred pounds on him, Nix puts his arm around Leo and pulls him in so Leo can lean on his thin shoulder. “I could rub it for you?” He makes waggling eyebrows and winky eyes, and it looks like he’s malfunctioning; it’s just silly enough that Leo can force a smile past his ugly cry.

Does their mate even fathom that Leo’s tears are for him?

“Nix.”

It’s heavy, and just like that, Nix stops the silliness—serious in a second. Maybe he understands, after all.

“Are you going to tell me I can’t do it? That I shouldn’t?”

He doesn’t let go of Leo’s hand, but he isn’t looking at him either. His eyes are far away.

“No.”

That gets his attention. Nix turns, blinking fast—stunned.

“You’re not?”

Leo sits up and tightens his grip on Nix’s fingers. “No. But I can’t tell you I’m happy about it.” He holds Nix’s gaze now, making sure he hears this. “If you wanted to let Gideon do it, or Jay, even, I’d be happy to have you safe—happy—on the sidelines.”

Nix opens his mouth to argue, but Leo shakes his head.

“No, listen. If you wanted that, it would be easier.” His throat works around the next words. “I could breathe better knowing you’re safe.”

But that’s not what Nix wants, and Leo knows it.

---