Page 110

“It’s fine. I forgot for a minute. What does Carnell want with me, though? I’m nothing special,” Nix murmurs, and rubs his nose up and down Jay’s mating bite before licking it and digging his human teeth in, to soothe himself.

“Don’t say shit like that, Nix. Makes my wolf really mad,” Rowan whines.

“Sorry, Ro. I mean, I’m not special enough to commit federal crimes over.”

Grayson snorts from the kitchen. “Try again.”

Finn laughs. “I can name at least…” He counts on his long fingers. “Seventeen Gideon has committed this month.”

“Ha ha, you guys. You know what I mean.”

“We do, and the thought still stands. Kitten, you will go with me to the hospital so they can check Gray over, and then we will go to the library. Yay, books.”

“Your sacrifice will not go unappreciated. Will you try to keep the mayhem to a minimum?” Nix giggles.

“I promise no crimes will be committed…”

“Good.”

“…without forethought or necessity,” Gideon finishes, pecking the top of Jay’s head and pinching Nix’s cheek before he heads into the laundry room. The washing machine starts up shortly afterward.

Leo arrives back from his phone call.

“Margot says no problem about getting the guest passes for tomorrow. She’s so nice…good at her job, too.”

Nix starts a low grumble, and before Jay anticipates it, he has Leo on the floor, flat on his back. “My Leo.”

“Holy shit, Nix,” Leo grunts.

Nix pulls his T-shirt off and puts the waistband of his shorts under his baby belly, pulling Leo’s hands up and onto the growing swell of their pack babies. “My Leo.”

Nix hadn’t taken well to the newest employee of Phoenix Rising, but he tolerated her because she was very nice, mated, and pregnant with her own pack baby. Even so, he was territorial when presented with thewoman who’d had a schoolgirl crush on his Leo. Especially whenhisLeo complimented her.

Jay might have believed Leo didn’t do it on purpose—if he didn’t do it every damn time.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m yours. I won’t forget it.”

“Good. Now, I want to fuck. Who’s in?”

Leo jackknifes up, hoists Nix over his shoulder, and runs into the temporary nest room while Nix giggles maniacally.

There is the sound of broken glass as Grayson drops a dish into the sink and scoops up the laughing Luca.

Rowan follows by vaulting the counter, where he’d been putting the dishes away. He and Grayson get wedged in the door to the nest room until Luca pinches Rowan, and Grayson gains the upper hand. There’s laughter as his pack scrambles and maneuvers for optimal satisfaction, but it’s Nix’s happy giggles and moans that soothe some of Jay’s worry about his parents tomorrow.

There’s the scent of sweet black currants, and then he’s got a lapful of Finn.

“You okay, Big Daddy?”

“Not you, too,” Jay sighs, and he can feel his cheeks go pink. He wants to say he hates it, but they’d only be able to tell it’s a lie. He consoles himself with a lingering kiss on his mate’s lips.

“Mmm. Not really, but I will be.”

Finn nods and tilts his head toward the nest room.

“You wanna?”

Jay grabs his mate by his narrow hips and squeezes so he can lift Finn onto the table.