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With Gideon’s distracted orgasmcarte blanchein play, the pack might be surprised to know their business did not include orgasms.

Or at least, not for now.

With a loud whoop, Luca throws himself over the back of the couch, turning to the generic, user-friendly Netflix interface. It’s not his carefully curated welcome page, but it’ll do. He can use the search bar like everyone else, even though it rubs him the wrong way when he doesn’t see all the cheerful Ghibli covers all lined up in an alphabetical row, interspersed with theWinchesters’seasons one through five.

He can deal. Mostly. It helps when he’s got the movie queued and ready. Out of sight and out of mind.

Rowan throws popcorn into the microwave, grabs two Coke Zeros from the fridge, pouring them over ice and adding the kindly provided swirly-straws to the big plastic cups. “Whoever stocked this place knows us pretty well. Weird, eh?”

“Not that we should complain.” But Luca couldn’t agree more, as he opens a bag of Maltesers and pops one in his mouth. Jay had gotten him hooked on these, and Luca likes to eat them with his popcorn. “The snacks are lit.”

“Fuck yeah. The last place had shit snacks,” Rowan laments, and he should know. The alpha still crinkles when he walks, all so he can keep a supply handy for Nix and the babies tucked into his pockets.

Rowan plops down beside him just as the movie starts with the distinctly mournfulyo ho, yo hoopening ofPirates of the Caribbean. The series is a guilty pleasure and something only Rowan and he enjoy, so whenever the opportunity arises, they binge their way through (yes, even the last one where Johnny Depp was phoning it in).

In no time, Rowan is staggering about the room mimicking Captain Jack Sparrow, while Luca nearly pees his nonexistent pants in laughter. “Stop. Stop. Oh, my Goddess.”

There’s a sudden, shooting pain in his belly, and it’s not because of his laughter. It’s where he can sometimes feel Nix, and when Rowan stumblestoo, he knows his baby is going through something on the other end of their bond. “Ow. Fuck.”

The alpha scrambles for the phone, but Luca stops him with a hand on his wrist. He can feel Nix is okay, and if Rowan stops for a minute, he can, too. “Just wait. Give them a minute. They’ll call if it’s an emergency.”

Rowan stares into his eyes, clearly tempted to ignore him, but drops the phone back on the table with a huff before he stuffs another handful of popcorn in his mouth. “Thanks for this, Luc.”

“You made it, silly. I just added the chocolate.”

“No, doofus. This. Me and you and Captain Jack, and being stupid and shit.”

That’s quite a mouthful, but most things about Rowan are.

Luca opens his mouth to make the smart-ass remark, but decides not to waste his energy. He pauses the movie so he can lie with his head hanging off the seat of the couch while his legs are up and over the back, feet dangling in the air. Rowan mimics him a little more hanging off either end and Luca moves the popcorn out of the way so his mate doesn’t try to eat any upside down and choke.

“Yeah. It’s nice. Quiet.”

“Right? It’s been insane lately, and I know I’m not always helping the situation. My wolf is…grrrr…you know?”

Luca does not, in fact, know from personal experience. His wolf is…quiet. Has been for the last few years, especially. Gideon’s theory is that it’s because Lucaishis wolf all the time. He gives in to his instincts more often than not, and that means his wolf has no reason to be loud or noisy or contrary. Maybe the things Luca wants and the things he receives from his mates are exactly what his wolf needs. The idea sits well with Luca and sure helps him feel good about his choices.

Take that, Dad.

Maybe he can do the same for Rowan.

“Grrr?” Luca asks, reaching a leg over and wrapping it around Rowan’s, pulling it closer. Like a leg-pinky swear.

“Yeah. He’s all:my omega, my mate, my babies. Mine, mine, mine.It’s hardto tell him no. So he keeps being an asshole.”

“Why are you telling him no?”

Rowan rolls over and sits up on the couch, an annoyed frown marring his handsome face. “Seriously?”

“What? I’m not being a dick, Rowan. I am being genuine. What does he want that’s so bad?”

Rowan stops for a minute, blinking in the same way Luca has seen Gideon do a million times.

“Well, I can’t go around hauling Nix into corners and marking him up all the time. Right?”

“Not all the time, but I know for a fact that Nix likes being in corners with you and he likes your marks. What if you give the wolf what he wantssometimes,if Nix agrees, and then see if he settles down?”

“Is that what you do?” Rowan picks up Luca’s hand, tracing the lines on his palm. “Does it work for you?”