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“I said no such thing, Kitten.” Gideon puts his hands on Nix’s hips and then down around to grab his ass-cheeks. “I heard you had a smart mouth today,” Gideon purrs, and Nix gives a full-body shiver.

“How would you know?” It’s pure bratty sass.

Gideon tilts his head to the side. It’s “classic Gideon” when he’s contemplating whether Nix means that to get a reaction, or if he’s sincerely making a dig at Gideon’s absenteeism.

It’s probably a little of both.

Luca squeaks, and Grayson suddenly has a lapful of aroused beta, with two fingers of Grayson’s hand in his hot, wet mouth. Grayson is quick enough to slide a hand under Luca’s bare ass where it’s burning hot. Bet it’s a pretty shade of red, too.

Gideon must decide that Nix means to get a reaction, because there’s a musky summer storm rolling in, carrying the sweet vanilla-bread scent.

“Kitten, smart mouths get spanks. Do you want to say you’re sorry and try again?”

“What do you care? You haven’t been here to worry about my smart mouth or teach me better, anyway,” Nix says before flicking Gideon’s nose with his fingers.

“Well, shit,” Leo mutters.

“Gid,” Jay says, preemptively.

Gideon raises his hand to stop them, but doesn’t take his eyes off their prize. “Last chance, Kitten.”

Nix throws back his head and laughs. “You’d have to catch me first.”

He’s so alluring, Grayson isn’t the only alpha in the room so mesmerized that they don’t take that for the warning it is.

Nix is off Gideon’s lap and out the back door inhis bare feetbefore any ofthem can process what he’s said.

Jay is fast enough to get Rowan on his belly before the run can trigger a multi-alpha chase.

But the wolf has Grayson on his feet in an instant, Luca dumped unceremoniously on the floor. His arms and legs wrap tightly around one of Grayson’s legs, as the wolf drags the smaller man three steps before Grayson wrangles it back under control. It lurks, growling and snarling in the back of Grayson’s mind.

“Gray?” Gideon asks. He’s close enough that Grayson can smell the thunder and lightning a chase causes.

He’s asking if he can go fetch their wayward omega; if Grayson can control himself enough to let him.

It’s admirable, the degree to which Gideon can hold back his wolf when he so clearly wants to chase. His mate’s muscles are tensed, and his eyes are flashing red and then brown, sharp fangs biting into his lips.

Is it okay?

Can Grayson let another wolf run his pregnant soulmate down in the snow, and give him what he’s asking for so blatantly? The wolf gives him a resoundingNo!But Grayson’s wolf hasn’t earned that right yet.

He forces the tiniest nod, and Gideon is gone.

Grayson focuses on the growling, squirming Rowan to get his mind off Gideon and Nix.

“Mine.” Rowan’s trying to buck both Jay and now Leo off.

Whatever it is about Rowan needing to run Nix down, it defies all reason. Rowan says it’s because he’s done it a hundred times, and every time Nix runs, Rowan has to follow—that it hurts him if he doesn’t.

He’d not been clear if it was in his dreams or—like Grayson—it’s something he just knows.

Grayson still feels a little of that now, but since they have acknowledged their sweet, floral-scented baby, the wolf seems less like it has something to prove, like he doesn’t have to work quite so hard to convince Grayson with crazy ideas and displays.

“Rowan, come on. He’ll be right back. Deep breaths,” Jay says as Leo runsa hand through Rowan’s hair. It seems to calm the wild beast, so Jay relaxes his guard, and Leo steps away.

Luca gives them two seconds of warning, sensing what they had not, before Rowan throws Jay off and vaults over the back of the couch.

He’s out the door, and Grayson doesn’t stop to think twice before he follows.