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

Gideon’s wolf roars in his chest, wanting to throw his sexy mate to the couch and bite the back of his saucy little neck and then fuck into him until he begs Gideon to let him touch his dick so he can come.

He can hear Leo mutter something under his breath after Nix’s sass.

“Gid.”

The slight warning in Jay’s tone doesn’t go unnoticed, but Gideon raises his hand to both acknowledge him and to stop anything further.

This is their game, and his kitten knows exactly what he’s doing.

Although he’s not wrong.

He’s already spoken to Luca about it and apologized for being absent in the name of protecting them, even if he hadn’t entirely done as the man in the park had asked. Gideon’s hand still tingles from turning his juicy ass a delightful shade of pink for his tone and the volume, which seemed to be exactly what his soulmate had been looking for.

Maybe that’s what kitten is after, too.

But just in case…

“Last chance, Kitten.”

Nix’s eyes flash blue, he throws back his head and laughs, long throat showing off his enigmas’ bites.

Gideon is so spellbound by how magical Nix is that he is one beat too slow to hear kitten taunt:

“You’d have to catch me first.”

With the challenge issued, Gideon watches his troublemaker disappear out the side door into the snow. He can’t stop his fangs from dropping, or his wolf forcing him to his feet.

But this isn’t his soulmate, and Grayson has just figured out he should have been listening to his wolf all this time; Gideon wants to respect that, even though Nix issued the challenge to him.

“Gray?” he grits out, and the millisecond Grayson’s chin drops in a slight nod, Gideon lets his wolf free.

His bare feet fly over the light dusting of snow, but Gideon welcomes the bite of pain.

Nix is already cackling, just beyond the retaining wall, and by the time Gideon catches sight of him, he’s nearly in the trees.

“Come on, alpha. You’re too slow,” he crows, his giggle floating to Gideon on the wind.

It’s the impetus he needs to put on a burst of speed. Nix may be a “super” Were, but Gideon is smart—and his wolf lives for the chase.

The closer he gets, the louder Nix’s giggles become as his omega swerves back and forth, muttering, “Zig-zag, zig-zag, Nixie, bob and weave, bob and weave.”

He looks foolish running back and forth between the trees, and it makes Gideon laugh; helps him get his wolf back from the edge of no return.

Nix hears his joy because he checks over his shoulder, eyes wide, when he sees Gideon has caught up. He gives a high-pitched shriek and darts behind a tree.

Gideon can still see his hands gripping the trunk, and his sweater is bright against the dark wood. He stops, though, and crosses his arms.

“I can see you, Kitten.”

“What? No. Nixie is well hidden. Nothing to see here,” Nix giggles.

Gideon huffs and takes a single, silent step forward, trying to keep a serious face and tone.

“Nix Rena, come here, please.”

Peeking around the tree, Nix sees that Gideon is closer, and squeaks again. Those damn squeaks make Gideon’s wolf go wild.