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“Well—” he says, voice cracking. Clearing his throat, he starts again. “Well, I would let you win. Like I always do.”

It’s not what Gideon expects, and when his eyes go wide, Rowan slips out of his hold and scampers away (as much as a 225-pound six-foot-five dude can scamper), giggling.

It’s weird how being chased isn’t as fun as doing the chasing, so when he’s tackled to his front on the sectional couch, he flips over so he can hold Gideon close on top of him. Tilting his hips up so he canrub his semi against Gideon’s and hear him moan.

There are loud crinkling noises because of all his pocket snacks, and Gideon freezes above him. “It’s hard to find you sexy when you sound like this.”

There’s a whisper of air, and Nix’s face is suddenly even with his own.

Naked, he brings with him the scents of his family; of their nest, even in this strange den. And of freshly mown green grass.

“I heard you crinkling, Ro, and I’m abruptly reminded that I’m hungry.” He kisses Gideon’s cheek and breathes in. “French toast, bacon, and….” He looks at Rowan and licks him right where the strawberry had landed ten minutes ago. “Strawberries.”

Gideon slides off Rowan, then lifts Nix under his thighs. “Come on then, Kitten. Let me feed you this time.”

Rowan’s wolf growls at therudeinsinuation that they can’t provide for their omega and child.

“And Ro?” He says without turning around. “I’ll think about what you said.”

The apology, he means, which is all Rowan can ask.

Maybe he really can do this Dad thing.

Patting himself on the back, he whispers, “Good job, Rowan.”

Turns out, making Nix food gets a much better result than just pulling prepackaged snacks out of his pockets. “Alpha madethis?” his omega purrs, followed by, “Andbacontoo? Oh, I love bacon, Ro.”

There’s a laugh behind him when Rowan gives in to a full-body wiggle.How embarrassing.

“Oh, our Ro is so cute!” Jay says, helping himself to both bacon and a kiss from Rowan’s mates. He’s smart enough to avoid Rowan’s snapping teeth and flashing red eyes.

Jay isn’t cowed by the display, however, and laughs.

“Don’t be mean, Jamie. Do you need some food for Finn and Leo?” Jay nods but doesn’t take anymore from the bounty sitting beside Nix’s naked butt on the counter.

Oh, how times have changed: naked butts on the counter, naked mates inthe kitchen.

Chef Carnell has let a lot of things slide for his omega. No doubt the counter will be infused with vanilla-sugar-sex until the dawn of time.

Wait, the wolf doesn’t like the sound of that.

What if other wolves smell his omega and children? Maybe he should burn the place down when they’re done…no, that’s too radical.

Jay would be upset—he’ll have to think of something else.

Finally, Jay fills a big bowl with protein drinks, accepting the strawberries from Gideon, who has gone back to washing the dishes.

“Where’s Grayson?” Rowan asks, placing another tiny piece of bacon on a morsel of French toast before feeding it to Nix.

“Out there.” Nix tilts his head. Grayson isn’t visible on the deck, but maybe he’s gone exploring. “Not too far, though.”

“Is he okay?” Rowan asks.

Grayson hadn’t been in the nest for long periods over the last two days, and while Finn seemed fine with it as long as he was there at night, Jay had taken to stalking his younger enigma in the evenings, just to be sure.

Rowan only knows because their leader smells the same as Grayson when they settle in long after sunset.

Nix’s eyes glaze over a bit, a sure sign he’s following a bond to some location.