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“Of course, Dad-Finn,” Nix says, and Finn’s face goes pale, and then pink.

“What? No? What about Finn-Pa?”

Laughing, he boops Nix on the nose, on the chest, and then on the belly.

It makes the babies wiggle, and Nix sends a thought along the bond:Pretty cool, eh, Doc?

“The coolest. You feel alright?”

The best. Who would have thought? I’m making people. Me!

“You are amazing, even without that,” Finn responds, expertly blocking Leo’s stray foot so it’s not Nix who gets a hoof to the belly.

I’m glad I got to feel them here, in Clearwater, for the first time. I wish my mom could see me. She wouldn’t understand, really, but she’d be happy.

“I’m sure she would have been so happy. We could go see her if you wanted.”

Finn lies down beside him with one hand on the babies and his other propping his head up.

“Sugar, they’re doing that thing again. I wish I could brain-talk with Nixie. Imagine the things we could do!”

There’s a squeeze to Nix’s foot, as Gideon hoists the complaining Luca up and carries him out of the room.

“I am 100% sure that no one would survive that, Honey. Let’s go eat.”

Soon, there’s the scent of pancakes drifting into the room.

Grayson kisses his forehead and drags Rowan into the bathroom for a shower, while Jamie and Leo head to the one down the hall.

“I don’t mean to leave them out, Finn.” He doesn’t. It’s just so easy to activate his mental bond with Finn, especially when his palm is covering the now-calm babies in his belly, like the pack clearing out meant it was time for them to follow suit.

Finn gives him a reassuring smile, clearly sensing the turn his thoughts are taking. “They don’t mind, not really. Come on, I can almost hear your stomach growling, and unless that’s our babies, you are hungry.”

“Fine, but carry me, please.”

“Me? Huh, I must have been derelict in my portage duties.”

“Maybe a bit light on the carrying-me-about-the-house, but I do recall two memorable occasions up against that wall there.” Nix points to the wall on the first landing. “And that wall there.” He points to the one just outside the kitchen.

“Shit. I remember that, too. What a week. I didn’t…hur—”

“No fucking way, Dr. Merritt. I was living my best life. Zero complaints. Never fucked in the back of a van before. That was fun. Fun, fun, fun on the runnnnnnn!” Nix sings as he remembers the vibrations of the van and Finn’s knot deep inside him, while Gideon kept them on the road. His growling and cursing echoed through the vehicle, almost enough to make them both come again. Nix may have called out for him, claiming a good, hard spanking would go perfectly.

Come to think of it, Gideon had promised he’d really get it if he didn’t cut it out—he hadn’t.

He sends some mental images along the bond, causing Finn to shudder.

“No. Nix Rhodes, no. This is the first day I am not in a pheromone haze. Just give me one day,” Finn says and pinches the inside of Nix’s thigh.

It tingles all the way into his groin.

“An hour,” Nix counters, just to be a little shit.

“Aday, and I’ll do that thing with you and Leo that you liked last night.”

“You will? It was so good like that, you know I—”

“Tomorrow.”