Page 63 of Eternal Light (Fated in the Stars #5)

Epilogue Two: (Leo and Rowan)

Leo

It’s just before dawn on their second day at the beach mansion when Leo rolls out of the nest, muscles pleasantly sore from the day before.

The pack had spent the afternoon by the pool, reconnecting between swims, meals, and naps—a true day of relaxation, their first since the Christmas trip to Aspen last year.

Even then, five weeks ago the tension had been palpable.

Gideon had not been subtle with his efforts to shield them, his unease written in every absence and gesture.

Jay, in desperation, had taken up late-night stalking of him like a restless shadow.

Grayson and Rowan were at each other’s throats constantly, their usual banter replaced by sharp edges and harsh words.

And Luca…Luca had clung to Leo more and more, seeking comfort in his presence, much like he had in the old days before they’d stumbled upon his soulmate in Quest’s kitchen by chance or divine intervention.

Even Finn had started spending more time at the hospital, pouring himself into his work with new Andrology patients.

It was partly to escape the tension at home, but it felt like more than that.

It was as if he were taking on a responsibility that wasn’t his to bear—caring for Omegas who reminded him, in some way, of Nix.

As though he needed to prove, to himself or someone else, that he was capable of protecting and nurturing them.

That he was worthy of caring for the gift they’d been given in Nix.

And what a gift it is.

Leo stands beside the nest so he can watch his mates curled together like a knot of love. Noses pressed to throats, and into shoulders. Hands resting on waists or, in Gideon’s case, on Jay’s ass. Contented scents combine to create the scent of home, continents away from their house in Nashville.

Pulling on Jay’s shorts from yesterday and a giant t-shirt that says I {heart} Clearwater , he creeps out into the hall and down the stairs.

He doesn’t stop for coffee, intent on seeing the sunrise.

It won’t be long before they head back into the February winter further north, and while Nashville isn’t the Arctic Circle, Leo wants to carry these memories and this feeling of calm strength home with him.

He drags a lounger toward the opening in the wall that overlooks the sea, settling it just where the view feels endless.

The air is still, surprisingly calm, with only a faint breeze brushing against him.

To his left, the moon casts its soft glow.

Behind him, the first rays of the sun light up the sky, soft light shimmering over the black water.

The harmony between the two—the moon yielding to the sun during this quiet changing of the guard—sends a shiver through him, despite the warm morning air. He’s never stopped to notice this moment before, and now that he has, it strikes him as achingly beautiful.

“Leo?” Nix whispers from behind him.

He’s wrapped in the green blanket that usually sits on their sectional at home.

Leo is reminded of watching Jay tell Nix about them being Were while it had covered his thighs, and of how it has wrapped him up on so many other occasions—from movie nights to post-sex comedowns. It’s a welcome reminder of home, all wrapped up with one of his favorite people.

“Nix, my love. Come share your blanket,” Leo coaxes.

Grinning, Nix adjusts the blanket, spreading it wide enough to cover them both.

He’s naked underneath, his skin dotted with small, mouth-shaped bruises on his belly, thighs, and throat. Logically, given his rapid healing, the marks should’ve faded by now. But it’s not the first time Leo has wondered if maybe Nix wants to keep them—so he does.

Nix settles his warm, vanilla-scented self between Leo’s legs, wriggling slightly until he’s comfortable.

Then, with meticulous care, he pulls the blanket up under his armpits, smoothing it down over them both like a contented cat claiming its favorite spot.

“You’re out here all by yourself,” he says, but it sounds more like a question.

“Mmm. Wanted to watch the sunrise. Glad you’re here now, though.”

And it’s true, Leo always enjoys Nix’s company; how could he not? But seeing him this morning, just as the sky turns from gray to pale yellow, settles his busy mind.

“Nice. What were you thinking about so hard all night long?”

“Wha–?”

He almost asks how his mate had known he’d had a restless night, but it’s probably those Goddess-gifted bonds. He’s not jealous, he’s not. And if he concentrates, he can feel his bond to the man in his arms burn softly.

“Hmm. Well, we’re headed home soon.”

Why that sounds like he’s disappointed, he cannot fathom.

Nix doesn’t let him get away with it, either.

“It’ll be good to be home. See Tsuki and the cats. But you don’t sound like you’re excited. Is it that you’ll be back on the antihistamine regimen?”

“Ha fucking ha, you shit. You mock my pain,” he says in his best imitation of Buttercup, while he tickles his giggling mate.

“Stop! You’ll make me pee!” Nix gasps between giggles, finally digging his fingers into Leo’s thigh to squeeze Leo’s most ticklish spot.

“Fine, fine!” Leo laughs, rubbing his nose in Nix’s hair, relishing the scent of spiced rum and pine.

“Be nice.”

He goes from silly to serious in the next instant. The sunrise is pink and mauve, and somehow turns the sea a dark bluish-green while he watches.

“I like it here.”

Nix stills before turning so he can better see Leo’s face. “Even though it’s been fucking awful sometimes, we’ve been together. Just together.”

“How do you do that? Are you a mind reader now for more than just Finn?”

Nix shakes his head.

“Nope. Still just me and Dr. Merritt conspiring for world domination.”

“Ha, you could, too. Rule the world, I mean,” Leo says seriously, his expression uncharacteristically somber.

Seeing Nix filled with the Goddess’s power—wielding it not to conquer, but to heal a wound that had plagued millions, not just in this timeline but likely in every timeline—was nothing short of life-altering.

It left Leo awestruck. If anyone could change the world, it was Nix. He had changed Leo’s in so many ways.

“Nah. I’m just me,” Nix says before pausing. “We’re all a little different from our time here. Not just me, right?”

He catches Leo’s eye, offering up his most encouraging smile.

And that’s what has Leo up at night—what’s been occupying his mind since that night on the patio.

It’s what has him reluctant to head back into the real world at this moment in time.

They are all changed.

Transformed.

Not like Rowan has been, who wears his transformation in the most literal outward—awesome as fuck—sense.

But down to the basic level, their dynamic has been changed.

He’s afraid that the confident, calm Jay he’s discovered in the last few days will disappear into his studio.

Or that Gideon will take up another cause in the name of protecting their pack.

That Grayson’s new life of magic will consume him and leave little time for them at home, when here, he’s been connected and a fully rendered version of his most incredible self.

Or that Rowan will spend more and more time in his instinctual form, buried under fur and poor manners to avoid the other stressors, forgetting that Leo likes—needs—his strong arms around him at night.

Or that Finn will spend more and more time healing others and forget Leo needs his healing words and touch at home while they endure horror movies when it’s Gideon’s turn to choose.

He feels selfish for thinking it, especially given the words he’d heard whispered in his head before Nix-Goddess had collapsed in Jay’s sturdy hold.

You are so strong, Leo. As pure a guiding light as I have ever created, save one. Continue to lead them with your strength, your honor, and your love.

Continue to guide them, They had whispered.

He can’t help but think about how he has faltered since he’s been here.

Especially when it came to doubts about his mother, and how he had let those doubts turn into doubts about himself.

He knows his identity has long stood firm on the strong foundations he’d always assumed his family had provided.

Unconditional and predictable dynamics. That’s where he draws his strength… his honor.

But it had been she who had apologized to him that morning. Not for hiding the dangers of her secret life, but that she had let her fears stop her from sharing what she could when he had grown into a man. One she continues to be proud of every day.

Her pride in him isn’t new, but her apologies always come as a surprise. This was a welcome one that had moved him to tears, and rewarded him with a rare hug. It was a show of physical affection that went a long way to fortifying Leo’s self-esteem.

“Change is hard, even if it’s good, right? A life worth living is a life worth working for, know what I mean?”

That’s something Leo had always believed to be true, and maybe it’s even more so, now. He lets some of his worry slip away.

“We are stronger together, after all this.”

“Even though we’re different, it’s for the better, yeah?” Nix finds his hand and squeezes, offering wordless understanding where Leo hadn’t known he’d needed it.

“Except for maybe Rowan-wolf’s manners. He almost peed on Lauren. I have only ever had to worry about Gideon causing trouble, but now Ro… ack, maybe I should get a squirt bottle. I have heard that works to train cats…” he muses.

Leo gets a clear mental picture of Nix chasing Rowan-wolf around the house with a spray bottle, shouting bad dog.

“I’ll talk to him before you bring out the big guns,” Leo chuckles, “but I’m tempted to let Mom show him a thing or two instead.”