Page 124 of Happily Ever After… Again and Again

The next series of twenty photos in his gallery of thousands is of CJ. Just shy of five months old, and already a snuggle bug. He won’t spend one minute on his own, preferring to be passed from adult to adult until he can start the cycle all over again. Nix had surprised Rowan with a tiny red furry wolf costume for the baby, and the alpha might have shed a tear or two before shifting into Rowan-wolf in a futile attempt to avoid the ribbingfrom the others.

Thepièce de résistance, however, had been the tiny chef costume Skye had chosen, after showing Nix what he wanted while watchingRatatouilleone family movie night. The five-year-old had made the connection from the chefs in the film to Gideon.

When it had arrived, he insisted on wearing it immediately. The pack hadn’t heard so many words from him in the whole time he’d been with them. Most of the words had sounded remarkably like Gideon’s, with some slamming of plastic pots and dishes in their play-kitchen, cursing thankless customers and day-old fish. The look on Gideon’s face had been priceless: an expression of wet-eyed shock and pink-cheeked pride-slash-embarrassment.

Nix swipes through the photos one last time before queuing up the mood music where he’s been putting the finishing touches on the décor. This is the pack’s heat/rut room now, as the newer family pack nest had been moved downstairs to the old studio. No one had felt comfortable ejecting their kids from their comfort zone when someone headed into their cycle.

Going forward, they’ll need their own space, and Nix has seen the plans for the new children’s wing Grayson had been working on in his not-so-spare time. It looks perfect for their growing needs when the family nest is no longer where they want to be.

Nix shakes himself out of his family-love-reminiscing-stupor and adjusts the last few sheer scarves over the low light lamps. It looks exactly how he imagined when he’d dreamed this up. With a happy wiggle, Nix sends a text to Finn. He’s already feeling interested, his dick hard in his blue shorts. He’s not had a Gideon-Nix-Finn night in ages, but there are at least two more hours left in Finn’s lecture at the University, and that’s only if one of his students doesn’t need him afterwards.

Of course, that won’t stop Nix from encouraging him to get his very nice butt home, ASAP.

5:07 PM Nix

Heysexy

We are waiting for you

Wanna see what’s for dinner?*smirk emoji*

The response is surprisingly prompt for someone who is supposed to be speaking to a room full of med students.

5:08 PM Finn

Yes

I am starving*knife and fork emoji*

Chuckling, Nix rolls into the nest on his side, laying his cheek on the soft velvet cushions he’d added for ambiance. The scarves add an ethereal pink glow to the room, turning their everyday nest into something magical. Opening the selfie part of the phone, he takes a few tame pictures—a pout, a sexy smirk, finally settling on one with a sultry glance with just a little tongue visible between his parted lips. Grinning with anticipation of Finn’s response, he types out his teasing message.

5:11 PM Nix

Like it?

The three thinking dots at the bottom of the text appear and disappear three times before something finally pops up.

5:14 PM Finn

I’m supposed to be teaching

You can’t do this to me right now*sweating, tongue out emoji*

5:14 PM Nix

Challenge accepted*kissy lips*

Finn, of all people, should know better than that. Really. Giggling, Nix leaves any more texts from his hot doctor on read and skips down the stairs to find Gideon plating their dinner.

“What did you do that made you look like the cat who got the cream, Kitten?” He places the perfectly plated pasta on the two blue-turquoise silk ombre placemats on the breakfast bar. There’s white grape juice instead of wine in crystal goblets—the only choice, as Gideon is a stickler for sober play. A slow burn begins in Nix’s belly at the idea that his mate has been thinking about after-dinner fun, sending a shiver down his spine.

“I was texting Dr. Merritt.”

Gideon chuckles and twirls some fettuccine on his fork before offeringit to Nix. The flavors burst on his tongue, creamy and garlicky in the best way. There are bits of porchetta and toasted walnuts for a nutty flavor.

“Mmm. So good,” Nix groans extra salaciously, licking a stray drop of white sauce from his lips and rolling his eyes back in his head.

“Kitten,” Gideon shakes his head and stops his fork on the path to his own mouth. “You keep that up, and you’ll not have time for your roleplay before I bend you over this countertop.”