Page 3 of Happily Ever After… Again and Again

Impact Play

Nipple Play

Predicament Bondage

24/7 BDSM

Gideon

There had always been the drive, the constant forward movement toward the shining, nebulous idea of his faceless-but-already-treasured mates. He strove to push his darkness back so he could fulfill his Goddess-divined destiny to protect them. And he wanted them—Gods, hewantedthem. Not out of duty, not because of prophecy. Because even before he knew their names or faces, he loved them.

But love didn’t mean he felt worthy.

That was the cruel part. He lived to serve a bond he wasn’t sure he deserved. Every hour he trained, every instinct he fought down, every mask of control he wore—it was all so maybe,maybe, he’d be enough when the day finally came.

The Goddess had chosen him even if he would never understand why.

He is not one to dwell on Their plan beyond what he has been tasked to do. So he has worked hard and was given Leo and Jay, strength and freedom in two very different forms, each one shaking something loose in him he hadn’t known was there. They gave him Grayson, all quiet complexity and unfathomable depth, who draws Gideon in with gentle comfort and intensity.

Rowan came next. Bright, eager Rowan, who looked at Gideon with trust, who let him teach, and in return, Gideon wastaught.The ache in Gideon’s chest the first time Rowan eagerly held his wolf down, going to his knees, reverent under Gideon’s hand on his neck, still hasn’t quite gone away.

Then there was Finn—sharp, clever Finn—who showed him he could be more than who he presented to the world. That his mind and heart had value. That he could be somethingoutsidethe pack bond. Something just for himself.

But it is in Luca Wilde where he truly sees the Goddess’s hand in his life. His soulmate and a perfect match to his every need. Fierce and soft in all the right places. A perfect match, not because he completes Gideon—but because he sees the parts Gideon hides and cherishes them. The mirror that doesn’t flinch.

Even the darkest parts of his soul.

At first, he feared he’d have to conceal his more dangerous desires to protect his future mates. And though he’d learned to master those urges, he still lived under the constant strain of suppressing them.

But with Luca, those instincts have finally found release—because Luca shares them.Cravesthem, even. In equal, ravenous measure.

Gideon smiles when he remembers the first time Luca sat him down, serious as anything, and explained that sometimes, he might need Gideon to spank him a little—and that he hoped that would be okay.

His sweet little Luca had gotten so mad when Gideon laughed. He hadn’t meant to, but the pure, giddy joy at the thought of being truly free had burst out of him in helpless peals of relieved laughter.

Luca had smacked his shoulder in protest, and it had taken Gideon all of two seconds to haul him over his knee, tug up his t-shirt, and land a loud, stinging smack on that perfect, juicy ass.

Of course, they’d had talks after—first with Luca, then with the pack. Everyone had been eager to understand their new rules, hungry to learn more about themselves and each other.

It’s been a miraculous six months, and Gideon has felt nothing but blessed.

He exhales, refocusing on the moment. The late afternoon sun slips through the edges of the patterned curtains, casting slivers of gold across Luca’s back. His skin glows—sun-warmed and flushed from the paddling.

Gideon drags his fingers slowly down that smooth, golden length, then scratches lightly across the hot swell ofLuca’s ass.

“Sugar,” Luca moans, voice syrup-thick.

Gideon leans in and licks one of the white paddle marks, savoring the heat, the salt, the residual shudder it pulls from Luca’s spine. “You are so good for me,” he murmurs—and watches as goosebumps ripple like static across Luca’s skin.

“Want to always be good for you,” Luca slurs, rolling onto his back, boneless and dazed. “Felt so good. Really liked the paddle.”

“Yeah?” Gideon grins. “Better than the clamps?”

Luca’s nipples are swollen, flushed cherry-red. He’d worn the gentle clamps until his first orgasm—and then Gideon had torn them off, still closed, mid-peak. It had vaulted him into a second, screaming climax—and sent Gideon over the edge from the sight alone.

“Well…” Luca trails a thumb over Gideon’s raw mouth. “I wouldn’t saybetter.” He grins. “Add those to the list, too.”

Then, quieter: “You always give me what I need. But… is there something you’ve always wanted?”