Page 13 of Tides of Fate (Fated in the Stars #3)

Nix hears and smells the person in his room long before he speaks—he knows it’s Jamie, trying to be unobtrusive and considerate. But the room is still dim, the fall sunshine not yet around to the side of the house to break through the white curtains. Nix is still cozy in his nest, which reminds him that Jamie would have had to leave it in the first place in order to be coming back.

Nix’s wolf does not like that at all, so Jamie can get back in and snuggle, or bugger off.

Huh. Maybe he’s feeling a bit ornery today—like an itch under his skin that won’t go away. He shifts in his nest, suddenly too warm, then too cold, but he doesn’t have time to dwell on it because Jamie is—

“Nix. Hey.” There’s the sharp scent of pine and soft lips on his forehead. “Baby-boy, we’re headed to the new PR company for the day to get some stuff settled. Can you let me see your pretty eyes?”

Nix does not want to open his eyes. He is rolled up in the green velour blanket in his nest, the purple mocha-scented one wrapped around his head like a bath towel covering his hair. He probably looks ridiculous, but it’s better than when he’d had the pink one over his face entirely—until Jamie pulled it off, citing possible asphyxiation, blah, blah, blah.

So now when he opens his eyes, he sees said mate: his dimple and his tiny freckles across his perfect nose.

So he growls, as Jamie is too perfect for this early.

“Hey, there he is. So pretty. We’re going now, and Gray is taking Rowan to the office so they can get an idea of what they might like for the mountain house. It’s not far, and if he feels badly, he’ll be back ASAP.” Jamie runs a finger down Nix’s nose and across his lips, pulling the lower one down so he can rub his finger over the wet insides.

Nix wants a kiss, so he puckers up, making smooching noises until Jamie agrees with a grin. “Okay, okay. Here. Kisses, then you answer me, so I know you’re really awake. Gideon says you have a date in the gym in an hour, and then Finn will be back after lunch.”

Nix flings off his blanket wardrobe and throws himself into Jamie’s arms. It’s only because of his quick reflexes that they both don’t end up on the floor. “I hear you, Alpha. How long will you be gone?”

He presses his lips to Jamie’s, so no answer is forthcoming—as Nix is sure no one can answer with a tongue in their mouth that isn’t their own. His alpha tastes like matcha and cinnamon.

With an extra hard suck on his mate’s tongue, he finds the courage to ask slyly, “Is that a cinnamon bun or Leo?”

Since yesterday’s meltdown, he’s felt both more fragile and freer. It’s a weird dichotomy.

Fragile, because he’s not just barreling ahead and letting his horny omega run the show—wildly sweeping away any reservations he has about being physical or vulnerable and trading on his sexuality.

But also freer, for, well, the same reasons.

Freer, because he can actually see for himself the way Jamie’s breath catches and how his pupils dilate. He can feel the red-hot bond in his chest, the pulses around his heart glowing with pure love and passion—both emotions directed at him.

Where before he had wondered if it had been the bond, now—if he’s watching—he can get the reassurance he needs that his mates are genuine.

So yeah, both fragile and freeing, and he gives in a bit to some soft flirting.

He can tell that Jamie is still being cautious, and that’s okay, too. They’ll get there.

“Well, Daddy ? Were there cinnamon buns or Leo-buns?”

He settles his bum on Jamie’s lap, and if he’s not careful, Jamie might need new jeans. Nix likes this position—giving a bit of a grind so he can feel Jamie hardening in his denim.

When he’d pulled Jamie up the stairs after Erin’s call last night, he’d stripped them both of their party clothes and pulled his alpha into bed, where Nix insisted Jamie lie flat on his back while Nix laid his head in the center of his chest and pulled the nest around them.

His alpha had been very complimentary, and it had gone a long way to soothing him into an exhausted rest.

It seemed only fair—since Jamie had gotten out of the nest without permission—that Nix be a bit off, right? Only fair if he’d ignored him when he’d returned, smelling fresh from the shower, all sexy and perfect and shit. Only fair that he’d flirt a little, just to be sure Jamie still wants him.

Ugh. He’s a work in progress. Like Luca says: it’s twenty steps forward and ten back.

Jamie just grabs Nix by the bum and, with no regard for the condition of his jeans, sticks his nose in where his bond bite sits—perfectly healed and beautiful—nipping and licking at the skin. With a growl, he stands up and tosses Nix onto the bed with a silly roar.

Guess that’s a yes to the last part.

“Both, baby boy. There were both, and there were some pastries left for you in the kitchen for later, but for now…” He’s got the hem of his shirt in his hands when Luca pops his head around the door.

“What is happening right now? Jaybird, you told me not fifteen minutes ago that I could not come in here and sex my baby up. You said, ‘ Luca, the new PR manager is waiting for us, and we do not have time.’ That’s what you said! Now look at you. I am very disappointed.” Luca is so freaking cute in his black pleated miniskirt and pale mauve sweater. His tiny belly button is on display, and Nix would bet he was naked underneath. Tsuki follows him in and jumps up onto the white chair in the corner of Nix’s room—her long legs and feet dangling off already.

Nix wonders when they’ll remember to check Luca for panties and if it’ll be before they leave in the car or at the office.

“Luca! These are supposed to be on your ass. Where are you hiding?” They can hear Leo in the hall, and just before he enters the room, Luca runs to the other side of the bed.

“Hide me!” he whispers, as Jamie laughs and Nix holds up the green blanket. There’s not enough time to crouch down or crawl into the nest, and instead of it covering him while he’s horizontal, Luca is still standing, looking like a velour Christmas tree.

He commits, though, and stands perfectly still.

Jamie and Nix aren’t so lucky because they burst out laughing.

“I can see you, you know.” Leo gets to his knees and pretends to look under the bed. It’s enough to make even Luca laugh when he says, “I thought I saw his pretty feet under here. Oh, where, oh where can my beloved Luca be?”

He climbs to his feet and silently creeps around the bed. When he’s close enough, he grabs Luca around the waist and tickles him.

“Stop, stop! Oh, my Goddess. Can’t breathe.” Luca whips off the green blanket, his hair standing straight on end with the help of static and the dryness of the house when the heat is on.

It’s hilarious, and he might pee with how hard he’s laughing.

Jamie shuffles his socked feet over Nix’s bedside carpet and around to where his mates are standing near the windows. With a single touch, there’s a crackle and a pop as he shocks both Leo and Luca simultaneously. He leaps over the bed and runs away, shouting, “Love you, Nixie! See you laterrrrrrrr.”

His two shocked mates look at each other and, in the same instant, start wrestling—one trying to put gray panties on a butt, the other trying to evade and distract.

Leo finally gets Luca on his back on the bed (Nix doesn’t mind that he’s in the nest; Luca is always allowed in Nix’s nest).

“Nix, can you help me? We can’t go meet new people with his sweet, juicy butt hanging out. He will cause a riot, and Jamie is in a good mood. I’d like to keep it that way.”

Nix thinks anyone seeing Luca’s juicy butt—who isn’t living in this house—is a bad idea. He takes Luca’s wiggling hands, holds them to the bed, and bends over to give him a wet Spiderman kiss. All tongue and drool. By the time he pulls away, Luca is wearing his very nice-but-modest panties, and all three of them are sweating.

“Thank you, Nixie. A kiss for your hardworking mate, please.”

Leo leans forward and, leaving a dazed Luca lying there, Nix throws his arms around Leo’s neck and kisses him, too.

He gets a mouthful of minty toothpaste and a bit of pineapple.

Guess that also answers the question about whether there really were Leo-buns.

There were.

“Jamie told you we were going to the PR firm? We’ll be back for dinner.” Leo hauls Luca to his feet and runs his fingers through his mate’s fluffy, out-of-control hair.

“Thanks. Let me do yours, too. You wouldn’t want to look anything less than your best for Margot Duponte. How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”

Nix can tell Luca is teasing, but the mention of the alpha Leo dated in middle school makes his wolf feel like biting someone—with his big teeth.

There’s a loud growl, and the world flashes blue for a second, leaving both of Nix’s mates wide-eyed.

“Whoa, Nix. He’s joking. Right? Tell him you’re just joking, Luca.”

“Baby. I am joking. Leo only loves us. He’s super gay, baby. He’s not interested in her spicy taco at all.”

Nix only growls louder at the mention of the middle school crush and her lady-parts.

“For fuck’s sake, Luca. Okay. Here…um… scent me. That’ll help, right? You can make me smell like you, and then everyone will know I’m yours. See?”

That’s a great idea, and it sets Nix’s growling to a low rumble. In the next breath, he has Leo’s shirt collar in his hand, pulling his mate’s nose into the curve of his neck. It’s pure territorial instinct—pumping out enormous waves of musky, sweet vanilla.

Luca falls to his knees while Leo catches himself, one hand on Nix’s waist and the other on the edge of the nest .

Next, he hauls Luca up so he can do the same. When all he can smell is himself, Nix considers his job done and falls back on the bed.

After a few minutes of silence, he orients enough to wonder where everyone went. He feels so good, and his purple-green bonds are singing in harmony.

Peering over the edge of the bed, he sees both his mates lying on the floor in a daze.

Leo is the first to speak, and it’s a drunken, slurring tone Nix has never heard before.

“Holy shit.”

They both look at Luca, who is propped up on Leo’s chest, now nursing on his nipple through his shirt, not having had the energy or wherewithal to pull it up.

Whoa .

“What the fuck was that?” Nix asks in a deep whisper.

“That, my sweet mate, is what we call scenting overload. I feel like I downed six shots of tequila. We are going to be fucking hungover. Shit. Good thing Jamie got out.”

Wait.

Jamie isn’t going into that meeting without smelling like Nix, either.

In the blink of an eye, he is off the bed and down the stairs, where he can hear Jamie telling his tale of harnessing static energy to Gideon in the kitchen.

They must hear him coming because they are looking in his direction, both of their eyes opening wide as Nix uses the breakfast bar to propel himself into Jamie’s arms.

His beloved is there to catch him again, and Nix knows any other wolf would want him to be their alpha, too. But he’s Nix’s.

He’s got his hand in Jamie’s curly hair, yanking his head back so he can lick and suck a dark mark where his mating bite could have gone. Maybe he should put a temporary one there, just in case. Two bites would be a sure sign for that person to keep her hands off.

Even though it’s only been Leo that she’s kissed in the past .

The thought makes him angry again, and once more, he’s pumping out more musky vanilla.

“Whoa, kitten. Whoa, now. Let’s let Jay keep his feet. What brought this on?”

He feels Gideon’s arms around his waist as he pulls him off their alpha, whose eyes are flashing red. Gideon has pulled his shirt up over his nose when Leo finally slides into the room, with Luca hot on his heels.

Luca gets the slider doors open, filling the room with the scents of fall and cool, fresh air. It helps slow Nix’s drive to scent all of his mates so much that they are docile and right where he can see them.

Gideon cautiously lets Nix stand on his own two feet before digging around in the fridge for water and juice.

“Holy fuck.” Jamie takes a seat and drinks the bottle of water Gideon hands him, while Leo does the same.

The sharp apple bite of the juice box, paired with the cool breeze slipping through the open doors, helps clear his head. His stomach roils with confusion, and his cheeks are bright red.

How embarrassing.

He’d been jealous of a faceless person from Leo’s past, and why Nix was more concerned about her than any of the hundreds of other people Leo or Luca, or Jamie come into contact with every day, he can’t imagine. Perhaps it’s that Leo’s not kissed any of them. The thought makes him give a short growl that Tsuki echoes as she slips out the door, otherwise unbothered by the kerfuffle.

Luca slides onto the stool beside him and steals a slurp from Nix’s juice box before Gideon can hand him his own.

Nix drains the last of his juice, licking a stray drop from his lips, but it does nothing to cool the heat crawling beneath his skin. His body hums, restless, like an itch just under the surface, waiting to be scratched.

Luca rubs his nose against Nix’s shirt, inhaling deeply before letting out a pleased little sound. Nix nearly shivered at the sensation.

All three of them look debauched, but it’s the way they smell that has Nix’s pulse kicking up—like him. Jamie’s sweat-darkened shirt is clinging to his chest, and Leo is still flushed, his pupils a little too wide. The world seems sharper, more vivid, the scents of his mates stirring something hot and primal in his gut.

Perfect.

“Well, that was exciting. What set you off, kitten?”

Embarrassment flares, hot and prickly, and he ducks his face into the curve of Luca’s neck so he doesn’t have to see Gideon’s face when Leo pipes up, the smirk evident in his voice.

“I don’t think Nix wants me to see my old girlfriend without making sure she knows I belong to him.” Leo is definitely being a shit, and Nix’s hackles practically rise at the words. A low growl spills from his throat, sharp and warning. He barely registers the sound of a slap before Leo yelps, “Ow!”

“Don’t start, dumbass. Are you okay, kitten? Feeling hungover?” When Nix looks, Gideon is rubbing Jamie’s back and handing him the ibuprofen from the cupboard by the sink.

“I’m okay,” he murmurs, flexing his fingers, testing himself. No aches, no nausea—nothing but a slow, pleasant hum in his bones. A sharp contrast to his mates, who are suffering in a way he’s not. “Why would you need that? Don’t Weres heal faster? Why does being…um…scent-drunk feel like a hangover?”

“Good question, and one for Dr. Merritt, I think.” Gideon looks at his mates, and they shrug, too.

“You guys have to be at your…meeting in twenty minutes. Are you changing your shirts?”

The urge to shout No! bubbles up fast—but in the end, Jamie and Leo both change while Luca stays on his stool.

“It’ll be okay, baby. I’ll make sure they know who we belong to, okay? You can trust me.” Luca rubs their noses together, and with a quick kiss, he climbs down when the others return.

It’s hard not to run after them, but since they’re afraid to risk re-exposure, Jamie and Leo just blow him a kiss.

Just after the front door close, he whispers, “Pinky swear?”

“You can count on me!” Luca wraps his pinky in Nix’s, and with a last kiss, he’s out the door after them—his bouncy butt as bare as when the whole thing started.

“Fucking hell, Luca!” Gideon shouts as he finds the gray silk panties on the floor just in time to chase his mates out the door.

Tsuki is back inside, making her own mini-nest on the couch from the pile of blankets they left there last night. After a short tug-o-war over his favorite duck blanket, he cuddles in to watch whatever anime Luca has left streaming on the television this morning. It’s not hard to relax, and when Gideon finally comes back, he slides in beside him.

There’s no talk of training, combat, or the court case—just Gideon’s hand in his hair and the scent of rain in his nose.

It helps settle that itch a little, lulling him—not quite into a state of calm exactly, but more as if he’s waiting for something, even if he doesn’t know what it is.

He’s not sure how much time has passed when he hears his mate’s ringtone.

“Shit, that’s Maureen, Quest’s Manager. I’m going to take it to the kitchen. Be right back.”

Nix nods instead, rubbing Tsuki’s ears, both turned 180 degrees toward the conversation in the other room.

Nix can hear Gideon cursing, then a hand slamming on the counter. Then he’s calling someone…Grayson?

“No, that’s okay. Get here when you can. I’ll figure it out. Yeah. No, don’t bother him, he’s with Riordan. No. They can’t, either. I’ll work it out.”

Another slammed hand on the counter follows, along with a sigh, while Nix tries to look like he wasn’t eavesdropping.

Tsuki turns her ears forward, too. It’s cute. She is such a smart doggo.

“Nix, I have to go into Quest. There’s been a fire, and the police think it’s arson. They have questions.” Gideon already has his keys in hand. “But you stay here with Tsuki, and don’t let anyone in. You know the code for the emergency alarms?”

“A fire? Was anyone hurt?”

Gideon throws his hoodie on and leans in to kiss Nix goodbye .

“No one was in, thank the Goddess. A neighbor called the fire department, and they called the cops. I’ll be back soon. Be good.”

He glances down at Tsuki. “Tsuki, you know what to do, right?”

The dog woofs but just lays her head down on Nix’s lap. Whether that was a yes or a no, Nix can’t tell—but Gideon is satisfied.

“Try to eat something. There are pastries on the counter, and I have my phone, so call if you need to.”

Gideon kisses him again and whispers something that sounds like love you —so quietly even Nix’s ears can’t be sure. And then he’s gone, the door lock beeping and sending a shiver down his spine.

It hits him then—he hasn’t been alone in the house since he’s come home, so he’s a little unsettled. He has Tsuki, though, so at least he has company.

Turning off the TV, he asks the home music system to play the Long Road Home playlist in all areas of the house and heads up to his room to take a shower, Tsuki hot on his heels.

She’s taking her job seriously, so Nix will be sure to tell the big boss.

After a perfect shower, he pulls out his pale yellow fuzzy sweater and gray skinny jeans with the studs on the pockets. He’s thinking about eating when he hears a weird buzzing from somewhere in the house. It sounds like the soundtrack to that timey-wimey space show Luca likes.

He tracks it to the couch, wedged between the cushions. It’s Luca’s phone, and sure enough, the Doctor Who theme song is playing, and the heat in his belly flares hot for a moment when he sees the name on the screen: Finn.

It’s not Nix’s phone, but maybe it’s important.

“Hello?”

Finn doesn’t answer. Instead, Nix hears fast, uneven breaths—someone holding back sobs on the other end.

“Finn? Are you okay? It’s Nix.”

“Luca,” his mate gasps.

“He’s not here, and he left his phone behind. Where are you?”

Before he knows it, he’s putting his shoes on and opening the front door. Tsuki hauls ass behind him, and just before the door closes, she grabs her leash—but not the harness .

Oh well, it’ll do.

“Hospital. Don’t come. Dan–ger–ous.”

He gets it out between breaths, followed by a whine that sets Nix’s hair on end.

“I’m coming, Finn. Hang on.”

He keys in the code for the house, then for the gate.

He can’t walk—it’s too far. And he can’t run, because it will draw attention from any human who sees him.

He hasn’t got any money, and the Goddess knows where his wallet is. Those will have to be problems for later-Nix .

He prays for inspiration as he heads toward the main road at a fast walk—maybe a sympathetic bus driver. He’s been lucky before.

Sure enough, there’s a blue bus sitting at the closest stop, and when Nix gets close enough, there’s a familiar face in the driver’s seat.

“Hello again, Nix. Where can I take you today? Nice to see you up and around.”

Nix had seen enough weird things since waking up three weeks ago, but this is almost too weird.

“Hello. Uh, the same as usual, please.”

He climbs aboard, letting Tsuki take a seat next to him, still holding her white leash in her mouth.

The driver’s eyes go wide, scanning his body in what Nix might feel is inappropriate—if he didn’t know this man had only ever seen him injured.

“I’m fine. It’s for someone else. You know my name, but maybe I should know yours?”

“The hospital it is. I am Artem, and who is your friend?” He throws the bus into gear, and they’re merging into traffic.

“This is Tsuki. She was a gift from my mate. She’s quite beautiful, no?”

It’s a bit of a test because no one would look at Tsuki and say she was beautiful—not yet, anyway—but animal lovers are good people, and Tsuki deserves only good people in her life.

“Quite so. Her soul is beautiful most of all. Shines brightly, just like yours.”

Nix isn’t sure about his soul, but Artem is right: Tsuki’s is bright. So, Nix lets the driver pass his good-person test with impunity.

They’re stopped at a red light when Nix gets up the courage to ask the question he’s been thinking about since the doors slid open.

“Artem? This is the third time you’ve picked me up, isn’t it? I don’t remember the last time, but Finn described you, and when I saw you today, I knew it was you.”

“It was me. You’re wondering how I came to be where you needed me? That’s hard to explain without sounding like a fool,” Artem says, smiling ruefully.

“That’s okay. I’ve had a lot of weird things going on in my life in the last few weeks. I doubt you could surprise me. Isn’t that right, Tsuki?”

She just snorts and sits up straighter, like the question is beneath her—it reminds Nix of Gideon a bit.

“I suppose you have. Alright, then. Well, every time, I just know I’m supposed to be wherever you are, and then you’re there. That first night, you just appeared out of nowhere at the stop, and I knew you were hurt. When you said you didn’t want either human hospital, I knew you had to go to Lupine.”

He changes lanes, clearing his throat.

“That last night, I’d been sick all day. But I made it to church…you know, the one with the pond and the willows? Church of the Divine Goddess? Always makes me feel better if I can get there. Body and soul, you know? Anyway, when I got home, I had a call to go into work and felt immediately better. It was so strange. But when I got there, I came right to your stop, and there you were.”

He pulls the whole bus into the driveway in front of the ER instead of the stop twenty feet away, and they sit for a few moments, digesting what Artem has said out loud.

“Why do you think you were here today? I’m not hurt.”

“No, you aren’t, but you needed a ride, and I…give rides. Here.” He holds out a card with a handwritten phone number on it and his name. “I’m not sure if I’ll always get…the call.” He looks up meaningfully. “But if you want to call me, I promise I’ll come. I have a little car, and I can take you anywhere you’d like to go.”

Maybe Nix has made a second friend, and it’s a special joy. In his other life, he’d have been suspicious and probably freaked out, but his wolf is already attached to this nice person with the small smile and kind eyes.

Nix has a good feeling. He looks at the card again.

“Truly? I’d like that, Artem.” Nix smiles. “Thank you. For saving me and being here today. I’m sorry I have to go, but I will call you. Maybe we could have tea?”

He waves, and Tsuki does the same, lifting her paw in the air (who taught her that, he doesn’t know), and then she jumps onto the paved drive.

“See you soon, Nix.” Artem smiles.

For the third time in as many weeks, he follows Tsuki through the ER doors with the sound of the bus’s engine fading behind him.