Page 24 of Tides of Fate (Fated in the Stars #3)

The early morning light filters weakly through the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows, barely stretching to the corners of the kitchen. It’s quiet when Finn slips in, three days after Nix’s heat and Jay’s rut began, with the ever-loyal Tsuki padding behind him.

“Come on, girl. I need coffee. So much coffee.”

She stays close, nosing at the back of the sweatpants and t-shirt he grabbed from the nest. They smell like Grayson and Leo, respectively, and Finn can’t help but let the comfort of it settle over him, grounding him in the quiet stillness of the moment.

Like the intelligent dog she is, Tsuki heads to the back door so Finn can let her out, carefully navigating the still-fresh holes in the yard from Sentinel’s security team. When she dawdles too long, Finn yells, “Hurry, Tsuk. It’s cold this morning.”

She’d been so well-behaved during their isolation, only scratching at the nest door after waiting as long as she could. Finn can’t blame her for taking her time after being cooped up.

After the first day, Nix finally agreed to let them out of the nest.

Before that, though, Luca had snuck out twice—once under the pretense of getting more chicken and again in the middle of the night to crack the door open for Tsuki, waiting until Nix had fallen into a deep, exhausted sleep.

The following day, Nix’s hormones had returned to their regular wow levels, but Jay’s rut had persisted like never before. The alpha’s only focus had been knotting his mates in every position imaginable—especially Rowan and Grayson, who seemed to take the brunt of Jay’s dominant displays.

Finn thinks their leader needed to solidify his Pack Alpha status with those most likely to challenge him. Maybe, after all their pseudo-challenges over the last four weeks, it was time to “pay the piper” and submit to Jay’s wolf—especially when Jay-the-person would never have made them.

It settles the balance in the pack back to rights.

Thankfully, Finn had never felt the urge to pit his wolf against Jay. His whole adult life, post-presentation, had been defined by the decided absence of his wolf. He’d told Nix once that a wolf is just a manifestation of a Were’s instincts, feelings, and emotions, and Finn’s personality leaned so far in the opposite direction—at least, it had until Nix.

There is something special about Nix—the omega and the man.

Each of Finn’s mates has had an awakening of sorts, and maybe he is not any different. It’s been such a short and intense period in their lives that Finn wonders what changes Nix will bring about in the next year or decade—like how their bond settled Finn’s anxiety. He can admit that to himself now, and, especially with Luca offering tangible support, it has been so much better.

But the real improvement came when he bonded with Nix in the same place where his trauma had begun.

It’s replaced, in part, the memories of that first time, creating a new, powerful set of emotions to overwrite the old. He’s not sure why, but he can feel Nix in the back of his mind all the time, and sometimes—if Nix wants to—Finn can get images or other sensory input.

He is sure the power isn’t his doing, but theirs. Together, they can do this incredible thing that defies logic and everything Finn has ever known about science. It’s just one way his mate has changed him.

Closing his eyes, Finn looks into the place where he knows Nix sits in his mind. It’s a bright white light, like the light behind his eyes in that ER med bay, but now it’s tinged with gold. Finn hasn’t a clue why it’s changed. Maybe that’s contentment—he hopes so.

As Finn waits for the coffee machine to bring forth its heavenly bounty, he “caresses” the light, pushing his contentment and love along it. Finn is not imagining it when it flares to life, and there is a responding caress.

A picture of a whole cooked chicken appears next, causing him to laugh.

They’d had to ask Leo’s moms to drop off several cooked chickens and other high-protein items that Nix requested (demanded) on the porch. Fernando had said Nix would want mostly meat during his heat, but he hadn’t said it would worsen afterward.

Finn suspected it was just Nix regaining his energy stores after expending so much during his heat and keeping up with Jay. Their alpha had eaten his share, too, tearing meat off the bones and offering it to each of them with a grunt and a nod—like a Cro-Magnon man, proud of his hunting and providing sustenance for his mates.

Chicken. Grrr. Eat.

Their very eloquent alpha, who has written songs that make the masses swoon, had been reduced to grunts and growls—yanking them about and, at one point, putting them in a row so he could lie on them all at once before promptly falling asleep. Finn had the unfortunate position of being smack dab in the middle, under his midsection. But memorably, he’d been consoled with a make-out session with Nix, eventually coming when he’d been told to—without so much as a hand on his dick.

Good times.

Nix had been doing that a lot the first day, wielding what Finn calls omega voice. Fernando hadn’t mentioned it when he’d detailed common omega traits like a slight increase in endurance, strength, and physical attributes such as beauty and charisma. Yet none of the other omegas appeared to be as beautiful as Nix—and that isn’t just coming from a place of love or bias.

So, Finn is increasingly wondering if some of these attributes are just Nix. He can’t fathom why, but he thinks it’s important, making him wonder what else they can discover.

The other omegas stayed at a local hotel with added security, courtesy of Sentinel and the Kennedy pack. Baz and Arlo acted as hosts, offering interactions with the press and officials by invitation only. They were fortunate that Lauren had magnanimously agreed to translate for them, making communication with Fernando and a few of the other omegas much easier—without putting them at risk from outside translator services or the overly taxed translation apps.

Fernando was kind enough to answer Finn’s questions about his pack’s origins while Dr. Trudy Spencer’s friend, Dr. Michelle Pandorini, sat close by, taking notes and looking like she’d won the lottery. Finn had also found a minute to ask about general physiology and health care.

Later, Riordan had finally tracked him down, a concerned look on his face, and secured Finn’s promise to speak to him soon. “You can come to me about anything, Finn,” he’d said gently. “We’re family, yeah?”

It had felt good to know his mentor and friends cared—beyond the doors of the hospital or their joint family get-togethers.

Fernando’s information would serve as a fantastic line of inquiry and study in omega physiology. To properly serve the omegas in a specialized unit inside the hospital, Finn needed all the help he could get. Lauren had even engaged the older omega with intuitive questions, steering the conversation and offering a unique perspective on aging omegas that Finn hadn’t considered.

Finn learned a lot about her that day. But as she’d laughed and charmed the “delegation,” he was reminded never to underestimate his mother-in-law—there lay a lot beneath the surface of her mantle of graceful disdain.

Finn wonders again about what characteristics are unique to Nix and what remains undiscovered or undisclosed about this incredible secondary gender. The thought sends a jolt of anxiety through his brain because it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how someone could exploit unique talents like strength or stamina on a large scale.

Finn shudders at the thought as he makes his iced coffee, and Tsuki sits her bony butt right on his foot in comfort. “Ow, you. You are too big for that now.” And she was. She was growing so rapidly that she more often eschewed her puppy bed for the couch and ate twice what she had just a week ago.

“Are you overeating? Did you eat the cats while we were too busy to stop you? Where are the cats, come to think of it?” He slides his foot out from under her and enters the living area, turning the gas fireplace on and finally sliding the door to the pool deck closed.

He finds the cats in the six-foot cat tunnel Gideon had ordered the same day they’d arrived. He’d complained about the oversight and how careless Lauren had been when she’d forgotten to buy one. Didn’t she know cats needed a cat tunnel?

“There you are. Cozy? Or can I persuade you to cuddle me in exchange for treats?”

Domino and Doodle crawl out at the sight of him and the offer of treats. He only wishes he’d taken his antihistamine after he covers his legs with a blanket, and they make themselves at home on his lap, with Tsuki on his feet.

He lets his mind wander again—a rare moment of mental quiet, especially lately.

Eventually, he hears the door upstairs and two sets of footsteps. Leo and Luca appear in the kitchen a few seconds later, whispering and eagerly making their iced coffee.

Luca groans, “Coffee,” like a zombie looking for life-giving brains.

“Please make that a gallon,” Leo says as he pulls the largest glasses from the cupboard and ice from the freezer.

Coffee had not been allowed in the nest. Luca’s implication that he might die without some had been met with wrinkled noses from both Jay and Nix. Oddly enough, Nix had done so while riding Jay reverse-cowboy style and with Gideon’s cock in his mouth. There might have been teeth involved, given how fast Gideon had come.

“Shoo,” Leo mutters, and the cats slink away to where Luca is sitting, wrapped in a purple blanket he’d brought from the nest upstairs. They curl up in the curve of his legs, and Leo sits his perfect ass down on Finn’s lap with an exaggerated, “Ahhhh. That’s the stuff.”

“There is a perfectly nice cushion twelve inches to the left,” Finn points out with a whine but pulls Leo’s hips down tighter.

“Yes, Finn, but your lap is much nicer.”

“Right?!” Luca says. “Laps are the best. I am glad you can see where I’m coming from now.”

Finn snorts because Luca has been singing this same tune since he met Leo in middle school twelve years ago. There are photos of Luca sitting on Leo’s lap at the Costas’s home even then.

“Nix let you both out of the nest? What about Jay?”

Leo wiggles and then turns to the side, throwing his beautiful, toned legs onto the couch beside them. Finn has to run a hand up his thigh and under the leg of Leo’s shorts in appreciation.

“I think Jay’s rut is done. Well, almost. He’s got Nix in the bath now with Gideon, and Rowan and Grayson are still asleep. The enigmas can’t get enough of him. They’re stoked by his heat. It’s like it’s morphed into something, you know? Did you notice, Luc?”

Leo pulls up the leg of his shorts a bit and waggles his eyebrows, showing that Finn should continue until he gets to the good stuff.

Finn squeezes his thigh again but pulls his hand out.

“He smells different? Like what—the enigmas?”

It’s not unusual for mates to take on a bit of scent post-rut. After all, a lot of bodily fluids are exchanged, and alphas are only ever content when their pack smells like them. However, scent can also indicate several illnesses—or, in Grayson’s case, a special bond.

“He doesn’t smell sick. It’s sweeter, you know?” Leo says, sticking his nose into Finn’s neck and inhaling.

Luca tilts his head and squints at some invisible point in the middle distance. “Yeah, it’s good. I can feel it on the tip of my brain—whatever it is, it’s not freaking me out.”

No one has instincts like Luca about danger—he’s like a small woodland creature in that way.

Finn makes a note to check in with Nix and do a cursory exam—if he’s up for it. Especially if he’s willing to share some of his Heat experiences. He’s opening his phone’s notes app with a few questions in mind when his phone rings—that feeling of anxious dread rears its ugly head.

“Erin, hello,” he says in his most professional tone.

“Finn. I am calling with news. I tried Jay and Nix yesterday, but they haven’t returned my calls, and this is urgent. I’m sorry.”

The attorney is Were, and she must have determined there’s only one reason an alpha with Jay’s sense of honor and care for his pack would fail to return her calls—so for her to interrupt, it must be serious.

“You have news?” he asks, as Leo scoots to the other end of the couch, pulling Luca under his arm. Finn is grateful he’s not alone in hearing what is sure to be less-than-ideal news.

The lawyer clears her throat. “Yes. Judge Patel’s office has confirmed a date and location for the combat.” She hesitates—then adds, “It’s in three days.”

Finn’s stomach drops—like the first plunge of a rollercoaster—and he knows there’s no getting off now.

She sighs, further confirming she knows the news is less than ideal. “I agree this is sooner than we’d expected. They thought it would be difficult to locate a suitable location. As luck would have it, there’s a historical site in the mountains, and the local historian verifies it has likely been used in this way for millennia.”

She sounds a bit awed that such a thing can still exist.

“Can you be there in three days? Not that you have many options, I’m afraid—the prisoner’s counsel insists. And Hayes is adamant that he has his day, sooner rather than later.”

“Fuck him,” Luca growls, throwing up a double bird.

Isn’t that the question? Can they be ready?

“My alpha is indisposed currently, but I’ll speak with him and Nix as soon as possible. May I call to confirm later today?”

Finn looks at his betas—they’re both pale, their scents thick with frustration and anxiety. They’ve always supported Nix’s plans, but now that it’s here, it feels more real than ever.

“That’s fine. Thank you.” She hangs up without further preamble, and Finn sighs into the heavy silence.

There’s a commotion on the stairs, and Nix appears in the doorway within seconds, hand pressed to the middle of his chest. He’s gloriously naked, covered in hickeys from his belly button to his pubic bone, with beard burn marking his throat and trailing down his slender thighs. He glows in the weak morning light—beautiful and thoroughly loved.

“What is it?” Nix asks nervously.

Finn stands, wrapping him in the warm blanket he’d been using to ward off the morning chill before pulling him down onto his lap.

“I’ll get the others,” Leo says, but he doesn’t have to go far—the alphas are already halfway down the stairs.

Jay has Gideon over his shoulder, while Rowan and Grayson bring up the rear, bare-chested and in low-slung sweats, following their omega’s flight from the nest. They fall onto either side of him and Nix, their scents thick with satisfaction, while Jay and Gideon head into the kitchen—for food, drinks (Jay), and coffee (Gideon).

They return with a platter full of cheese and crackers, along with another half a roast chicken—Gideon guards it on his lap, ensuring Nix gets the choicest morsels.

Nix places his soft hands on Finn’s cheeks, gently turning his face to claim 100% of his attention. “What is it, Finn? The bonds were— ouch .”

“I’m sorry, Nixie.” Finn apologizes, both for the alarm along the bond and for what he’s about to say next.

“That’s okay,” Nix soothes. “Just tell me why you, Leo, and Luca are so…sad. Please.”

That immediately has everyone’s attention.

“Erin just called.”

Grayson drops the piece of cheese he’d been about to eat, his fingers going slack as he sinks back down onto his butt.

“Spit it out. You’re making me nervous,” Rowan grumps, shifting to his knees and squeezing between Finn and Nix’s legs. He tugs at the blanket wrapped around Nix, trying to unwind him. Nix must not mind the manhandling as he doesn’t push him away or even look annoyed. Instead, he simply stands, making it easier.

Finn stands as well so he can see his whole pack when he delivers the unexpected news. “She wants us in the mountains in three days and said that Hayes is getting antsy. The court found an ancient venue. We just need to confirm we can make it.”

“No, that’s crazy,” Grayson says, shaking his head. “He just had a heat. They can’t expect him to be ready.”

It’s what Finn had been thinking—not that it mattered. “They’re not willing to be flexible.”

He’s only got eyes for Nix, whose face shuts down. Maybe the immediacy of the decision has set in for him, too.

Gideon puts his chicken on the table and begins pacing the room while Leo stands nearby, arms crossed over his massive chest. Jay puts a hand on Grayson’s neck. Their scents combine, making the whole place stink of anxious alpha, but at least no one is angry.

“Leo, how are we getting there in just three days?” Jay always leaves the logistics of travel for the pack to Leo. He’s the most experienced traveler, having seen parts of the world the rest can only imagine.

“I think we can get that private charter we used when we flew out to Atlanta last fall. You know the one?” Leo says.

Finn had only heard good things about the flight company. LRH always worried about their carbon footprint as much as possible, but the private plane had been a lifesaver when Grayson’s rut made them late for a concert date.

Jay nods absentmindedly. “Yeah, there’s no way we can travel commercially, and driving is out of the question. Will you handle it this morning, then? We can fly out later today if we can get them on board.”

Leo palms his phone and dials, not taking his eyes off Gideon, who hasn’t stopped his agitated pacing.

Everyone jerks when Grayson slams a palm on the coffee table, his eyes flashing red before shifting back to blue as the enigma wrestles his wolf back under control. He probably doesn’t like the idea of Jay being the only final decision-maker.

“I am going on record as saying this is bad timing. It feels off to me, and we’re giving that bastard what he wants. Nix needs another week—at least.”

Nix lets Rowan unwrap him bit by bit from the heavy blanket burrito.

“Nix?” Finn asks. “What are you thinking? ”

“Let’s get it over with, yeah?” Nix looks at Jay. “I’m ready. My heat wasn’t even that long—it was your very outstanding rut that made it three days, Jamie.”

He doesn’t ask anyone’s opinion, and he doesn’t apologize. The time has passed for any of that, and everyone has already had their say.

“I feel really good, and I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

The others seem to let that sink in, focused on their thoughts—all except Rowan, who finally has their omega unwrapped all the way and wedges his nose in Nix’s groin.

Nix giggles, despite the somber mood, and pets his head.

“Rowan, what in the fuck are you doing?” Jay asks, placing his hand on Rowan’s shoulder—only for Rowan to snap his teeth and growl, making Jay jump back.

“Whoa. Hey.”

It hits Finn like a runaway train just as Luca’s eyes widen. Throwing off his blanket, nearly tripping onto the coffee table (and almost taking the tray of snacks with him), the beta approaches Rowan slowly.

“Hey, big alpha. Can I smell, too?”

Rowan looks like he might decline, but in the end, he nods. He doesn’t back out of the way—only leans to the side so Luca can lean in.

“Guys, come on. This feels weird,” Nix whines, cheeks pink.

Luca smiles encouragingly, breathing deeply as he sticks his nose under their omega’s belly button. It must be good because his eyes roll back, and he groans.

“Enough,” Rowan growls. “Mine.”

He nudges Luca back out of the way—only to dive back in, this time taking Nix’s dick into his mouth at the same time. A low, rumbling growl of contentment vibrates through him as he pumps out a thick cloud of his spiced rum scent. It is designed to mark his mate, saturating the air—but even then, it can’t mask Nix’s scent entirely.

Finn holds his breath, a strange mix of dread, excitement, and protectiveness surging in his belly.

“Well?” he asks Luca, already knowing the answer .

Luca can only nod.

The others had spent every moment with Nix over the last three days, and they might not have noticed his changing scent—or, at least, not consciously. The textbooks call it being nose-blind.

But it all makes sense: the short heat, the enigmas’ over-protectiveness, and Jay’s drop into an almost base-level alpha mode. Even Nix’s increased interest in food and meat consumption had been a subtle sign.

“Is there something wrong?” Jay asks.

He’s at least smart enough not to get in Rowan and Nix’s way. Their omega has his hands buried deep in Rowan’s hair, scratching his scalp—an answering purr rumbling in his chest—seemingly uncaring that the world as they know it is changing fast.

Again.

Gideon stops pacing abruptly, and Finn sees the exact moment he gets it. “Holy shit. Holy fucking shit .”

“Someone better tell the rest of us before Jay wolfs out,” Leo advises, as Jay’s pine scent bursts into flame.

Finn is less worried about Jay than Grayson, who has added his growl to Rowan’s—only his is distinctly less pleased and much more menacing.

Luca recovers from his scenting overload and the shock. Dancing place as if someone just announced that pants were outlawed worldwide, he claps his hands .

“You guys, you guys! We’re having a baby!” he squeals, and for a moment, time stands still.