Page 25 of Tides of Fate (Fated in the Stars #3)

Luca squeals in glee. “We’re having a baby!”

Jay’s brain takes a full five seconds to process that sentence. The individual words make sense, but together?

No. Impossible.

But Luca wouldn’t joke about something like that.

Jay’s omega is pregnant.

Sure, Jay’s rut had been crazy. Overwhelming urges to fuck—he was used to those. The desire to mark his mates was always strong, and by the looks of them, he’d been rougher than usual.

Although, that’s the thing—he doesn’t remember most of it. Yes, he remembers Finn’s call and then running almost all the way.

Maybe he’d lied about that part. He’d only taken an Uber for the last six miles.

He hadn’t wanted anyone who might follow him to know he had a mate in a vulnerable state—because he’d felt followed all day.

Leo had stayed with his father to talk about Carnell instead of going with Jay to the police station to see the investigators on Hayes’s case. They’d been nice enough but had politely confirmed that there had been no crime committed where Carnell was concerned, so their hands were tied.

It had rubbed his wolf the wrong way—raising his proverbial hackles even further than they’d already been—and that was even before he spotted the occupied black sedan across the lot from where he’d left the Genesis.

There had been two men inside, and Jay was damn near positive they were the same two from the video who had broken in that day looking for Nix.

He had said nothing about it to Gideon and abandoned the Genesis as soon as possible—his only thought was to get home to his omega.

When he arrived home, the musky, heady vanilla of Nix’s heat scent had triggered something wild in his alpha. It pushed everything that wasn’t him out of his mind. After that, it was just bits and pieces, like a movie flickering in and out of focus—just a base-level need to protect his mates, show them who the best wolf was to lead them, and a burning desire for his beloved.

His pregnant beloved.

“Jamie!” Nix yells, trying to get his attention.

A loud growl resonates against the walls, and there’s a surge of something hot near his heart. He shakes his head, and the noise stops. Rowan has his nose pressed into Nix’s belly again, and he and Luca couldn’t care less about Jay’s emotional breakdown.

“Ro, quit it for five seconds. Fuck. Can someone—preferably Finn—please tell me what Luca means by ‘we’re having a baby ?’ Exactly?” Leo asks.

Yes, please. Jay would like that, too.

There has to be some reasonable explanation for how his mate got pregnant on his first heat.

It hits him like a truck.

Birth control.

He hadn’t given it a single thought. Now he knows what all those reckless teenagers felt when they said, ‘ but it was the first time’.

He’s a hypocrite and an idiot.

Fuck, is he even the right person to lead his pack when this basic thing hadn’t even been on his radar?

“Well,” Finn says, rubbing his face. “On the upside, omegas control their fertility. So…”

“What? Like, they get pregnant when they want to?” Leo asks incredulously.

Good fucking question.

Did that mean Nix had wanted to be? They’d talked about it vaguely, but Jay had thought they were going to wait. Then again, he’s reminded that he had done little to support the waiting idea himself. Nor had he been a good role model, considering the multiple orgasms he’d had inside his omega, especially when several of them had been triggered by the mere thought of getting him pregnant.

“What does that mean, though?” Luca says, and Jay sees him sneakily pressing his nose into Nix’s belly again while Rowan has stopped to give Finn his attention.

“Omegas must actively think about wanting and having a baby before, during, or immediately after intercourse during their heat,” Finn says, gauging Nix’s reaction to his words.

All eyes are on Nix then, and he turns red. “Well…uh…”

He looks happy, though—pleased, rather than contrite.

Jay’s belly is swooping and swirling. “Nix?”

“Well…I may have thought once or twice about a baby. Maybe.”

Obviously, he had thought about it and meant it—because there was, in fact, a baby.

“Holy shit. Holy shit . When? When did you think about a baby?” Rowan has gone so pale that he’s almost gray.

Jay tries to grasp a memory of the last three days, but it slips through his mind like water through a sieve.

Nix’s eyes pop open wide. “Well, I don’t remember when…or…who? Not really. But it could have been any of you except Luca, right?” He shrugs, then laughs, suddenly giddy.

“Jamie!” he shouts, and Jamie has to think fast before he’s got an armful of absolutely thrilled-smelling Nix Rena.

Jay can’t help but let himself be pulled along by his beloved’s absolute joy, so he laughs and accepts a happy kiss.

“I’m having a baby! A baby with all of you, and I’m so happy!” He stops for a minute—then bursts into tears.

Grayson is on his feet and up in their space in a second. He’s got his hand rubbing the center of Nix’s abdomen, and the soulmates just stare at each other until Grayson bursts into tears, too, falling into Jay’s other arm .

Jay can hardly hear over his crying mates, but Rowan whispers, “What is happening right now?”

“They’re happy, Ro,” Gideon murmurs, and Jay finally catches Gideon’s eye over Nix’s shoulder.

His mate smiles gently and makes an almost imperceptible nod. They’re going to be okay. If Gideon thinks they can do this, then they can, right?

“I want a baby, too,” Luca whines, climbing Gideon like a tree and reaching out his hand for Nix. “Can you make me a baby, too?”

A quick frown passes over Gideon’s face before his neutral expression settles in place. It reminds Jay that Gideon had had a similar reaction before.

Does the alpha not want his own children? Had Jay misinterpreted the small smile earlier—or Gideon’s arousal at “putting a baby” in Nix? Either way, Jay knows he’ll be an exemplary father to their pack’s child, no matter who their biological parents are.

“Of course, Luc. Anything for you.”

Their omega holds out his hand, and Jay is forced to walk, dragging Grayson along behind them—now attached to Nix over Jay’s back, effectively sandwiching him between them until, eventually, Nix wiggles free.

“Does he know how biology works?” Rowan asks no one in particular, taking the opportunity to peel a banana and shove the entire thing in his mouth at once.

Finn smacks him on the shoulder, causing him to subsequently choke.

“Ow. Fuck off,” he growls, and Jay notices he’s not taking his eyes off Nix except to gather food.

Is that another banana in his pocket?

No, really. It’s an actual banana.

Why is Rowan squirreling extra food away when he can get what he wants whenever he wants from the kitchen—where it’s sanitary? And not lint-covered. Or body temperature.

Ugh.

“I hate to be a buzzkill, but I think the question here is—does anyone remember we have to be in the fucking mountains in three days?”

Leo’s question derails Jay’s thoughts quickly .

The mood in the room crashes, and Jay wants to tell Leo off for ruining Nix’s happy moment—but he can’t because he’s right.

What are they going to do?

The scent of sweet vanilla and baking bread is suddenly so strong that Jay wonders if it’s the baby’s doing or Nix’s. That’s what Luca could smell—and maybe what had Rowan pressed against Nix’s belly like a child to the bakery window.

It’s the perfect comparison.

The scent is delicious, and Jay feels himself settle into a nice, floaty, relaxed mode.

There’s a bit of a commotion when Jay tunes back in. The scent seems to have immobilized anyone in the near vicinity.

Nix is now sitting on the couch, lifting the blanket for the winner of the most recent Grayson-versus-Rowan scuffle (it’s Grayson, surprisingly) to slide under it and “hot-box” himself with omega/baby scent.

Rowan whines— when will it be his turn? —and sits down as close as he can to Nix on the other side, arms crossed like a petulant toddler.

“Holy fuck, is that good. What are we going to do? We definitely need to fly privately now,” Leo says, wiping drool off his chin.

Gideon grins suddenly, and it occurs to Jay to be extra cautious—because anything that follows that smile never turns out well for Jay.

Even Luca looks concerned and jumps down so he can grab Gideon’s cheeks. “Sugar, that’s scary. You promised not to smile like that anymore.”

“I’m smiling because I am about to get my wish,” he crows and swings Luca around.

“Your wish? A baby is your wish?” Finn asks, confused.

“No, puppy. My kitten is having a kitten of his own, and I am the next designated proxy.”

He rubs his hands together at the thought, and Luca is right—that is a scary expression.

Before Nix says anything, Jay knows Gideon will not like what happens next—none of them will—because there is no way Nix will let being pregnant interfere with his plan .

“No, I’m still doing it.”

Grayson jerks upright, his head still covered by the blanket, and he falls to the floor in a heap, hampered by the fabric. He flails until, finally, the cheese tray crashes to the floor.

It doesn’t stop him, though.

Standing up, he whips the offending cover to the floor like a cape.

“No—absolutely not.” He points at Nix. “You can’t be serious.”

Nix stands, too, ready to face off against his soulmate for the right to choose. “I am fucking serious. Right now, our baby is just cells. In the human world, I wouldn’t even know about them yet. Arlo nearly kicked my ass and gave birth the same day! I’m still me, Gray, and I’m still doing this.”

Jay wants to agree with Grayson—forbid him from risking his life and has even more to live for now.

But it’s his body.

It’s Nix’s right to choose, and if Jay has learned anything in the past four weeks, it’s that he needs to respect that decision despite his misgivings.

It’s a familiar refrain when Rowan joins Grayson. “You can’t be seriously thinking of letting him do this?” he asks, then turns to Gideon. “Gideon?”

Gideon sees that Jay will not interfere, and his expression shutters for the second time that morning. “Fucking dammit, kitten,” he mutters and storms off toward the kitchen, where there’s the angry slamming of cupboards, pots, and pans.

Finn rubs his hand along Nix’s back as he goes by, and Tsuki licks his hand. Together, they head into the kitchen to beard the lion in his den.

“Jamie?” Nix says as he places a hand on his wrist.

Jay scoops him up and sighs into Nix’s throat. “Whatever you need, baby boy.”

“I love you,” Nix whispers, his lips pressed against his ear like it’s a secret—and he’s further rewarded with a huge smile. He wiggles out of Jay’s arms, turning to address the room again.

“Okay. Anyone who can’t do this with me, I understand. I won’t make you go, and I won’t be mad.” He looks from mate to mate and even catches Gideon staring from the kitchen. “I won’t be mad, but you need to stay here. I can’t be worried about you doing stupid shit.”

Nix looks right at Grayson and Rowan, pointing a finger at them. “That means you.”

It’s quiet, and neither man denies being mad about Nix’s decision, but Jay is proud to see they are taking Nix seriously.

“Got it?”

They nod simultaneously, and Nix gives a short nod back. Then he spots the cooked chicken on the table, and within seconds, he’s gnawing on a chicken leg—like nothing noteworthy has occurred, let alone two life-changing things in such a short time.

“So. When do we leave?”