Threads of Fate (Fated in the Stars #1)

Chapter Twenty-Four Jay

Jay

Nix’s fangs sink into the muscle between his neck and shoulder; the pain is excruciating, but Jay’s wolf howls in victory at the feeling of his omega drawing his blood.

Not for the first time this week, he feels the itch in his gums as his fangs drop until he’s panting with the effort to hold himself back. His wolf’s demands are fierce, as they have been since they scented their mate in the ER, and they have only grown since. He presses his lips carefully to Nix’s cheek and his ear, whispering brokenly, “Nix. Nix. Nix.”

The words cause his mate to tremble, and he withdraws his fangs without finesse, growling and pushing Jay over with surprising strength, just to sink his teeth into Jay’s neck on the other side. Then again, again and again. They’re not bites intended to bond them, but Jay feels claimed anyway.

He hears Luca gasp, eyes wide; Jay hopes his sweet beta stays where he is. Jay gives him a smile of reassurance as their omega bites down directly on his sensitive collarbone, sending a shiver down his spine. It’s everything he’d dreamed of having: his beloved mate straddling his belly, staking his claim.

It’s as if the part of Nix’s brain that always recognized them as fated mates—even if he didn’t know it—has reached its limit, and in relief, he’s letting everyone know, especially Jay. It burns through Jay’s restraint like wildfire, that feeling surging again; he wants his teeth in his long-lost mate’s neck to bond them so no one will ever think they can take him away or harm him ever again. Jay clings to his promise to himself and the others that he will control it. He will.

Nix is alternating between fierce rumbling growls and whines. His deep voice vibrates through him when Nix presses their chests together. Jay glances over the bed, locking eyes with Luca for just a moment—a single heartbeat long enough to take in his expression. Fingers in his mouth and cheeks red, his overly sweet mocha-aroused scent is adding fuel to Jay’s fire and probably Nix’s.

Fuck.

Sliding back so his butt is sitting on Jay’s groin, Nix takes both sides of Jay’s dress shirt between his clawed hands and pulls it open, buttons flying everywhere as his vanilla scent takes on the musky allure of a down-and-dirty-fuck. Once he’s got Jay’s chest bare, he rubs his nose and cheek over the surface, smelling and scenting. There’s a set of sharp stings when he sinks his teeth into each of his pecs, where they’re extra meaty, over Jay’s phoenix tattoo, and then he’s lapping up the blood. It looks like he’s not going to stop until he’s put his mark on every part of his alpha.

Jay cannot recall a time when he’d been this turned on as if he could come in his pants on the floor of a hospital room. It’s not long before the entire room is flooded with their omega’s vanilla-sex scent. Like ambrosia on his tongue, he sucks in deep, greedy lungfuls, the sweetness blending seamlessly with the faint trickle of Luca’s mocha arousal. The combination might just be Jay’s new favorite flavor.

He can still see just Luca’s face over the edge of the bed, barely restraining himself, two fingers from one hand in his mouth and soft mewls escaping his puffy bitten lips while his other hand pulls his hair. He’s proud of his beta for not giving in to the urge to slip a hand under his skirt because Jay is having a hard time not giving in, too.

Deliberately sliding back onto Jay’s now-very-hard cock, Nix moans long and loud. He’s beautiful, Jay thinks, golden hair in a cloud around his head, fangs extended, and lips bright red with Jay’s blood on his chin.

He cannot help but grab onto his mate and buck up. Nix’s responsive groan is enough for Luca; the beta’s eyes roll up in his head, knees giving out, and he disappears from view with a soft oof. Jay struggles not to follow him over into orgasm as Nix works his hips, forcing the ridge of Jay’s cock between his cheeks, right where they both need it.

Nix’s head tips up to make eye contact, mouth open, and tongue resting on his bottom lip; he is both angel and devil, and Jay thinks they’ll always have to fuck with the lights on, forever.

But that will not be today.

Nix’s wolf is in charge, and it’s up to Jay to make sure Nix is fully aware before they do fuck. Jay would never hurt his Sunshine, especially not when his previous experiences have been so violent and entirely without his consent. He couldn’t live with himself if Nix experienced pain or regret when remembering their first time.

The thought of denying them both makes his wolf shove harder against Jay’s mental restraints, its demands growing louder, more insistent. Fear seeps through—fear they’ll lose their chance to bond with their omega.

It takes everything Jay has to pull his hips down and away, reducing the contact between them. Nix keens, trying to follow, desperate to maintain his frustrated rhythm. It hurts to deny his mate what he needs, but Jay jackknifes into a sitting position, tightening his grip on Nix’s hips and forcing him to still.

In this position, his omega’s sweet scent rises between their bodies, flooding his senses. Groaning, Jay’s eyes roll back in his head. “Nix, wait.”

At the sound of his name, Nix’s eyes flutter closed, but he still tries to move his hips, a soft whine escaping him. Jay briefly rests his forehead on his mate’s shoulder—just for a moment—to catch his breath.

“Nix, no,” Jay insists.

The “no” makes Nix tilt his head, tongue slipping out to lick his dry lips. “No?” His plaintive tone sends a jolt through Jay’s heart. His wolf immediately floods his mind with images of reasons they should give their mate what they both need: Nix on his belly while Jay pounds into him, taking Nix’s cock into his mouth and hearing him shout his name, Nix round with a pup in his belly.

That one almost breaks his resolve.

But Jay is not just his wolf; he is a man, and the man is in charge. He shakes his head in apology, voice soft. “Not right now, baby.”

Jay feels his mate press down again, chasing the feeling of Jay’s dick, but says, “Soon?”

“Yes, soon. If you want to.” Nix looks at him like he’s crazy, that there’s a universe where he wouldn’t want to be fucked by Jay. He has to smile, dimple popping out.

Nix’s eyes move to it right away, poking a—thankfully clawless—finger into it like he often had when they were kids, the little divot triggering something that breaks through Nix’s newly transitioned instincts. “Jamie?” It’s tremulous and uncertain, but Jay can tell his brain is slowly coming back online.

“Hello, Nix.” He feels two tiny hands on his face, and while searching his eyes, Jay can see he’s finally on his way to being more lucid. His adorable nose crinkles, and there’s a light touch on his lips.

“Kiss?” For the second time in a decade, Jay throws caution to the wind and kisses Phoenix Rena. He lets his mate take the lead. Just like their first one, this kiss is just a press of their open mouths, and it’s just as good as he remembered. When Nix pulls away, Jay’s lips are smudged with spit and blood.

“Hurt?” His mate starts prying open Jay’s mouth, looking for where he might be hurt. He doesn’t know the blood is partly his own.

“No, that’s not mine. I mean, it is , but I’m not hurt.”

The omega seems to remember Luca then, and in the blink of an eye, he jumps off Jay’s lap. “Luca hurt?” There’s a slight panic in his tone that Luca might not be where he left him, safe behind the bed.

Luca’s head pops up again for the second time, a bright smile on his face, ready to show their omega that he’s not hurt, either. “No, baby. I’m okay.” He climbs tentatively over the bed, looking a bit worried Nix might push him back, and Jay wonders how he ended up back there in the first place.

“Come.” Nix makes grabby hands toward the beta. When Luca is close, Nix jerks him down and points to Jay. “Jamie.” Then at himself. “Mine. My Jamie.” The pride in his voice tugs on Jay’s heartstrings. Makes it a bit easier to ignore his persistent and painful erection.

Nix’s new Were instincts are still stronger than his human ones, but he seems calmer and his behavior more deliberate. His pared-down speech is better than the virtually non-verbal mate he’d been faced with when he’d entered the room.

Turning to Jay, he points at Luca. “My Luca.” It’s like he’s a new Mama cat showing off her kitten to its human. “Mine.” He puts his nose in Luca’s neck and licks him, inhaling deep huffs of satisfied beta. Luca shivers and giggles.

Luca clearly came before, and his mocha scent is musky and sweet. Nix gets distracted for a minute while pressing his nose into Luca’s scent gland, then his chest, and looks like he might push Luca over to find the source of the musky Luca scent.

“Very nice, baby. Luca is perfect.” Jay stands up and Nix’s attention is diverted once again. His new Were senses are leading him around by the literal nose. Nix reaches for his hand, pulling them both up into a hug with Nix in the middle. Everyone sighs.

“Luca is perfect. Perfect for Nix and Jamie.” His voice is raspy, and he must be so thirsty because he coughs after so many words.

Luca pulls away just a little bit to reach for his water bottle for Nix. The omega is reluctant to let him move an inch, so they all shuffle so he can reach. Nix’s smile is blinding in thanks.

“Slow down, Nix, you’ll make yourself sick.” Luca tries to take the bottle back and is rewarded with a growl.

“You.” He pushes the bottle toward Jay, and Jay sees the minute Nix notices the blood on his shirt, the bite marks, and the missing buttons. Eyes wide, he drops the bottle with a loud clang so he can spread his shirt open for a closer look. “What happened? You said not hurt?” Two lines appear between his perfect eyebrows, accusation in his eyes.

“I’m okay. It’ll heal up quickly.” A disbelieving eyebrow quirk has him immediately thinking of his mate still out in the hall. Shit. Gideon must be climbing the walls. And the others? Now that he thinks about it he can hear whispers in the hall, then a quiet scuffle and a grunt.

They shouldn’t keep them waiting; maybe they can see if Nix will let them come in, or Jay can send them home until tomorrow. He knows there will be some resistance if he doesn’t let them at least see Nix awake, but Nix has to decide what he can handle and how much. This transition has not gone according to the textbook, and Jay thinks that’s definitely everything to do with him being an omega.

Maybe getting him a shower will help bring a bit more “Nix” to the forefront and send the “wolf” to the background.

“Maybe we should clean you up? You’ll feel better.”

“Yeah, the blood smells gross.” Luca’s nose wrinkles with distaste—blood is definitely not on his list of favorite bodily fluids.

Nix flinches at the mention of the blood. “What happened?”

Jay can’t figure out if he means: How did he get here? Where have you been? What is with all this blood? So, he starts with the easiest thing. “You’re at the hospital. You cut your mouth and hands, baby. Will you let me clean them up? We can get the nurse–”

“No! Nobody else. Just you and Luca.” The scent of burnt cookies is suddenly so strong that Luca covers his nose. “Not safe. He might come. Hurt you.” There’s another scuffle in the hall, and if Jay strains, he can hear Rowan growling. That pre-rut is a pain in the ass.

Jay’s heart breaks when his mate says, “If…if he comes, Nix fight this time, but you run. Luca, too.” His eyes glaze over, but Jay holds his tiny, bloody hands against his bare chest so he can ground him in his heartbeat.

“You are so brave, Nix. Thank you for protecting Luca when I wasn’t here. But you are safe with us. No one will ever hurt you, ever again. Whoever you’re thinking of right now can’t hurt you.”

“Dawson,” he spits. “Not here?” At Jay’s shake of his head, Nix looks deeply into his eyes and must see something because he nods once. “Okay. Luca safe, too?” It’s such a Nix thing to do; to be worried about others more than himself. The trust inherent in his words makes Jay’s wolf wriggle like a puppy.

“Yes, baby, of course.”

“Jay always keeps us safe. We keep each other safe. All of us. We’re a family.”

His omega gasps and stills so suddenly that Jay tenses for attack, proverbial hackles raised. “A family? You—a family?” Nix’s scent is sour now, and he drops Jay’s hands like they’re hot coals and steps back. “Luca? You? Together?” He hits gently on the side of his head and pulls his hair roughly. “ Stupid, stupid .” He spins around, looking for a place to hide.

Luca intercepts him with both hands on Nix’s arms. “Nix! It’s okay. You are our family, too. I’m sorry that didn’t come out right. Please let Jay explain. Please?” Luca is so sincere and distressed that their omega can’t help but give him all his attention.

“Nix, it’s complicated. But I have always loved you. You are our family, too, and if you let me, I can explain. Will you let me clean you up, and then we can talk? Please?”

Nix tilts his head and nods in tentative agreement. “Trust you.” Nix looks down at himself. “Can have a shower? Need to pee.” His face is flushed with embarrassment. “Maybe sit down?” He’s at the end of his adrenaline-fueled physical endurance and he wobbles on his feet.

Jay catches him easily.

Luca sighs, hands under his chin and eyes shining. “Swoon. It’s like one of those romance movies, for real. Sue me.”

Nix looks disbelievingly at Jay, huffing out a small laugh. “Cute.” And Jay can only nod in agreement.

“Okay, let’s see about that shower, then we can get you some food. Do you think you want help? You’re a little wobbly. I can help you or Luca if you don’t want the nurse yet.”

Luca looks so eager that he’s almost dancing on the spot, which makes Nix giggle. He must be thinking about it, but his face falls. “No…m’not…nice. Can do it on my own.” He uses his free hand to gesture at himself, like his “not nice” is clear to all.

Jay is unbelieving that his mate could ever be “not nice” looking but is apprehensive about pointing out that Nix’s scars have disappeared since he’s not quite ready to provide explanations in full. Not that it would matter. If Nix had survived his trauma as a human, no matter how he looked, Jay and his mates would love him, regardless. Nix’s beauty shines from the inside; the outsides are just extra.

“Nix, you are beautiful. But if you want, I’ll wait outside the door, so you can call me if you feel shaky.” His wolf does not agree with this compromise and insists that having their mate out of sight is intolerable. Good thing you’re not in charge then.

Seeing the black t-shirt he’d been holding on the floor, Nix picks it up and lifts it to his nose, then his face crumples in despair.

“Hey, now. What’s wrong?” His omega should never be sad again, and most certainly not about a t-shirt.

“Smells not…good. It was good before.” It’s covered in blood from Nix’s claws, which no doubt eclipses Grayson’s fresh basil scent that’s always lighter than Leo’s cinnamon or Jay’s pine scents.

“Do you want to pick something else?” Luca jogs around the bed to where Nix had pushed him and all the nesting stuff Luca had brought from home onto the floor.

Jay thinks for a second that Nix might stop the beta from destroying his emergency “nest,” but he visibly shakes the thought away as Nix joins the beta next to the pile of clothing. He stares at the laundry and moves to the bed to pick up a pair of Leo’s workout shorts, pinching the soft material between his fingers.

“Why bring laundry here?” Putting the shorts down to his right, he begins absentmindedly sorting the clothes into piles using a system only he understands. When he’s got most of it in piles, he stops on a pair of gray sweatpants that belong to Rowan and a soft white sweater that is Finn’s. He carefully pulls the sweater to his nose and breathes so deeply that Jay thinks he’ll have fibers in his lungs.

He shows the sweater to Jay. “Finn,” he whispers. “Finn’s. I want Finn.”

“He’s in the hall. I can get him, but I’ll have to open the door.” Nix thinks long and hard about it before giving a single nod while moving to shield Luca slightly. “Thank you for trusting me. Finn!” It’s not loud, but still, Nix flinches, eyes glued to the door.

The door opens, giving Jay a glimpse of Gideon and Rowan outside. The security guard and the nurse have cleared everyone away, Jay thinks he’ll never be so grateful as he will when they can get Nix out of here once and for all.

Gideon meets his eye as he holds Rowan back with an arm across the door. He can’t see Leo or Gray now, but Finn is right there, and it’s clear that he’s eager to come in.

His eyes are red-rimmed, his nose is pink, and he has rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. He’s already opened the top three buttons, so Nix will have an easier time scenting him if he wants.

Skirting around Rowan and under Gideon’s arm, he stops just inside the door. The sound of Nix’s tiny feet running across the room and Finn’s oof as he catches him mid-jump is music to Jay’s ears.

Nix has his nose in Finn’s neck, the white sweater grasped tight in his hand, like a baby with a blanket. Finn’s having a hard time hanging on without putting his hands directly on Nix’s bare butt hanging out of his gown.

“Finn, don’t let him fall!” Luca shouts because they all should know by now that he’d never let a bare butt deter him.

Nix is making happy little chirps and grunts. And Finn has his eyes closed and his nose buried in Nix’s hair behind his ear. “Hi, Nix.”

“Finn. Did you know I was here? I’m sorry I ran away before.”

It’s a relief that Nix’s words are slowly returning to normal.

“That’s okay, Nix. I missed you, though. I’m glad you’re better now and that you’re here with us.”

“Me, too. I uh…I’m sorry I took your blue sweater. I don’t know where…it is…” He’s trying to remember where he left the sweater. He looks down at the soft white one as if the answer might be written there.

Finn’s quick to divert the bad memory, setting him back on his feet.

“No worries, I have a white one and a green one, too. Are you going to wear this one? It’s not been washed, but…”

Nix looks at him in horror, “Don’t wash it! It smells like you, and I need…” Confusion is clear on his face. He looks over his shoulder at Jay. “Why would I say that?”

“It’s okay, Nix. I like the way Finn’s things smell, too.” Luca walks back to the clothes on the bed and hands him Rowan’s sweatpants. “Uh…there’s no underwear, obviously, because that stays at the den—at home. But these smell okay.” When Jay looks at the piles Nix had made on the bed, they’re sorted by his mates’ scent.

“Do you want a shower now?” Finn gestures to the room’s restroom. “There are toiletries and towels.”

“Will you come?” Jay feels only relief that he’ll let Finn help after all.

“Uh…yes. If you’re sure?”

Nix is dragging him to the restroom but stops before they go in, eyes only for Jay. “You won’t leave, right?”

“Never.”

With a smile and a nod, he pulls Finn in after him, closing the door. Jay’s wolf isn’t happy that he’s out of sight but feels settled, knowing that Finn is on guard.

“Jaybird, why didn’t he want to shower with us?” Chin wobbling, the beta is holding back disappointed tears.

Jay opens his arms so Luca can jump up and put his nose in Jay’s neck with a sigh. “He smells soooooo good. I wanna eat him.” Luca has Jay’s skin between his teeth, and he’s sniffing and licking wherever Nix had done the same, getting the taste of him in his mouth, distaste for the blood forgotten.

The door to the hall opens with a squeak as Gideon peeks his head in. Seeing that Nix has gone and that the shower is running in the background, he enters carrying a basin of water and first aid supplies. “Careful, Honey. Jay has wounds on his chest, too.” Jay’s not sure by what magic Gideon has any idea about the specifics of his injuries but has long accepted that Gideon is just that: magical.

Gideon puts the items on the bedside table before heading over to the bed, where he finds a long-sleeved t-shirt that Leo had worn the day before and hands it to Jay.

“I’ll be quick so I can be gone before he comes out. We shouldn’t overwhelm him, but we need to tell him about the transition as soon as possible. I’ll call Riordan and see when we can take him home.” Jay removes his wrecked shirt, and Gideon washes off the blood.

Luca is careful not to mess with the piles that Nix made but climbs back in bed, pulling the blankets up around his head and over his lap before settling in to watch. “I want to take him home and put him in the nest for a thousand years!” Jay couldn’t argue with the sentiment at all.

The shower turns off just as Gideon finishes putting a bandage on his shoulder and one on his left pec. The others have almost healed already. They’re not quick enough though, because Finn is towing a freshly-washed Nix out of the restroom by his hand while Gideon is tidying up his mess.

Finn is holding the sweatpants in his hand, and Nix is only in the white sweater. He looks like an angel, with bare legs and gray eyes. The sweater is so large the neckline gapes, showing that the freckles on his cheeks have migrated to his upper chest. He’s perfect, and seeing him find comfort in Finn makes another piece of the puzzle slot into place.

They hold a collective breath, waiting to see if Nix will balk at Gideon’s presence in the room. When their omega seems okay, Finn holds up the pants. “These have a pizza stain on them, and Nix doesn’t like the smell right now. That’s okay, though, because I told him there were more pants out here if he wanted them. Hey, Gideon. This is Nix.” Nix is hiding behind Finn’s shoulder, hands around his biceps, and eyes on the floor.

Gideon avoids eye contact as well, just going about the business of tidying up the first aid supplies. When he’s done, Nix has peeked around Finn, so Gideon gives him a small smile. The alpha looks so soft.

Unsurprisingly, Nix has him wrapped around his finger already. “I’m Gideon. Nix, would you like something to eat? I had Leo order all kinds of takeout because I wasn’t sure what you wanted.”

Nix’s tummy makes itself known with a grumble and Luca giggles. “Nixie’s hungry, Sugar. Can I have a hamburger? Ooh, did you get pasta? I want pasta. Please.” Luca rolls out of the bed again, careful of Nix’s sorting, and into Gideon’s open arms.

“Sure thing. Cream sauce or marinara?” Nix is watching how the bigger man is treating his Luca with an eagle eye. He’s crept even farther out from behind Finn but won’t let go.

“Nix, do you want pasta with Luca? It’s not as good as Gideon’s, but it’ll still be delicious.” Jay offers him his hand, happy that Nix takes it without hesitation.

“That’s okay? I haven’t behaved very well. Maybe I should have some rice instead? Or maybe water?”

Finn’s scent turns sour. “ Behaved well? Nix, we don’t earn our food in this pa–family. Good or bad, happy or sad, we always eat until we are full. You never have to worry about that.”

“I don’t?” He’s looking from face to face and stops at Luca. “Luca eats all the time?”

“Yes! Sometimes I eat more than my share if it’s really good. Gideon makes a pesto that tastes like Gray, and I eat it on everything. It’s so good.” The beta’s enthusiasm for basil-flavored dishes is renowned in their household. He once tackled Rowan to the floor for the last piece of pesto bread Gideon had made. He’d won it, too.

“Gray? Like the color?” He looks at Jay and wonders if he’s missed something.

Gideon smirks. “It’s short for Grayson. He’s another one of our partners.”

He looks at the three men in the room and finally at Jay. “You have partners? More than Luca?” His eyes are wide; polyamory in the human world is rare. Not so much in the Were community, where packs like Jay’s hide in plain sight. The world of entertainment allows for packs to exist as groups, living and working together under the guise of good business practice.

Gideon hugs Luca from behind. “There are eight of us now.” Jay sucks his breath in and presses a hand to his heart, which is beating harder at hearing it said out loud.

“Eight? You love seven people?” He asks Jay.

“I do. Gideon, Leo, Gray, Luca, Finn, Rowan, and Nix.” Nix processes the information slowly, and there’s a shock in his eyes.

“Do you..uh..know another Nix? Besides me?” Confusion on his face.

Laughing, Luca approaches their new mate slowly, “No, silly. It’s you. We’ve missed you for a long time. We’ve been waiting, right ?”

“Feels like forever,” Jay sighs.

“We hope you’ll want to get to know us too, Nix. When you’re feeling better?” Gideon asks, uncharacteristically shy.

Nix freezes again. “I am better, right, Finn?” He shakes, pale legs visibly trembling.

“You are, I promise,” Finn says.

Jay isn’t sure why he’s suddenly so upset. “Nix, what’s wrong, baby? Let me fix it.”

“If I leave here…I’m afraid to go back to Dawson’s—the apartment. What if he’s still there?” Seeing Nix so shaken and smelling that burnt cookie smell has Finn growling. Their steadfast, dependable Finn has his fangs down and is trying not to scare the shit out of their new mate. Jay thinks Finn’s wolf might never let Nix go anywhere without him.

Jay takes his omega’s thin shoulders and turns him subtly away from Finn’s internal battle. “You never have to go back there again, baby. Never. And Dawson is in prison, which is not as much as he deserves.”

“He is? He can’t hurt us anymore? Luca! He can’t hurt you!” His smile is so blinding that Gideon’s jaw drops open. The scent of a thunderstorm on a hot summer night rolls gently across the room. He’s even opened his mouth, panting to get the scent of Nix’s happy vanilla-and-sex scent on his tongue. Gideon is rarely at a loss for words, so seeing him like this is a novelty.

“I’m so happy, baby! Isn’t that amazing, Gideon?” He is not-so-subtly rubbing his butt back on Gideon’s dick, who must have popped a boner at Nix’s smile. Jay can relate because that smile is lethal.

“Do you have anything you want from there, Nix? I can get it for you.”

“No, Jamie. Nothing there. Oh! I need my wallet. There’s something in it I need. Did I bring it to the hospital? I must have used my bus pass, so…I can’t remember.” He goes quiet as he tries to remember how he got to the hospital.

“Nix, it’s okay if you don’t remember. Sometimes that happens.” Finn has his emotions under control and has stepped into doctor mode.

“Nix, the others are here with the food. If you don’t want to see anyone else right now, that’s okay. But I know they’d love to meet you, too.”

“I’m not wearing pants, Jamie.” The sweater covered his butt nicely, hitting him mid-thigh. His hands are hidden by sweater-paws, and the neckline has slid even farther to one side, showing off more of his shoulder and collarbone. Jay spares a moment to wonder if Nix noticed the unmarred state of his skin when he showered.

“Can I sit? Maybe with a blanket, please? Then I think I’d like to meet the rest of your family— partners .” He smiles so hard that his eyes all but disappear. Gideon groans again, and it’s followed by Luca giggling at his mate’s predicament.

Finn leads him over to the couch where Luca covers him with a blanket covered in tiny yellow chicks that Rowan swore he never used, but smelled like him alone. The omega brings it to his nose and sighs, a contented smile on his face, as he tucks a strand of hair behind his ear.

Finn takes a seat next to him, his arm across the back of the couch, while Luca sits on the other side, grabbing his omega’s tiny hand. He looks like he wants to pull Nix on his lap but is showing remarkable restraint.

Gideon goes to open the door, and finally, all of Jay’s family is alive, well, and in one place.