Page 51 of Tides of Fate

We missed the old man’s birthday.

He’s in the kitchen when he hears Jay yell, “Fuck you, Gideon!” and Luca wail.

5:03 p.m.-from Leo

Now look what you did

In the next instant, Gideon’s screen shows a photo of a crying Luca sitting on Jay’s lap.

5:04 p.m.-fromRowan

We’ll be there.

Do these pants count as dressing up?

Finn says no.

Gideon knows without looking that they don’t—and they barely count as dressed.

5:03 p.m.-fromGrayson

Nix and I say YAY.

Gideon can see Grayson and Nix sitting in a pile of tissues and empty boxes on the couch. They actually sayyay!as Grayson types it and shows him. Nix isn’t looking at the phone, though. He’s looking at Grayson with a sweet, love-sick smile on his face, and when Grayson looks up, he returns the favor. It’s nauseating but fucking cute, dammit.

Turning away, he throws a hand out to catch himself as he trips over Tsuki—who’d been sitting behind him, no doubt waiting for a treat…or for him to declare his undying devotion. The crash is loud—he flings the pot he was holding across the room and knocks into the drying cake pans as he hits the floor.

Tsuki just barks, and when Gideon rolls onto his back, she lays her head on his belly with a sigh—as if this had been her plan all along.And why had he been so noisy doing it?

Only Grayson and Nix come running,thank fuck.

“Kitten, get your fucking dog out of the kitchen.”

He’s not mad, and any of his other mates would know this is his joking-annoyed tone, not hisI ’m-really-annoyedtone.

But Nix doesn’t know that yet.

His sweet kitten is stock-still, eyes tilted down.

“I’m sorry. She didn’t mean to. She just likes you. Please. Please. Please.”

It’s desperate and afraid, his vanilla scent sucked up in a blink.

Stomach in his toes, Gideon tries to diffuse Nix’s fear by rubbing Tsuki’s ears. “Fuck. Kitten, it’s okay. I’m not mad. I’m sorry. You’re safe, and Tsuki is safe.”

Grayson is trying to get Nix to look up, but their omega resists. “Angel, it’s okay. Gideon is just being snarky. See? He loves Tsuki.”

Grayson makes eyes at him, while Tsuki seems to know exactly what she needs to do—she licks him across the face. Wet, slimy dog kisses.

“Mmm. I love doggy kisses. Mmm. Yay.”

Encouraged, Tsuki keeps at it, jumping up with her huge paws on his shoulders, forcing Gideon to stay sitting on the floor. He slams his mouth shut just in time to prevent her from getting a taste of his teeth.

“Mmmmm.”

He closes his eyes just as he feels a tongue on his eyeball.Yuck.

Finally, pushing the dog back, Gideon cracks an eyelid and uses his t-shirt to de-slime his face.

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