Page 94 of Tides of Fate

Comparatively, Logan is a giant—but that doesn’t stop Nix for one second from making yet another conquest.

“Thank you for coming,” Nix says, sticking out his hand.

Logan abandons his attempt to look big and scary, and instead, a doting smile brightens his face as he accepts Nix’s small hand, placing his other over the top.

“You must be Nix. Arlo has told me how you keep your mates in line with an iron will.”

Arlo lets Nix go only to smack Logan on the arm.

Gideon laughs out loud at Nix’s shocked expression.

But it’s Jay who grabs him and holds him close, flooding his mate’s clothing and hair with big puffs of territorial pine.

“Jamie. Stop. Whoa, what are you—” Theiromega gives a cute, squeaky sneeze. “Really?”

Two more sneezes follow, and Logan has his hands clasped under his chin, heart-eyes in full effect.

Gideon thinks it’s because he has an overwhelming urge to squeeze him.

“Excuse me. I must be allergic to something.” Nix rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, possessive alpha,” Leo mutters.

“I know what that’s like, although sneezing isn’t my first response.” Arlo crosses his arms while Logan touches the bruise on his neck.

“Don’t listen to him, Nix. He actually likes it,” Logan teases, already backing away like he might make a run for it.

Nix’s cheeks go pink as Arlo chases Logan into the living room.

The alpha shrieks like a child as Nix claps and cheers his friend on, the worry from the morning momentarily forgotten.

When Arlo catches Logan and takes him to the ground, Jay puts his arms around Nix in a back hug, nuzzling his nose into his mate’s hair.

“What’s everyone else doing, baby?”

Nix laughs and finally looks at them.

“Well, Luca took Finn into his room, and Rowan and Grayson are watching that zombie drama.” He wrinkles his nose. He doesn’t say that he likely snuck away while the other four were otherwise occupied.

“Not down for zombies, Nix?” Logan asks, adjusting his clothes and smoothing out his ruffled hair. Arlo looks completely unphased, even if he smells a little more like cedar than before.

Arlo wrinkles his nose, too. “Me either. Real life is bad enough, you know? Hey, Nix, you have a gym here. Why don’t you show me what you’ve learned so far?”

“Oh…babe, I don’t think that’s—” Logan starts but doesn’t get more than those few words out.

“Do not finish that sentence. I can still take you, even with your baby on board.”

Is Logan the baby’s genetic father?

Gideon is too polite to ask how they know exactly, but he’s not the only one whose wheels are turning. Maybe Nix will ask, and they can all gossipabout it later.

“If you want to see?” Nix smiles, and then he sets those beguiling eyes on Gideon. “Gideon has been teaching me, and I think it’s going okay, but if you had any advice, I’d happily accept. But first, I’m hungry. Could I have a banana, please?”

Nix hasn’t figured out yet that he doesn’t have to ask, but even if he does, no wiles are necessary.

It’s well past 5:00 p.m., and they haven’t made dinner plans. Rowan will have gnawed off a limb in the next hour.

“I’ll order something and get you both a snack. Then you can show Arlo what you’ve learned while we wait.”

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