Page 70 of Tides of Fate

“Ow!” the bigger alpha shouts at being caught, more than the actual discomfort.

“Rowan, sit. They don’t need you ambushing them on the stairs. Just give them a minute.”

He’s speaking to Rowan, but he makes eye contact with them all, one by one. He wouldn’t have had to because Jay’s mates are well aware, from Grayson’s earlier comments, that Nix may not be himself.

Or maybe this is him being himself—the “self” he is after Hayes—remade into something he’s only just figuring out.

Tsuki is first to enter the room, and she beelines toward Finn to lick his hand, and then, as Gideon sits, she licks him too, circumventing Jay entirely.

Tsuki hasn’t paid Jay any mind since she arrived, except he does sometimes find her staring at him from across the room. She doesn’t shift her eyes away as most animals do in Jay’s presence, so that’s a novelty.

He was told once that it was because they recognized him as an apex predator, and fine, that had felt weird to hear, but it had always proven true. So, imagine his surprise whenTsukihadn’t been the first one to look away.

His thoughts are interrupted when Nix and Luca enter from the right wing, dressed in Jay’s clothes and looking emotionally bruised around the edges. His hand tightens around the fork, and the warm metal bends slightly in his grip as their sadness burns in his gut.

He doesn’t push the feeling away but lets it bloom—proof of just how much he’s hurt Nix, even without meaning to.

Unable to hold the instinct back, Jay is out of his seat, narrowly missing Gideon’s grasping fingers so he can greet them as soon as they’re near enough. He hears a grumble behind him, and it’s more than worth Gideon’s ire when Nix gives him a soft smile. There’s a flood of relief that they’reboth here, where he can see them.

“Hi, Jamie. Happy birthday,” Nix whispers, and even though it’s been hard, it really is the best birthday he’s had in a decade. He hopes there will be more.

“Hey, come eat some ragu, yeah?” he says.

Nix lets Luca lead him away, and there’s a tiny pang in his chest that Nix won’t be sitting with him for dinner as they’d made a habit of doing. But there’s no way he’ll be the cause of any guilt his mate feels for choosing to be independent.

Finn offers him another refill of his wine as he picks up his fork. “You okay there, big alpha?”

“I’m okay. Maybe you want to sit with me instead?” Jay jokes, just to see his mate’s red-rimmed eyes widen.

“You wish,” Finn whispers, red-cheeked, and it’s enough to make him laugh.

“That I do. You just tell me when, and I’ll break the news to Nix.”

Finn snorts, catching their omega’s eye, and blows him a kiss.

Jay lets the conversation flow around him, and he sees Nix doing much the same. He tries to be unobtrusive about his surveillance while he eats his birthday dinner. It’s easy to enjoy himself now that they’re all here, and even though they certainly won’t be spending this birthday like he’d spent it last year, this is just as good.

Gideon had pivoted, letting them know there would be a change in plans, and the games were tamer than usual. No one had complained—well, maybe Rowan had balked a bit, but Leo had stepped in and whispered something that made Rowan close his mouth so fast that he mimed zipping it up and throwing away the imaginary key.

Jay spots Grayson leaning in to whisper conspiratorially in Nix’s ear.

“I’m glad you came for dinner, Angel. We’re playing some fun games after dinner. I need an emotionally intelligent and creative partner.”

“Hey! I’m the birthday boy. I get to choose my team first.” He’s only joking a little bit, and he’s not ashamed to bring some pressure to bear.

“Hey, I’m the youngest, and I always choose first. You said, Jay. That’syour rule.”

They start to bicker, and Jay watches as Nix looks from face to face around the table. He eventually meets Jay’s eyes and gives him a tiny wave and smile.

Jay mouths, “You okay, baby boy?”

A pink blush suffuses his cheeks, and he tilts his head and mouths, “Yes, Daddy,” right back with a wink.

Jay can’t help but smile so big his cheeks hurt from the effort.

Gideon steps in with a loud whistle that makes Finn jump and Tsuki pops her head up from under Nix’s end of the table.

“Alright, you heathens, listen up. Geminis, Cancer, and the birthday Libra on one team, and the rest of us on the other. Now, please clear the table. Shoo.”

---