Page 52 of Hidden Fates

“I want to practice today,” Skye announces, her head leaning against Quentin’s shoulder. His eyes narrow, lips twitching when she slaps a hand over his face to hide his expression. “Not actual work, Q. Think of it as exercise. My voice needs stretched.”

Sterling tugs on a strand of her hair, pulling her away from Quentin. “That’s a good idea, precious. We should all ‘exercise’ today.”

Skye beams at him. Her attention shifts to Caleb, who sits rigid in his seat. “You too, Caleb.”

His hand raises to scrub across the shaved part of his head. “Ah, I don’t want to impose.”

“It isn’t an official practice,” I tell him. “Just a jam session.”

When Skye juts her bottom lip into a pout, hitting him with her best puppy eyes, he quickly caves. “As long as you’re sure.”

After cleaning up from breakfast, we meet in the music room. Quentin is the only one missing, having gone to his office to work instead of sitting in. He gets on us about making this a real vacation, but the man hasn’t stopped working since the day he turned sixteen.

Reminding myself that he’s capable of taking care of himself, I walk over to the stands where our guitars sit. Feeling the smooth wood beneath my fingers sends a thrill of excitement dancing across my skin. Music has always been my passion.

Shattered Horizons is my first and only band. There were times I thought of leaving. Calling it quits when things were falling apart around me.

Until Onyx, Sterling, and Bellamy showed up at an audition. We clicked instantly, that feeling of pack undeniable between us. And when we performed together? I’ve never felt anything so perfect.

Hopefully, Caleb will feel the same. I don’t know what his role will be, but there is no doubt he has one.

Settling onto the stool for the piano, I drag my guitar into my lap and start tuning it. The motions are comforting and help get me into the right headspace. I love the feel of the strings and the smooth, black wood. This is my third guitar. I got my first six-string at sixteen, replaced it at twenty, and picked this seven-string up three years ago.

Some musicians swap their instruments every year, but I prefer to think of them like wine. They get better with age and use. As long as you take care of them.

Caleb scans the room before awkwardly carrying his instrument into the room. His ax is beautiful with a black neck and a sleek body, finished in an iridescent black that reflects beneath the stage lights. When I saw his guitar the first night of the charity tour, I was in love.

His comfort with the instrument shows when he riffs on it. It’s an extension of his body, the same way my seven-string is of me.

Glancing at the rest of our pack, I cross my fingers and hope that this impromptu jam session works the way we need it to.

“You should sing, too.” Skye claps her hands together, grinning at Caleb. He’s stuck to his instrument, avoiding the mic for the forty minutes we’ve been in here.

At first, I assumed he didn’t know the words, but he played perfectly alongside me and Bellamy, and I caught him mouthing along with Sterling several times. His hesitance must be insecurity. He’s still uncertain of where he fits in here. We all are.

In Orbital Somatic, he was the frontman and added guitar work. But Shattered Horizons already has a frontman and two guitarists. If he knew how to play a different instrument, like a keyboard or a saxophone, that would be different.

“Not for one of their songs,” Skye clarifies when Caleb shifts uncomfortably. Her hand flops toward us. “Oh. You guys should play Hex’s collab with Candy Courage. It has dual vocalists, so you’ll have a chance to stretch your vocal chords.”

I wait, holding my breath to see if Caleb will deny her request, but she hits him with those damn puppy eyes again, and he quickly jerks his head.

“If that’s what you wish, bunny. I know the lyrics, but I don’t know the guitar piece.” He glances at Sterling, insecurity blaring in his aura.

Sly doesn’t blink; he just bumps into Caleb. “I’ll take Azalea’s part since her pitch is higher.”

Our Omega plants her ass on the edge of the couch, hands clasped beneath her chin and jade-green eyes shining like gems beneath a full moon. We run over the chords again. Mistakes are inevitable with a song we aren’t as familiar with, but this isn’t about perfection; it’s about fun.

Onyx counts us in with his drumsticks, and we’re off. Bellamy and I battle with our chords. The warring dynamics can be jarring at first, but that clash is why metal fans around the world love the song. The grittiness fades away as Sterling sings. His raspy voice is lighter than Caleb’s deep notes, proving how accurate his choice to sing Azalea’s part was.

We’re all hanging on, waiting for the bridge. When it hits, Caleb blows us away. He doesn’t just sing Hex’s part; he owns it.

Everything falls into place as we play. Our pack bonds, our friendships. This is the moment that shapes our future, giving us insight into how to make things work with our new packmate.

Skye jumps to her feet when the song ends, whistling and cheering. “Holy shit, guys. That was amazing. More than amazing. The way your voices mesh together—I can’t get enough of it.”

Her rambling continues as she bounces between us, showering us with praise. She leaves a trail of honeyed perfume along her path, stirring our cocks as we scent her growing need.

Oh, our girl definitely enjoyed that.