WE WAIT in front of the school with Gabe and the other Shifters until the Shields have the Sanctuary completely covered. Sawyer gives us the all clear before we let the families out of the school and start moving people to the medical center.
Gabe, who is once again dressed in his sleep sweatpants and one of Atlas’ sweaters that he’d grabbed in his rush to get down here, has a kid on each of his shoulders as he helps to move people who are injured or low mobility. Atlas has a man draped over his own shoulders who has been shot in the leg and very crudely patched up by one of the useless Healers in the storm shelter. He is still doing his best not to groan at every little movement.
None of the families want to touch me.
I’m okay with that, but both of my Bonds take it a little personally on my behalf.
Kyrie snorts at them and jiggles a little to adjust the toddler on her hip. “The Dravens get the same treatment. It’s just fear. Even knowing you were the pivotal piece of our victory, they can still sense that something else is walking with them.”
I shrug and pet down August’s back, ruffling his ears a little, exactly how he likes it. “I know. That’s survival instinct for you, I would stay away from me too.”
I don’t tell her that I’m fine with it because Nox verbally tore me a new asshole less than an hour ago and that shit is still stinging like a bitch, because then Atlas will drop the guy he’s holding and just go full kamikaze on him for my honor.
I don’t need that.
So I put a smile on my face and keep the puppies close to my legs. There’s no point in scaring people more by letting them roam freely.
When we get to the medical center, which is in the main area of town and across the way from North’s offices, we find the TacTeams mostly congregating there, and I can duck off to find my Bonded.
I need to find North and see him alive and well for myself, thank you very much.
He’s easy to spot, being the most highly sought after person in the town while also being terrifying enough to require a two foot personal bubble from everyone while the memories of what nightmares he was inflicting on the enemy is still strong. I’m not exactly kind or tactful in the way that I use the puppies to get people the hell out of my way as I make a beeline to him.
The relief on his face at the sight of my dust-covered, sweaty, gross face is exactly what’s on my face as well. I don’t need to see it to know it.
I’m not sure if he’s really into PDA, but I throw myself in his direction and he catches me without hesitation, his arms tight around me as he pulls me in as closely as the laws of physics will let him.
“You really couldn’t stay somewhere safe, just to stop me from having a heart attack?”
I scoff at him, but his arms stay tight around me so I can’t move. “Kyrie just called me pivotal to our win here. Pretty sure you guys needed my help. Besides, we both know the Charge was sent for me.”
There’s murmuring behind us, and I feel my Bonds approaching. All of them, even Nox, surprisingly.
I get tugged out of his arms gently, even though he doesn’t want to let me go, and Gryphon snarks at him, “Stop hogging her, you possessive shit. You have people to speak to and important councilman shit to do.”
North glares in the general direction of Foggarty and the other two Healers gossiping amongst themselves just a few feet away, staring at him like they’re vultures.
I tuck myself up back into his side to murmur, “Which one do you want me to scare the shit out of? I can totally kill one of them if you want me to.”
When he shoots me a look, I grin at him innocently with a little shrug, teasing, “For the greater good, I can do what’s necessary.”
“Liar. You wouldn’t, but your bond would. Maybe you should let her out for a bit longer, thin the overfed and over-important crowd a little for us.”
Gabe scoffs and kicks his sneaker into the dirt a little, but he’s caked in it already from the fight, so it doesn’t make a difference. “Just throw them out. You owe them nothing, not safety or comfort. If they’re not going to help, then get rid of them.”
North rolls his eyes and rubs a hand over his face, smearing more of the blood and dirt around. “It’s not that easy. Nothing is ever that easy.”
I pull a face but nod, because that’s a big part of growing up. Learning that everything comes with consequences, some of them too devastating to contemplate.
So I change tactics. “Where did Kieran end up stashing Sage? I need to keep doing my rounds and check over the whole family.”
Gryphon huffs, still pissed as hell at his second, and says, “They’re in with Felix.”
North gives him a look and then nods like they’ve come to an agreement. “You can head right over there and be checked by Davenport as well. Gabe and Bassinger too. I have this to deal with, and Gryphon can go through the security processes one last time, then we can regroup. Don’t go anywhere alone.”
Where are you?
I roll my eyes at the sound of North’s voice in my head because he was the one to tell me not to leave this room without backup, so naturally I’m right where he put me.
The man should trust me a little more.
Oli, who is with you right now? Don’t say anything out loud or react, you need to be discreet.
I fight to keep a scowl off of my face at Gryphon chiming in. I still don’t fully understand how this mind-talking thing works, and the fact that they both talk over each other makes me sure that they’re both hearing each other.
Atlas glances over to me and that confirms it, they’re all in my head right now, talking to me, but at each other as well.
I glance up to where Kieran is holding Sage, petting at her hair and murmuring to her quietly about the blood he’s covered in. She doesn’t actually seem phased by it at all, she’s more worried about getting as close to him as she can get, and my heart does a little tug at my own Bonded.
I’m in the medical center, exactly where North told me to be. I have Gabe and Atlas with me. Kieran, Sage, and Felix are too. I’m safe.
There’s a pause and my stomach begins to churn. It’s only Gryphon’s warning to stay discreet that keeps me in my seat. If I’m being watched somehow, like a hacker in the security system, then I can’t just run out of here like my ass is on fire.
But what if one of my Bonds has been hurt?
Would I know? I’d have to, right?!
Tell me now. Whatever it is, tell me now.
I send it to both of them and I attempt to sound firm, but I’m not sure how well that translates to them when I’m met with silence.
I could scream.
“What’s wrong? Your heart rate just hit the roof,” Felix murmurs, obviously trying not to startle me in my entirely freaked out state.
I swallow roughly as I try to figure out how to warn him that something is going on without speaking about it, in case the room is bugged. It’s impossible. There’s no way without Gryphon’s Neuro ability to do it. So I just sit there and wait, trying not to lose my shit.
Then Gryphon sends me through a perfect image.
I don’t know how the hell he does it, it almost killed me to send North the image of the shadow pups, and yet Gryphon is sending me through a series of images that play in my head like a film reel.
My palms break out in a sweat.
I can handle a lot of things.
So I already know how much bullshit I can survive.
Seeing Sage slit our first Shield, Dara’s, throat and then opening the gates to the Resistance, might not be one of them.
