I stay with North in his office until long after dark. Instead of watching him work or distracting him in some deliciously tempting way, I get myself set up with one of his many spare laptops. I work my way through the information that Sawyer is slowly feeding me. Sawyer is keen to see if I recognize anyone or if there is anything about the Resistance that raises flags with me, and I’m more than happy to help out however I can.
It’s slow and frustrating work, mostly because there isn’t much that I find, but it’s still better than sitting around doing nothing, and I’m the first to admit that I need the distraction.
There’s a nervous energy radiating through me now that I know that I will be leaving the Sanctuary tomorrow to hunt down and recover Giovanna and Riley. I’m not worried about being hurt or captured, my bond has grown and come into its own so much in the last few weeks that I’m not really scared of anything like that happening anymore, but it’s more the fear of failure that is freaking me the hell out.
Sage’s life depends on this.
I’m not stupid, I know that proving her innocence without a shred of doubt is the only thing that I can do right now to save her life. If there’s even the smallest chance that she’s involved with the Resistance, then she’ll be locked up forever.
If they don’t just kill her instead.
Neither of those things are options here.
I also don’t want to disappoint my Bonds or prove myself to be a liability to any of them. I want them to all know that I can protect myself and any of them if the time comes. Even after clearing out the Resistance from the Sanctuary this morning, I still feel as though I have a long way to go.
Maybe I have some weird-ass praise fetish or something, who knows?
I keep the live video footage of Sage’s cell playing in the corner of my screen the entire time I’m working, just to make absolutely sure that she’s safe there. Just because I can trust my Bonds and my friends with my life and hers, doesn’t mean I can trust everyone. There are a lot of TacTeam personnel, council members, and other members of the community living here. While I have no doubt that security will be tight, stranger things have clearly been happening around here. I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to her on my watch.
When North finally calls it a night and closes his computer down, shutting his laptop with a quiet snap, he groans and leans back in his chair until his back makes a satisfying crunching noise.
I startle back into myself and glance over at him, blinking owlishly as my eyes adjust away from the harsh lights of the screen. I hadn’t really noticed how much time was passing while I was working. When I glance out towards the window and see that it’s dark outside, it’s a little bit of a shock to me.
I open my mouth to make some smart comment about it when my stomach growls, and North shoots a scowl my way.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner? We could have headed home an hour ago, or more,” he grumps, and I roll my eyes in his direction.
“I wasn’t hungry before. I didn’t really even notice that it was dark. Besides, I’m sure it’s been much longer since you’ve eaten anything. I’m not so delicate that I can’t handle a late dinner.”
He huffs at me quietly and then stands, packing his laptop away in its bag and then slinging it over his shoulder. It seems like such a mundane and normal thing to do that I almost want to laugh at him. He looks like the calm and collected businessman that I’m sure he wishes he could be. Instead, he is the stressed and overworked councilman making too many big decisions for the entire community. He’s too good at it for his own damn good.
I shut my own laptop and move to put it away in his desk, back where he’d pulled it out from. He catches my hand as I shut the drawer and pulls me into his body, wrapping me up until I’m pressed tightly against his chest.
“We can stop at the dining hall and grab something to eat on the way back.”
I shake my head, my nose rubbing against his chest as I do. “I don’t really want to be around everyone right now and be the spectacle for the entire community like I was this morning. I’m sure everybody’s heard about Sage, and I don’t want to be fake right now.”
One of his hands runs down my spine in a soothing gesture and he murmurs back to me, “You don’t even have to make nice. That’s my job. You just have to stay alive, happy, stress-free, and, most importantly, mine.”
Possessive Bonded.
“I’m sure it would make your life easier if I was at least civil to them all though. Can we— is there food at home? I’m sure I could throw together something for myself… and you, if you’re willing to eat normal food like a sandwich or eggs or something.”
He scoffs at me and moves me around to tuck me under his arm, leading me over to the elevator and getting us both in there without much help from me. “I can do one better and make us dinner myself.
The streets are quiet as we make our way back to the house. The dining hall is the only real sign of life with its lights on and a small crowd of people still waiting to get in.
North raises a hand to wave at someone who calls out to us, but I duck my head and tuck myself into his side a little closer. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t want to make nice. Today started off as a nightmare and only got worse as time went on.
North doesn’t attempt to speak to me or drag me into a conversation, which I’m thankful for. I don’t really have it in me right now. And when we get back to the house, he lets us both in and doesn’t bitch me out when I kick my shoes off and leave them on top of Atlas’. It’s a little fight I’m having with my other Bonded, mostly because we both know it’s getting on everyone else’s nerves and it’s sometimes nice to piss people off in such a low-stakes way.
It’s sad how petty we’ve been forced to become for our own enjoyment.
The house is empty and dark, so I move through it and start turning on lights ahead of North to try to breathe some life into the place. It still doesn’t feel like anything more than a house, a temporary dwelling. We’re all living out of suitcases and boxes and that makes it hard to feel settled. When the others are all out, it makes it even harder to pretend everything is normal and okay here.
North pulls his coat off and tucks his laptop into his room securely as I duck into Atlas and Gabe’s room to check if either of them left any signs of where they are or what they’re doing, but there’s nothing. I send Gabe a quick text message to check in with him and use my mind connection with Atlas to do the same. He gets back to me immediately. I’m at the council offices with Gryphon, questioning my sister. We’re heading back soon, Sweetness.
I wince and send back, Be safe. I’m sorry you had to do that.
He doesn’t answer in words, only with a feeling of warmth and love that makes me want to crumble to my knees in the hallway and just sob like a child.
North walks up behind me and takes my arms into his warm hands, rubbing slightly as he murmurs, “The water contamination issues have been fixed. Go have a hot shower and climb into my bed, Bonded. I’ll bring your dinner in there for you.”
And that’s why I love this man.
The shower is basically a lifesaving measure.
I spend too long in there, long enough that by the time I shut the water off and climb out of the very utilitarian stall, I can smell the delicious aroma of dinner wafting in through the door. It helps me to rush my way through pulling my clothes on. By clothes, I mean a pair of boxer briefs I’d stolen from Atlas weeks ago and left behind here for myself and one of Gryphon’s old training shirts. It’s a little obscene, thanks to the giant armholes that expose a good deal of my chest, but I’m sure North won’t be complaining. It’ll be a good little way of showing my appreciation for the food, though I’ll probably need to eat quickly before he decides that I’m dessert.
When I get the door open, North already has plates piled with food on them set up on the small tables at either side of his bed. He’s standing there with his shirt open, his chest and gorgeously tanned abs on display, while he taps away on his phone. He glances up at the sound of the door opening and smiles at me, the lines of frustration around his mouth softening away.
My heart does a weird thumping action in my chest at the sight of it.
“There aren’t many seafood options here yet. I hope you like Italian.”
It’s a trick question, he already knows that it’s a close third option for me. I like seafood anything, Mexican, and if those two options aren’t available, then I’ll go for Italian any day of the week. I still have no clue how he found this out about me, how he knows every little preference, and even my ridiculous order for Starbucks. When I narrow my eyes in his direction, he gives me what can only be described as a shit-eating grin.
He’s so fucking smug about knowing my every whim.
I sit cross-legged on the bed and dig into the giant bowl of pasta, my hunger finally hitting me full force. I’d probably feel self-conscious or embarrassed if North wasn’t watching me with pure, unadulterated satisfaction. He always was the provider out of my Bonds, the one who wanted to prove himself to my bond with all of the things he could give us both. Even now that we’ve found ourselves on the same side of everything, he’s the first person to sort out every little problem that might pop up.
I give him a saucy grin, literally, because there’s definitely some splattered on my chin right now, and he finally seems satisfied that I’m taken care of appropriately, grabbing his own bowl and digging in.
Shockingly, I managed to eat the entire bowl. When I put the bowl back down and stretch out, I don’t even feel bloated or overly full. It’s as though my body was processing the carbs as quickly as they were going in, thanks to how much of my gift I’d been using.
A handy little trait to have.
My eyes drift shut, my hands clasped over my stomach, and I let myself work through the plans for tomorrow to prove Sage’s innocence.
I can’t think about any other option here.
I hear North collect my plate when he’s finished eating, pressing a kiss to my forehead, but I keep my eyes shut with a quietly murmured, Thank you. I could fall asleep here, just slip away into blissful nothingness and forget about everything that is hanging over my head… except the moment I think that, I’m ravaged by guilt and my eyes flutter back open.
What else can I be doing right now for Sage?
Nothing. There’s nothing you can do for her, just get some rest, Bonded, Gryphon sends straight into my brain, always meddling in my goddamn head, and I ignore him entirely.
If someone doesn’t tell me how to block him soon, I’m going to fling myself directly into the sun. It’s too freaking embarrassing to go on like this forever.
North ignores the crisis I’m so very clearly having when he comes back into the room, instead making a beeline for the bathroom and leaving the door open as he turns the shower on. I don’t know if it’s an invitation to join him or not but, hell, is it tempting.
Except the guilt starts up again, and I find myself glued to the bed, listening to him thoroughly clean away the horrors of the day as the scents of his signature soaps and hair care products waft through to me like a siren’s call.
When he slips out of the bathroom wearing nothing but one of his giant, luxurious towels wrapped around his waist, I swallow roughly at the sight of him, my throat drying up and the guilt tripling because of my insanely lust-filled reaction to him.
His hair is still wet, dripping just a little, and the easy curls make him look even more like Nox than he usually does. I mean, they’re similar at the best of times, very clearly brothers, but the curls just make it more of a slap in the face.
He watches me as my eyes practically assault his body, every inch of him a pathway paved directly to hell for me because I would give up anything for this man. I would give up anything for any of my Bonds.
“Come here, Oleander,” he says, his voice a low and dark demand, and my body complies without any sort of direction from me.
When I get to him, instead of pulling me into his arms like I assume he’s going to, North grabs my arm to pull me in front of him. I finally notice the mirror he’s got hanging on the back of the open bathroom door, a full length one that is taller than he is. He waits until I’m settled there with my eyes on him before he drops his towel and kicks it away. I can’t see him, my back is to him and my body is in the way of his reflection, but I can feel the heat of his erection against my back.
I want to drop to my knees and suck him off here but when I make as if I’m going to move, his grip on my arm tightens.
Instead, he tugs on the edges of the tank top I’m wearing, pulling at it and feeling how much give the fabric has before he finally grabs my hips to move me closer to the mirror. He’s so much taller than me that I can watch his facial expressions as he fusses with me, positioning me exactly where he wants me, and then he’s back to messing around with my tank top. I’m expecting him to just pull it off and be done with it, but he doesn’t.
The armholes are big enough that he can pull them until the edges meet at the center of my chest, my tits popping out and my nipples pulling in tight as the cool air of the room hits them directly. His eyes lap the sight up, darkening with need as he fists the fabric and pulls it tighter, dragging me back until I’m pressed firmly against him.
“I’m going to fuck you here, and you’re going to watch me take you. You’re going to watch every last thing I do to you.”
I let my head drop back a little, my eyes staying obediently on his as I swallow roughly with a little nod. I want nothing more than to just… let him. To be used by him, to stand here and comply with his every whim, knowing that he’s going to take care of me while he does it.
And he does.
My shorts are slipped down my legs and his fingers are teasing my pussy, all the while his eyes stay hot and dark on mine. With his other hand, he tweaks at my nipples, tugging and pinching as I ride that line between pleasure and pain beautifully under his intensely watchful eye. He knows my every tell, all of the little reactions I give him as he plays me perfectly, and within a few minutes, I’m begging him for more, more, more.
The stretch as he pushes his cock inside of me is everything, everything, and sparks of pleasure start at my pussy and work their way over my entire body. My eyes roll up into my head and his hips immediately stop moving, his voice a rough demand when he snaps, “Eyes on me, Bonded.”
A whine slips past my lips before I can bite it back, a pure and needy sound. When I try to shove my own hips back for some friction, his fingers bite into my skin, his grip tightening until I’m sure I’ll be covered in bruises.
It feels like a heavy task, like moving through honey or tar, but I force my eyes open to meet North’s eyes in the mirror again. His hips start moving again immediately, driving into me at a fierce pace, giving me everything he has all at once. He’s determined that I’ll take every inch of him as hard as he can give it, I’m sure.
I want to move, to change positions so that I can writhe back against him, to do something. Instead, I stay right where he’s placed me and I watch as he owns my body. And, fuck, does he know how to give me what I need.
I hear the muffled sounds of the others arriving home, the loud noises of Gabe throwing his tools around and Gryphon’s heavy-soled boots as he stomps through the house. My pussy clenches around North’s cock as my bond reaches out to them without my permission with the yearning to have them all and to have them now. Why can’t I be writhing in the middle of them as they worship me in the ways I deserve and—
Bonded, you better get a hold of your bond before we ruin North’s night by coming in there after you.
I gasp and groan at Gryphon’s voice in my head, the sultry and sex-drenched tones pushing me over the edge until I’m biting down hard on my lip to muffle the sounds, the taste of blood flooding my mouth.
I meet North’s eyes in the mirror again. His irises are ringed with black, the last thread of his control pulled taut as he lifts a hand up to smear the blood from my lip with his thumb. I watch in rapt fascination as his eyes flash to fully black and his bond brings the thumb to his lips to lick the blood away.
My own bond pushes at my mind and floods me, clawing its way to the surface, and there’s a short moment that I lose all sense of time and where I am, only the immense sense of pleasure and gratification filling me. Whatever the bonds are doing, my body is enjoying it. When I creep back into my mind I find myself on my knees, a hand on the back of my neck holding my face down into the carpet as North’s bond fucks me as though I’m nothing but a vessel for his pleasure.
I come again, my mind splintering apart at his rough treatment because I know that sometimes worship looks like degradation and, fuck, I crave it.
My bond craves it.
When his hips slam into me one last time, his bond coming with a roar, I shatter into a million pieces right there with him, a breathless gasp falling from my lips as my pussy gushes and drips with his cum. He makes a growling noise as he recovers and pulls out, something definitely not human, and then I feel his fingers on my legs, scooping up his seed and then pushing it back into my body.
My bond preens at the action.
Me? I’m mildly horrified and also very glad we finally got my birth control situation sorted out, because this is a very telling action. North might be all about keeping me happy and child-free, but his bond has other plans.
Note to self: keep North’s bond away from my prescription.
His other hand finally releases the back of my neck, and my bond slips away from me slowly, satisfied with how well I’ve been claimed here. I’m slow to sit up, careful with the tense and tight muscles all over my body. By the time I’m sitting on my heels, North’s eyes have changed back to their usual deep blue hue. His mouth is downturned and his eyes dart over me like he’s looking for some mortal wound he’s sure I have.
“Oleander—”
I hate the guilt in his voice and I cut him off, pleading, “Don’t ruin it. I’m more than fine, and the bonds are both fucking thrilled, so just… let us all have the afterglow, okay?”
He huffs and then stands, unabashedly naked, and pulls me up into his arms to carry me over to the bed. I let him fuss with me until he’s gotten me cleaned up, both of us wrapped up in each other and under the thick duvet that still smells like his manor. He waits until my eyes fall shut before he flicks the lights off and we lie there in the dark together.
It’s quiet for a minute, but even with the decadent thrum of the post-orgasm high still running through my veins, I can’t let myself drift off to sleep.
I clear my throat and croak out, “It feels wrong to be lying here with you, feeling like I’m going to die of pleasure, when Sage is sitting in a cell.”
North is quiet for a moment, thinking about why exactly he’s going to convince me that it’s okay and, honestly, I’m not expecting him to be able to come up with anything.
I should already know by now not to underestimate North Draven.
His voice is rough and low as he murmurs back to me, “What do you think she did while you were stuck in that torture camp? She crawled into bed with Felix every night and found solace with him. You’re going out tomorrow to find Giovanna and Riley for her. You were just working hard with Sawyer looking for leads. And we both already know that you’re no good to her without taking care of yourself as well. Your bond needs this. I need this.”
