Atlas is waiting for me on my bed when I get back to my bedroom to get ready for the day.
He’s already dressed and ready, and thankfully he looks a hell of a lot better than he did yesterday. I grin at him as I head towards the bathroom and he catches my hand in his to pull me against him.
“You actually look as though you’ve slept,” he murmurs into my hair and I press my nose against his chest to breathe him in.
“Is that your nice way of saying I’ve been looking like a pile of shit lately? Thanks. No, honestly, I do feel better. Gryphon was also good to start with, I’ve already slept next to him before, and he’s quietly confrontational instead of an ass like the other two.”
Atlas quirks an eyebrow at me and pulls away to look down at me with a lop-sided grin. “You’ve slept with him? When did I miss that?”
I blush but only because they keep saying it like that, like it’s more than it was. “He helped me out with some pain and then kind of— he never left my dorm room again after that. I’d wake up with him there every morning. We never talked about it or anything, he just kept showing up and I didn’t want to talk about it. He’s… he’s a good guy. Really good, he just also plays the devil’s advocate, so I find it hard to go all in with him.”
Atlas nods and then lets me go so I can get ready without us being late to class. It feels good to be able to get dressed in a cute outfit without trying to layer on as many of their scents as possible. When I step out of my closet in a dress and my ankle boots with my hair curled and a little makeup, Atlas grins at me as he clutches at his chest dramatically.
“You can’t do this to me, Sweetness. I can’t spend all day with you looking this fucking hot only to lose you to someone else tonight.”
He says it with a grin and I know he’s just flirting, but butterflies explode in my stomach at the thought of who I’m going to bed with tonight. I need to get a hold of the schedule and fast.
He locks my bedroom door for me as we leave, slipping the key into my bag and taking my hand as we head down to the garage together. Gabe meets us down there and when he looks up from his phone at me, his smile falters a little before it turns into a grin.
“Finally, a dress I can enjoy seeing you in without having to feel like shit about it.”
I grin at him and do a twirl, the skirt flaring out, and I feel hot as fuck in it with both of my Bonds’ eyes drinking me in. My ego needs that today and when Gabe opens my car door for me, he ducks down to kiss my cheek as I slide in.
Atlas only waits long enough to be sure we’re all buckled in, then he rolls out of the garage and down the driveway, the engine revving and loud as he gives zero shits about the neighborhood and keeping the peace with the HOA.
North will probably have kittens about it later and I know for sure that Atlas is hoping for it.
“When do I get to see this other dress? You never did send me a photo. I’m a very jealous Bond, Sweetness.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Never, I didn’t take photos, and then I bled all over it. I threw it out the second I got back to the dorms.”
Gabe winces, but I know it’s got nothing to do with the mention of my period and everything to do with North refusing to stop the car for me.
I might have ranted about it for a very, very long time. He’s probably getting trauma flashbacks about me describing every last feeling and visual of that night.
Gabe clears his throat as Atlas’ phone pings in the cupholder. “North took a couple. Can I stop feeling guilty about having it on my phone now, or are we still vicious about it?”
Atlas quirks an eyebrow and checks the photo, his eyes watching for a green light and when I huff at him he hands the phone over so I can see it.
I never noticed North take the photo.
He probably had one of his staff do it but it’s at the restaurant right after we arrived, my head is tilted down a little and it looks like I’m posing, a professional model or something, when really I’m trying to discreetly check the hemline. I was sure I’d stepped on it and ripped it, and at that point of the night I was still working hard to take care in it. I was aware of how much a dress like that would cost and I didn’t want North to accuse me of being a gold-digger again.
I look really good in it.
Something about it makes me look older, more refined, the version of me that I might’ve been if my life hadn’t gone to shit around me as a teenager. I look like the version of me that might have actually pleased the councilman.
“Shit. We’re going to have to delete those, aren’t we?” Gabe mutters in the back and I glance over my shoulder at him. He’s watching me closely and I try to wipe my face clean of whatever the fuck it had on it.
“No. It’s fine. It’s just, I’m not used to looking like that. I’m not really the ‘council dinners’ sort of girl. I’m not into that schmoozing and political maneuvering over food that is too goddamn expensive. I guess North lucked out.”
Atlas scoffs and shifts gears, weaving through the traffic like it’s nothing, “Fuck North Draven, he’s a pretentious dick and he needs to ease up on you or we’re moving. I’m pretty sure we can evade him for a good decade or two if we work together on it. Sawyer has some good ideas on that front.”
Gabe shoots him a look but I laugh at him, mostly because of course he’s working on getting us out of here on the side. As if I ever doubted that.
We get parked up and find our friends already waiting for us, coffees in their hands that make me feel a little murderous until I see the tray of them in Felix’s hand.
As if I could like that man any more, he’s a fucking peach.
Sage grins and waves at me through the window, and all I see is the fact that she’s holding Felix’s free hand and glowing right now.
I’m so goddamn relieved to see her looking happy for once, the sad and lonely girl I’d first become friends with is nowhere to be seen. I jump out before Gabe can open my door, ignoring his grumbling, and tug her into a quick hug. Felix greets me with a smug grin and Sawyer rolls his eyes at us all, which I mostly take as him still being pissed about Gray’s sabbatical thanks to his parents.
“So the— uh, bed sharing is working then?” Sage murmurs into my ear, trying not to be heard by any of the loud-mouthed guys we’re surrounded by, because none of them have any clue on how to be discreet.
I nod and link our arms together as we walk, letting said guys fall in around us like a little protective bubble. “I feel human again, thank God. I can’t believe how much of a little bitch my bond is being. Is yours like this? Or is it a Central thing that I need to rage at the universe over?”
She laughs at my dramatics, accepting Felix’s kiss to her cheek with a light blush as he heads off to his own classes. He’s in all of the Gifted pre-med lectures and I do not envy him, not one little bit.
I’ve seen his assignment lists.
Fuck that, mine are bad enough.
“Mine isn’t quite so… forceful, but it does complain a lot. Less so, now that I’m spending time with Felix. I think it’s finally figured out that a life with Riley just isn’t in the cards right now and I’m being given a bit of a break.”
Urgh.
I don’t want to think about that asshole right now so I change the subject. “Are your parents going to ban you from football games now? I was totally expecting you to be under house arrest. I was ready to join forces with Felix to get you out.”
She giggles as we arrive at class and looks around the room, still cautious like we all are now that the world has proved to be just as dangerous as it can be with the Resistance out there. “Once again, my dad is a little besotted with you. He’s been fighting with Maria a lot about you, she’s still pissy about North and… all that. He knows that us being friends is keeping me safer than I would be alone, so he’s become very vocal. Mom is trying to stop him from going after Riley. He’s been extra pissed about that situation too. Life is getting messier.”
I’ve never felt something so hard in my life because, yep, it’s so fucking messy around here, and I don’t see that easing up any time soon.
AFTER MY CLASSES ARE DONE, I head off to the cafe, grateful that I have a shorter afternoon shift.
I change into my uniform in the back before I breeze into my role. Gloria comments on my great mood and Kitty rolls her eyes at me when I’m extra nice to everyone who comes in, but I’m so relieved to finally be feeling like myself again that I just let it all roll off of me.
Gabe and Atlas come in an hour before closing, ordering coffees and then working on assignments in one of the booths together. They actually laugh and chat together nicely enough and it makes my bond hum with contentment.
I’ll be vibrating around the room with joy if I can ever get all five of them in harmony and tolerating me, I can see it now.
After we close up and I’ve scrubbed everything down, I change back into the dress and say bye to Gloria and Kitty at the back door and walk around to the front to find Atlas and Gabe. The Hellcat is sitting out the front with parking tickets shoved in the wipers but I already know that Atlas doesn’t give a shit about that sort of thing.
He’s muttering with Gabe who is, surprisingly, leaning against his bike with his leather jacket over his shoulders. He hasn’t ridden it since Atlas got here, preferring to have us all ride together, and I blow out a breath in disappointment. He must be going to visit his mom again or maybe doing something for North, either way, I’m not going to get to see him tonight.
My bond grumbles in displeasure but I tamp it down again, forcing it into submission because I’m over the tantrums.
Gabe glances up at the sound of my footsteps and holds out his spare helmet to me. “You’re with me tonight. I’m taking you out.”
Oh.
I take the helmet from him and I shoot him a look but he just smirks at me, threads his fingers through mine, and gives Atlas a very confrontational look. I should be used to them by now, they spend half their time together snarking out little insults and jabs, but during my meltdown, they’d banded together so well that I thought maybe we were over this phase.
Apparently not.
“You’re taking me on a date? Thank God I wore the dress.”
He laughs at me and shrugs. “I guess it could be called a date, but jeans would’ve been a safer bet. It’s fine, we can make it work. Besides, it’ll probably help me win.”
Win?
I follow him over to his bike and look down at my dress again in dismay. Well, actually, it’s doable. If I hike the skirt up a little, it’s long enough to give me coverage and if I scoot up close to Gabe, I shouldn’t flash anyone.
Atlas shakes his head at Gabe and snaps, “Let her go home with me and get changed.”
I laugh at them both and grab his arm instead. “I can do this, can you just— can you stand there and cover me when I get on? I don’t want everyone seeing my thong.”
Gabe groans softly and swings onto the bike, shoving the helmet on his head so he doesn’t have to deal with my sass, and then Atlas holds out his arm to help me on the back. It’s awkward and a little embarrassing because he doesn’t even attempt to look away, his eyes hot on my skin like he’s provoking me.
I show a lot of skin until I get settled, my body tucked in tight behind Gabe. Once I’ve got my own helmet on, Gabe gets the engine running and gives Atlas the most sarcastic little wave ever.
It feels like classic, cocky Gabe, and it’s good to have him back.
The wind is cold on my legs and I burrow into Gabe a little tighter. When we stop at a set of lights, he rubs his hands down my calves, holding the bike up with his legs alone, and I get another whole set of goosebumps because of his skin sliding against mine. I shiver and almost beg him for more right there in the middle of the road with cars all around us.
Jesus.
We drive outside of my perimeter and Gryphon’s words from this morning filter back into my brain. Gabe had gotten a pass from North to show me his gift, so wherever we’re going, he’s going to shift.
I’m not sure what more I can see of his wolf, I’d gotten a pretty close view of it when the Resistance had taken over the campus, but the idea of a quiet night together sounds freaking perfect.
We get to the edge of the town and into the small woodland, trees lining either side of the highway. There are fewer cars out this way and while we’re driving, we watch the sunset. When Gabe pulls off of the highway and onto a small side road, I’m not expecting much.
When we arrive at a small industrial area, I’m shocked at how many cars are here. I was expecting something quieter and more secluded, and when Gabe pulls up at the far edge of the cars and kills the engine, I’m slow to climb down from the bike.
I pull the helmet off and then watch as Gabe swings off of the bike in one smooth move, yanking his helmet off and grabbing mine to tuck them away into the pack on the back.
He glances at me and the slightly creased, thin fabric of my dress and slips off his jacket to tuck me into it. It’s way too big on me but it’s warm and smells just like him and I burrow into it, enjoying the honey rasp of his chuckle at the sight of me.
He reaches out slowly to take my hand, threading our fingers together, and he blows out a slow breath. “I probably should have asked earlier… How’s your bond feeling today? Because what we’re going to do, it’s safe, but if you’re not feeling up to it, we can come back next time.”
I frown at him, still confused about what the hell is going on here, but I shrug. “I’m good. Between last night and me working on bullying my bond, I’ve got it under control.”
His eyes shift down to my chest as though he can see the way I’ve squashed my bond into a teeny tiny little metaphorical box in there, and he winces. “I’m sorry it feels like that. I thought we all had it bad, but at least my bond isn’t homicidal.”
I snort at him, so refined and ladylike, but I can’t help but poke at him. “How exactly do you have it bad? You’re all doing just fine, thank you very much.”
His eyes grow molten, that same feline look coming back, and when he drawls at me, it feels like a purr. “Well, right now, all I can think about is ripping that dress to shreds and pressing you into this wall so hard that you can barely breathe and then watch you squirm on my cock. While you were working, I wanted to bend you over the front counter and eat you out, just to make sure everyone there knew you were mine. I spend most of the time with Atlas arguing with him because my bond wants to prove to you that I’m better for you than him. It’s not so bad with the others because I grew up with them, but Atlas? Fuck, my bond wants to tear his throat out and watch him bleed out at your feet just to make sure you like me more.”
Uhm.
What?!
I splutter for a second, words failing me, and they don’t come back to me until he’s leading me into the building. “Since when? Since when have you been thinking dirty thoughts about me? Fuck, no more talking like that, now my bond is thinking about that too!”
He doesn’t answer me, just gives me a dirty smirk, and leads me through the surprisingly busy building.
The warehouse is clearly abandoned, dirty and old machinery left behind everywhere like trash, but there must be a hundred people jammed in here. There’s a huge, makeshift circle painted on the ground, the yellow color bright on the concrete, and Gabe squeezes my hand gently as he leads me around the outside of it. When we get to the far end, two guys step into it, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.
The crowd is screaming at them, insults and jeering, and the sounds all bounce around the enclosed space until the noise is deafening.
I squeeze Gabe’s fingers just to get his attention and he runs his free hand down my arm in a soothing motion. His eyes stay glued to the ring though and we watch as the guys begin to fight.
It starts off like any of our training sessions in TT. Hand-to-hand, nothing special, but all it takes is the first left hook to the cheek before the first signs that the guys aren’t just your average guys.
They’re Gifted and they’re both shifters.
I stiffen a little as they both snarl, the sounds garbled and painful sounding, starting off human but ending up the savage sort of sound from wolves hunting their prey as they shift.
Fur bursts through their skin and their bones crunch as they change forms, their eyes glowing, and all at once, they’ve completed the shift.
Even after seeing Gabe shift, it’s still incredible to see and when they go at each other, snarling and jaws full of sharp teeth snapping, I have to slow my breathing down in an attempt to not trigger my bond. It’s so vicious and brutal, so much worse than anything I’ve watched before, and I almost sigh in relief when a siren whoops out through the din of the room to signal that the fight is over.
The guys shift back, completely freaking naked and covered in wounds and blood.
I’m ready to just quietly walk back out of the door, seeing quite enough of this for one night, but then Gabe grins at the guy in the ring and jerks his head in a challenge.
I should’ve known.
Oddly enough, my bond doesn’t freak out at the thought of him in there. Nope, it gets excited. I realize that I didn’t trust the guys fighting in the ring to keep it in there, to stay away from me, but my Bond? I know he’s going to wipe the freaking floor with whoever is dumb enough to get in there with him. There’s no question in my mind, he’s mine, so he’ll be fucking magnificent in there.
I try to keep the smirk off of my face, but I’m pretty sure I fail because the guys around us all shift nervously on their feet, clearly recognizing who I am. I’m pretty sure everyone in the Gifted community knows who I am and the mystery of what I’m capable of.
I watch as Gabe strips down, handing his clothing to me until he’s naked. I very pointedly don’t look down, my bond doesn’t need the help visualizing him, and the moment he steps into the ring, he shifts.
I know immediately what the difference in his power is to the rest of the guys and it’s not the fact that he’s bigger than them. He is, but that’s not it.
Nope.
When the Resistance came, he’d shifted into a gray wolf. A gorgeous, huge, vicious wolf.
The animal I’m now staring at is a sleek, black leopard.
