Sometime after midnight, I wake to the feeling of one of my Bonds climbing into the bed behind me. I rouse just enough to lift my head off of Atlas’ chest and see Gabe tucked in behind me and Gryphon dropping into one of the ornate armchairs that he’s dragged over to the door, the lines of his body tense as he gets comfortable there, watching over us.
My brain doesn’t properly register what’s happening, how not okay things must be if they’re both here right now, so I lie back down and let myself drift back into a deep sleep, my bond pleased to have more of my Bonds close by.
I wake hours later to Atlas furiously whispering, “It’s my night, what the fuck are the two of you doing in here?”
I groan a little, rubbing a hand over my face, and Atlas’ arm tightens around me protectively. It’s early, my alarm hasn’t gone off yet, and I’m struggling to get my shit together enough to figure out what’s happening here.
The TV is still on from where we’d fallen asleep with the movie playing and the backlight illuminates the room just enough that I can see Gryphon is still awake in the armchair. He looks exhausted, fully dressed in his Tac gear, and there’s blood on his shirt.
“Are you hurt?” I croak, and my bond starts to hum in my chest at the very idea of him in pain.
Gryphon’s eyes flick in my direction and then down at himself like it never occurred to him that whatever he’s been doing last night might’ve left evidence behind. “I’m fine. This isn’t mine, but you’ll either need to avoid North or come to terms with healing him.”
I struggle to sit up, pushing away from Atlas and breaking his firm hold on me. “Where is he? I’ll heal him, just tell me where he is.”
Gabe grunts behind me and I finally remember that he’s here in the bed too, curled up on his side in a torn shirt and dirty shorts. He’s not the type to ever come to me dirty. Gryphon doesn’t either, something bad has happened.
Atlas comes to the same conclusion at the same time and scowls at Gryphon. “What the fuck has happened now?”
Gryphon finishes up the text he’s sending, then shoves his phone back in his pocket, crossing his arms again, but his eyes soften a little when they land on me in the bed in my heavily disheveled state. I already know I look like a mess, the crappy night of sleep didn’t do my hair any favors.
Did I even take my makeup off last night or do I have raccoon eyes right now?
Fuck, why am I thinking that right now? One of my Bonds is hurt, no one gives a shit what I look like.
“North’s on his way. He said he’s already seen a healer.”
Oh.
I don’t like that.
I don’t know how to tell any of them that I don’t like that, but Atlas glances up at me and his jaw tightens, his protective instincts sharp as always. I’m not sure I’ll ever figure out how to keep my emotions and feelings hidden from him because he reads me like a damn book.
There’s a quiet knock at the door and Gryphon leans over to pull the door open for North, sharing a look with him as he steps in. North’s face is made up of shadows and there’s even streaks on the front of his crumpled suit. He must have just gotten home from the healers, coming here instead of showering or getting changed.
There’s a panic in my chest at whatever the hell has happened.
Gryphon huffs out a breath. “You look like shit. You need to clear your calendar for tomorrow so you don’t lose your shit at Pen and set your nightmares on her for nagging.”
Pen.
I hate that woman and I’ve never even been formally introduced to her, but the familiarity they all have with her sets my teeth on edge.
North rubs a hand over his eyes, groaning. “I don’t have time to lose anything this week, let alone have a break.”
Atlas doesn’t like this conversation any more than I do and snaps, “But you still had time to head off to a healer instead of coming to Oli? Good to know.”
North frowns and looks past him to me, answering me directly instead of Atlas. “I didn’t want to trigger anything in you right now. We need you at full power, just in case.”
Atlas looks between us both and then his temper just snaps. “In case of what? What the fuck has happened? If this is about keeping Oli safe then we need to know.”
North stares at him for a second and then lets out a breath. “My uncle was murdered tonight. The Resistance apparently had a sleeper cell close to him, a member of his household that I’ve known for over a decade slit his throat in his sleep.”
My stomach drops.
Fuck. Fuck, they’re getting closer again. Can they feel me here now? Of course they can, they have Gifted whose entire job is to find Gifted like me. Hell, after I got out of there, they probably switched to only searching for me. Now I’m back to full power and glowing like a goddamned beacon, it’s only a matter of time before they find me.
Atlas slowly pulls himself up straighter on the bed, shifting in front of me a little in that way he has of always shielding me no matter who we’re facing. I glance at Gabe but he’s still sleeping, his chest moving steadily with an arm flung over his eyes. His bond must really trust us all to keep him sleeping soundly through all of this.
My voice is soft as I try to give my condolences, “I’m sorry… for your loss.”
North stares at me but his eyes are cold and distant, like he’s put up a giant wall between us to stop me from ever being able to touch him. I get it, I don’t blame him, but I have to remind myself that he’s just as responsible for it as I am. Gryphon chose to look past me supposedly running. Gabe did too, and Atlas. The Dravens are the ones who won’t.
“How do you know it’s the Resistance? Who’s taking credit for the attack?” Atlas says as he climbs out of the bed, grabbing his shirt from the end of the bed and pulling it over his head. I pull my knees up and hug them to my chest, resting my cheek on them as I watch the three of them test each other.
Gryphon’s eyes narrow at him. “The maid who did it left a message behind in his blood, there’s no mistaking who’s done this. There’s been a lot of talk about shifting power in the old families. William won’t be the last death.”
I look over at North but he’s glaring across the room at the window. I’m not sure how close he was to his uncle but there’s definitely a cloud around him again.
The room stays quiet for another second as we let that information soak in, then North looks back at Gryphon and jabs a finger at me. “Watch her. They’re breaking up the council families’ Bonded groups, they’ll be coming after us the moment they find an opening. There needs to be a Bond with her at all times outside of this house, double the TacTeam presence on campus, make sure everyone knows that this is an ‘ask forgiveness’ situation.”
That doesn’t really make sense to me but all three of them are agreeing with each other and, although I know I’ll be feeling claustrophobic before dinnertime, I also would rather die than be taken by the Resistance again.
Atlas shifts again, moving a little more in front of me, but Gryphon nods and stands up. “We’ll move training to the home gym. Oli, you can hit the treadmill first. Go get ready and we can start now, no point trying to go back to sleep. Bassinger, you should come down too. Being strong doesn’t help if you don’t know technique.”
Oh God.
Atlas has the exact reaction I’m expecting from that statement and he turns to stone in the bed next to me.
Time to flee.
I scramble up out of the bed and give Atlas a quick peck on the cheek as I grab one of his sweaters to shove on over my pajamas. I wasn’t expecting a room full of them when I put on the tiny tee and panties to pass out in last night, and I need a little coverage to get me back to my room.
North follows me out of the bedroom and when I step into the elevator, he steps in behind me, completely engrossed with his phone and he doesn’t acknowledge me when I hit the button for the third floor. I don’t blame him. Normally I would be thrilled that he’s ignoring me, but there’s something really gut-wrenching about this type of silence.
The type where he’s lost someone and I have no idea how to say something to him without seeming insincere or petty.
The doors open again and we step out together, walking down the hallway side by side until we get to my room. I hesitate at the door, tugging at my bottom lip with my teeth as if I can gnaw through it to safety or some shit. North doesn’t look up from his phone as he slows down instinctively with me, I can tell whatever is on there is important and is pissing him off from the state of his shoulders right now.
I don’t want to add to that but… I also can’t just leave.
“Whatever you need to say, just do it and then get on with your day. Gryphon and Bassinger are waiting for you.”
I clear my throat and murmur, “Don’t go see a healer next time. Healing doesn’t deplete my gift and my bond doesn’t… like other people healing you. It’s— shit, I mean, you can do anything you want to do, obviously, but don’t go somewhere else on my account. Fuck, ignore me, I’ll shut my bond up.”
His eyes snap up to mine but I’m already scrambling into my room and shutting the door quietly behind me. I don’t want to hear the severe talking to he’s about to give me for demanding things from him while he’s grieving and dealing with the fallout of losing his uncle.
I wonder if he and Nox have any family left at this point, their parents are all gone and I’d only ever heard of their uncle. I forgot how little I know about them all, especially the Draven men with all of their nightmare creatures and shadows to hide in.
GRYPHON DOESN’T GO easy on me just because Atlas is there. Nope, he runs us both into the ground. Atlas might’ve walked into the full-sized, fully stocked, insanely expensive home gym that North has in the basement with a cocky attitude, but Gryphon destroys us both.
“I would rather die than be here each morning. No wonder Ardern was a smug fucker when I left,” Atlas groans from the mats next to me, but I’m beyond conversation right now.
“Can’t… talk… fuck, can’t breathe,” I pant and Gryphon scoffs at me, grabbing my hand and pulling me up to sit, and shoves some water at me.
Joke’s on him, my fingers are no longer working and there’s no way I can get the bottle to my lips without wearing all of it. Atlas groans and rolls to sit up with me, grabbing the bottle off of me to get it open, and attempts to hand it back to me.
I have no plans of embarrassing myself in front of either of them anymore, so I just shake my head to pass on it.
“You might want to work on your stamina, Bassinger. Wouldn’t want to be the only disappointment in the Bond,” Gryphon snarks, smirking even as he’s forced to duck to avoid the water bottle Atlas launches at his head.
“No innuendos. That’s a party foul, I don’t have the energy to deal with my bond,” I groan, and when I lift the bottom of my shirt to wipe at my face, they both stop to look at all of the exposed skin I’ve just flashed them.
Neither of them attempt to hide their reactions to me, and it’s definitely an ego boost because I’m not doubting Atlas’ stamina one bit. He’s gone from looking half-dead to re-energized and ready for round two on the mats, except this time with less-clothing and—
“Oli, knock it off. You’re glowing,” Gryphon says, and I fling myself back onto the mats again.
“You both started it! Fuck, I need another cold shower.”
Atlas huffs and grabs me to pull me up to my feet. “Don’t talk about showers either. C’mon, we have classes to get to. Say goodbye to Shore and tell him we’re never coming back because he’s a sadist.”
I don’t have time to feel awkward as Atlas gently shoves me in Gryphon’s direction. I’m openly affectionate with Gabe and I think he’s assuming I’ll be the same with Gryphon but… I have no idea how to do this. I have no idea how to just relax around him, even though we’ve managed to negotiate a cease fire of some kind.
Gryphon raises his eyebrows at me and I blush a little, but Atlas just stalks off towards the door, which helps. Without his eyes on me, I can maybe fake my way through this, act as though this isn’t terrifying to me.
I’m still expecting him to reject me in some way.
He can see it too and catches my arm to pull me into him, murmuring under his breath, “I spoke to Nox. Just go to his room when you’re ready to sleep tonight, after ten, and I’ll grab you in the morning. I promise you, it’ll be fine.”
I let out a breath and nod to him, relief flooding through my veins as a weight I wasn’t aware was quite so heavy lifts from me. Before I have the chance to feel awkward or shy about it, he drops my elbow and grabs my cheek to pull me in for a kiss.
He’s sinfully good at it.
I usually try to stick to kissing cheeks and this is exactly why because my bond flares to life in my chest, desperately scrambling at the restrictions I have on it. His bond touches my skin, gently stroking over my shoulders and down my body, though it stops respectfully around my waist.
If it went any lower I might’ve just spread out on the mats and begged him to Bond with me.
He breaks away from my lips and murmurs, “Keep thinking like that and I will, Bond.”
My cheeks heat and I shove at his chest to stumble away from him. “Stay the fuck out of my head, Shore! That’s also a party foul, you’re on thin ice.”
He scoffs and turns his back on me to start clearing up the mess we’ve made in here. “I couldn’t help it, you were practically screaming it. My gift just fell over what you were throwing out.”
Jesus fucking Christ.
I flee from him, running straight into Atlas and grabbing his hand to drag him away with me.
Stupid fucking Bonds and their wicked tongues.
NORTH WASN’T JOKING around when he said that security had to triple around campus.
When we get to Draven, we’re escorted into the building by Kieran himself, and none of our friends are allowed to meet us unless it’s inside the actual buildings. When we find Sage and Sawyer waiting outside of our lecture hall arguing with another Tac guy, Kieran sends him off and takes over Sage’s protection.
I’m expecting him to just see us into the room and then leave to do rounds, but he forces us to sit at the very back so he can shadow us by the wall the entire time.
Gabe takes all of this easily, happy to have another set of eyes watching out for me, but Atlas is still fuming about being left behind at the stadium when Kieran had transported me out, so he’s argumentative the entire time.
I’m not at all surprised and I just leave them to figure it out for themselves.
I don’t question anything until we’re all at lunch, choking down the world’s worst meatball sub, and that’s when I grill him.
“I thought you hated being on Bond watch, why didn’t you assign someone else to stalk me? Or did Gryphon say it had to be you? Did you piss him off with something?”
He raises a very arrogant and pissy eyebrow at me but I just smirk back at him as I take another gross bite of the sub.
He isn’t eating but he has taken a seat at the table in the corner where he can watch everything happening in the room, and I’ve already noticed he’s stayed within arm’s reach of me all day too.
Atlas has also noticed this.
“Shore made the call, he’s the lead, but I agree with him. No one else on our team, that we trust completely, can do what I can. It’s a Hail Mary, but getting you out and to safety is always an option with me around.”
That makes sense and I nod as I take another bite, so Atlas finally turns on him and says, “I thought you hated Oli, you’re being a little too friendly for my liking now.”
Sage and I share a look across the table at each other because this is absolutely typical boy behavior and we’ve taken to quietly comparing notes on our guys lately. Felix might seem like much more of a gentleman than Gabe and Atlas but he pulls the same overprotective, alpha male bullshit with her that they do with me.
I really like him, and I’m so freaking glad Sage has given him a chance.
Kieran squints at something happening in the corner of the dining hall as he answers Atlas in a bored tone, “I didn’t hate her. I had no respect for a little girl who ran away from a Bond group full of good men who were ready to protect her and take care of her. I didn’t respect a girl who had a lot of resources wasted on her for a five year joyride around the country just for shits and giggles.”
All of the air gets sucked out of my lungs at his words and I slowly put down the sub. Atlas doesn’t get the chance to rip his arm off and beat him to death with it, though I’m sure that’s what he’s planning on doing, because a fight breaks out on a table three down from us. I find Sage shoved at me as Gabe and Atlas form a wall between us and the vicious destruction.
I tuck her behind me as well, just for an extra layer of protection, and I meet Kieran’s eye behind us all as he watches everything going down with sharp eyes and his phone at his ear.
“What the hell is going on?” I mumble and Sage grabs my hand, craning her head a little to get a better look past Gabe.
“Aw, hell. It’s Jacob and Martinez going for each other’s throats again. They’ll get kicked out for this if they don’t quit!”
So just the typical Gifted students sort of fight then, nothing to worry about, except they’ll both wish they’d saved it for later because without flinching, five TacTeam guys appear out of nowhere and take them both to the ground. I hear a lot of crunching noises and I’m sure there’s got to be some broken bones in that pile.
Ouch.
Kieran mutters to us both, “They’re fighting over the abductions. Jacob’s brother is still missing and Martinez is running his mouth about it because his daddy is on the council. He’s extra fucking mouthy thanks to your protection detail, and he’s been loud about council favoritism.”
Shit.
I roll my eyes at Sage. “He always was a little bitch. We need to lure him into the water with the pond bitch just to give him a taste of his own medicine.”
Kieran shakes his head at me as his men drag the two guys out of the dining hall, their hands cuffed behind their backs. “And that’s why my opinion of you changed, Fallows.”
I stiffen and he doesn’t elaborate on that until we’re all back sitting down and attempting to finish off our food in peace. Well, there’s no such thing as peace in here anymore because everyone is whispering and glancing over at our table like it’s my fault the students are losing their shit.
I can’t help that I’m precious, dangerous, volatile cargo.
“TacTeam aren’t picked for their powers. It helps, sure, but there’s better qualities that we’re looking for during the simulations and obstacle courses. You’ve never given up, no matter how out-matched you were. You keep showing up and giving it your all, even when you’re sure to lose.”
Atlas shoves his tray away from himself and crosses his arms as he listens, his jaw flexing as though he’s pissed, but I know now that it’s also a sign that he’s thinking.
Kieran jerks his head at Sage. “You went after your friend. You heard she’d been taken and just went for her, no matter the consequences. That takes the sort of guts that you can’t train a person to have. Either you’ve got it or you don’t.”
He takes one last sweeping look around the dining hall and then turns to give me another of his trademark smirks. “Then there’s the small fact that the Resistance knew you. You didn’t run away from your Bonds. I’ll bet every last fucking dollar I have that you didn’t. You ran from something else, and when you were dragged back here, you were terrified you’d been tracked. You kept saying it, over and over again. Things will go bad if you’re forced to stay here. Well, we’re listening now, Fallows. Let’s see what’s coming after you.”
