Blood Bonds(The Bonds That Tie #3)(39)

I want those goddamn scrambled eggs and waffles, extra bacon, and some hash browns, fuck yes. And coffee, a whole jug of it, with extra whip and sugar.

I move to get up and then realize I went to sleep naked after North had fucked me in his shower. I squint around the room, and while I could totally handle being naked in front of both of my Bonded at the same time, Gabe is sitting in one of the ornate chairs with his phone in his hands, and Nox is arguing with North over building schematics at a desk that has suddenly appeared while I was out cold.

I clutch at the duvet like some scandalized maiden, only to realize that I’m once again wearing silky pinstripe pajamas. North Draven is a sneaky asshole who takes the weirdest liberties while I’m passed out.

Gryphon starts cackling like an asshole and I shove my pillow in his face as I stomp off to the bathroom to pee. No one fusses over me walking, but they all watch me carefully, even Nox, though he’s got his usual, distasteful look on his face.

When I wash up, I take a good look at myself in the mirror, checking my color and the general look of my skin and hair. The silver is even lighter. I swear the color drain there is getting worse. I do a very gentle checkin with my bond, just to see how we’re tracking along there, and though it has a lot of feelings about missing Gabe and Nox, dammit, it doesn’t seem to be getting any new weird tricks or power surges.

Small mercies for now.

I rummage through the drawers until I find one full of very girl-specific shit. I’m very proud of myself when I stay calm, sending him a quick, Whose stuff is this?

His answer is instant and amused, Yours. If you want something that isn’t there, just tell me.

I will not swoon over such basic kindness, dammit. This is enough. Thank you.

I brush out my hair so I no longer look as though North and his shadow tentacles fucked the life out of me and then I throw it into a high ponytail. I feel breathless already from such a small amount of movement, and when I head back into North’s room, I beeline for the bed. Gryphon helps me in, tucking the blankets around me and shooing the shadow puppy away from me until I’m settled in. I’m a little surprised he lets him but the moment he steps back, Brutus covers me again.

Gryphon hands me a glass of water and snaps, “I will get him sent home right the fuck now if he’s too heavy. Davenport will be up later to look at your leg and finish off the healing; let’s not injure it all over again because you’re spoiling the creature.”

I shrug at him and eye Gabe from across the room. He’s wearing a sweater that I want to steal, and when he glances up at me and notices me staring, he grins back at me.

Gryphon waves a hand in front of my face as the knock at the door interrupts us all and I snap, “He’s made out of shadows and smoke, which weighs nothing. Brutus is just fussing with me like you are. Leave him alone.”

He scowls at me as North opens the door, and then his attention is pulled to that situation.

The food smells incredible, but I feel bad for the kitchen staff bringing it in. Every last one of my Bonds that are here turn to watch her every move. When she’s got it set out on the table for North, she turns to the door, only to be stopped by Gryphon.

I open my mouth, ready to defend the poor woman, when he says, “Has anyone but you and the chef touched any of this food?”

She answers straight away, “No, sir.”

“Did you do anything to this food, add anything, or slip anything into it?”

“No, sir. No one has touched or tampered with any of it.”

Jesus freaking Christ. Is this where we’re at now? Questioning everything, even in the damn manor?

As the door swings shut behind the woman, Gryphon answers my very private thoughts, “Yes, that’s exactly where we are now. No one in or out without speaking to me first. No one but your Bonds and select friends are allowed in a room alone with you. No one but the chef is touching your food.”

I have no words, none except, “Get out of my head.”

“Stop thinking so loudly.”

I snap back, “Well, if I knew how I was doing it, I would stop. Buy some earplugs or something!”

I don’t bother trying to get up or picking out what I want. North gets there first and picks everything out for me. He still glares at everything like he’s not so sure that Gryphon’s questioning did enough. It’s crazy, but my heart does a super weird thumping motion over it anyway.

I pull myself up to sit propped up against the pillows and when he hands me the plate, he moves to pour out coffee. There’s two cups, so one must be for me, right? He wouldn’t withhold it from me after that huge glass of water I just gulped down.

Thank the fucking stars, North hands me a coffee and then heads back over to where Nox is still scowling at the papers. They start the same argument as before about security holes and how to ensure occupancy survival. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, because it sounds as though they’re arguing over a bomb shelter and that doesn’t seem like the right sort of priority for us all right now.

Gryphon pulls a chair up to sit next to me with a plate of his own, and I get back to the more important questions. “Why are we staying here if we’re so sure there’s about to be another attack? Can we… evacuate? Jesus, what would that even look like?”

North nods and shares a look with Nox. “It’s something we’re looking into. We can’t just leave the lower families behind to be picked off though, and there is a lot that would go into relocating this many Gifted at once, but it has been done before. We can do it again if things continue to get worse.”