Blood Bonds(The Bonds That Tie #3)(48)

Chapter Fifteen





Oli


I bully Gabe into grabbing his own homework to get through his assignments with me. He tried to argue that we’re not going back to Draven any time soon, but I need the distraction from everything going on around us, and I don’t want to be caught slacking by Nox, so there’s no real downside to keeping up with it.

Gabe cracks his back as he gets up to grab his bag from where he’d left it by the door, kicking his shoes out of his way in that very boy way of his. When he stalks back over to me with his arms full of books, he swoops down to give me a kiss. Brutus huffs at him but August moves over to sit between us, scooting Gabe away from me, and then turns his back on him to ignore him entirely.

It’s cute.

Gabe shoots me a look and I giggle, burying my face in August’s neck and taking a breath. It’s been a very long, confusing, ever-changing week.

“You’re sure you’re okay now? You don’t need anything?” Gabe murmurs, and I shake my head, pulling away from August and clearing my throat.

“Just you and the pups… and, well, I also need to find Sage and see how she’s doing. Plus, I need to speak to Atlas, but I have no idea how North is going to react when I tell him I want to speak to him alone.”

He smirks and shakes his head. “You mean more alone than projecting into Bassinger’s head? I’m not sure that’s possible, Bond.”

Ah. So word has gotten out about that then. I desperately try not to think about that moment again as my cheeks heat up a little. “I want to stand in front of him and hear what he has to say. I don’t want to be in his head for it.”

He nods and slides down to join me on the floor. “You’re better than me. I would’ve looked through every fucking second of his life to make sure he’s not a spy.”

He shrugs and scowls at August. “Any chance you can get him to move over a little so that I can get back to comforting my Bond? I’ve barely been able to see you since you got back, and now you’re being guarded by these grumpy jailers.”

I give August one last kiss and then snap my fingers to get him to swap sides, watching as he huffs about the move. He likes being between me and anyone else in the room, even North. He prefers to be a wall in front of me. It’s cute and I adore him for it.

The moment August is out of the way, Gabe slings his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side. I tuck my face into his shoulder and get a good lungful of his scent—clean and masculine. I’ve missed him. I’ve missed Atlas too; the ache in my chest at the distance North has put between us is like a wound.

“It’s all going to be okay. Once you’re back on your feet, we’ll figure something out for you to do. Gryph is already working with some operatives about… something big. Things aren’t going to stay like this for long.”

I clear my throat. “Have you been in to see Atlas? Is he okay?”

Gabe nods against my cheek. “He’s fine. He’s made it clear that he’ll do anything he has to do to prove that he’s not here to harm you. I believe him. I’m pretty sure Gryph does too, thanks to his lie detector, but the Dravens need more than that. They always have. He did… give North something that’s bought him some favor though, so you’ll be back with him in no time.”

“What’s that?”

“A list. A list of everyone Atlas has ever known in the Resistance and what he knows of their gifts. There’s a lot of names on it. He proved that it’s real by telling North how they got you out of the hospital in the first place. The invisible guy? Turns out he’s a scout for the Resistance, and now that North knows how to look for him, they’ve found him in a lot of meetings and intel spots. Atlas might have just moved the needle in our favor.”

I nod and rub a palm over my chest. “I get that he’s helping, and I’m glad he is, but—”

I break it off there, but Gabe nods. “But he’s betraying his family, and you feel terrible for him? You should speak to him about it. I did and… I understand his reasoning. He’s wanted to talk to you about it since he got here, but he was scared you’d hate him the second he opened his mouth about it.”

I give him a watery chuckle. “I’m surprised you didn’t! You’ve been fighting with him since he got here.”

He shrugs and says, “I knew he was too good to be true. No man, Bond or not, takes being run away from like it’s nothing. I didn’t trust him one bit. When I realized he knew, he knew your code name in the Resistance intel and he knew what your gift was, I beat the shit out of him. Not that it did all that much, he’s indestructible, but it helped get some of my anger about it all out. Then once I heard Gryph interrogate him, had it confirmed as the honest truth… he’s in this Bond Group. He belongs to you as much as I do. It would be a pretty shitty thing for me to cause shit just for my own feelings about it. I’m not going to do that to you.”

I want to burst into tears.

I don’t deserve him or any of them. I don’t deserve that amount of consideration and care. He just pulls me into his body tighter and tucks his face into my shoulder.

“You smell like North.”

Ugh.

My cheeks heat up because this is the first time anyone has mentioned it. “Sleeping in his bed and using his shower will do that.”