Blood Bonds(The Bonds That Tie #3)(57)

It’s quiet for a minute, and then Nox opens his fat mouth.

I should’ve seen his attitude coming from a mile away because it’s been too peaceful around here lately, so of course he wants to ruin it for us all.

“So Bassinger failed to convince you to Bond with him as well? Or are you only interested in Bonding with the more powerful Bonds in the group? You’re a lot more calculating than I was expecting, Poison.”

I roll my eyes and shake my head at North when he death stares his brother down the long expanse of the table. I don’t need him fighting this war for me. If I let them all fight over me right here at the start, it’ll never end.

Instead, I sigh and turn to face Nox. He’s not drinking for once, but there’s also a focus in him that hasn’t been there for weeks, like whatever it was that knocked him off-kilter has passed and he’s back to being the stable professor again.

I fight back all the same. “I’m not going to sit around and let you talk shit about me or try to make me feel bad about Bonding with North. Not now and not ever, Draven. So you can just give up on it. And not that it’s anyone's business what I choose to do with my own goddamned body, but I’m going to see what my gift does now. If it gets stronger, then we’ll make decisions from there. But again, it’s none of your business or anyone else’s. Being one of my Bonds doesn’t mean I owe you shit, Nox.”

Gabe’s hand slips onto my thigh and squeezes gently, a silent show of support, but naturally Nox picks up on it anyway and sneers at us both. “Picking favorites? It appears panting after her like a lovesick puppy isn’t doing you any favors, Gabe. You should really change tactics if you want her that badly.”

Gabe turns to stone next to me and my eyes narrow in Nox’s direction. I’m mostly fine with him taking swipes in my direction, but I’m learning that there’s nothing that pisses me off faster than him taking a swipe at one of my other Bonds.

Especially the one who has accepted me and my reasons for wanting to take things extra slow.

“The only person around here who needs to change anything is you. I don’t know what the hell has happened between us that makes you this twisted about me, but I don’t owe you anything. Gabe doesn’t owe you shit.”

“So you’ve just been lying and manipulating all of your Bonds to get what you want? I tried to warn my brother that this is what would happen—”

I cut him off before I have to hear anymore of his twisted version of things. “Oh yeah? What if I bond with you all and suddenly my power gets even stronger? What about if I sneeze and kill everyone in our town? Fuck you, Nox. Fuck you and your unbelievably privileged life. At least your shadows heel when you tell them to. You can stop whenever you want. I don’t have that option.“

His lip curls at me, but North has obviously had enough of listening to us tear into one another and says in a cold tone, “Nox, walk it off. You’re not doing yourself any favors right now.”

He stares North down for a minute and then grabs one of the linen napkins and wipes his hands, shoving his plate away from himself and pushing his chair back without another word.

I reach for the chocolate cheesecake that’s sitting in front of me, because I’m done eating real food and now is the time for a sugar coma to kick in. I throw all of my sass into my tone, just to cut him down a little more as I snark, “Such a good little boy, doing just what you’re told.”

The reaction is instant and severe.

An emotion that I can’t believe flashes across Nox’s face right before his bond kicks in and his eyes flash into the voids as it takes over. Shadows begin pouring out of his body in a slow, ominous stream.

Stop.

North’s voice echoes in my head, but I don’t know what the hell I’ve done to trigger Nox’s bond. The black curls wrap around his wrists and the creature that has come out of his chest to stare at me has its jaw wide open, its teeth glistening as he snarls soundlessly in my direction.

What did I do?

North answers immediately, firmly and with a no-bullshit air that helps the panic in my chest ease a little. Nothing. This is just a problem for him, and you need to leave it alone. He can’t control his reactions to… this sort of thing.

I try to meet his eye across the table but he’s focused entirely on Nox, his own eyes shifting to black as well.

“Fuck,” Gabe mutters. He braces a hand on the table across me like he’s preparing to cover me entirely. I want to think that it’s just overprotective Bond shit, but Gryphon is moving slowly on the other side of the table, clearly trying not to provoke either of the brothers, but he’s moving towards me as well.

What did I do?

There’s a cold press of a wet nose on my ankle and I look down at Brutus. He looks miserable, sadness pouring out of him, but he’s still checking in on me to see if I’m okay while his Gifted is having a very man-version of a meltdown at the dinner table.

Thank God Sage and the others aren’t here for it as well.

Gryphon answers me. You didn’t do it on purpose, but don’t talk to him like that, Oli. I know that’s not fair because he was crossing the line already, but you just hit a trip line inside him and he can’t stop himself from this sort of reaction.

I barely even remember what I’d said.

When Gryphon finally makes it over to me, he continues to move slowly as he pulls me up out of the chair and into his body, shifting until he’s covering me entirely. The problem is that what North’s bond said to me in the bathroom keeps swirling around in my head. I don’t want him between me and the shadows, even when they’re snarling.