Blood Bonds(The Bonds That Tie #3)(77)

I nod and eat along with him, impressed as hell that he not only cooked them to the perfect consistency but he seasoned them well too. They’re freaking great eggs.

“I didn’t think we got any prisoners? I thought my bond took the entire camp out.”

He nods, his mouth full, and waits until he’s swallowed before replying, “It did. These were those we’d grabbed and transported out before you joined the fight. We got a handful, a few higher ranking Gifted so that was helpful.”

I nod and North stalks through the kitchen, his hair still a little sleep rumpled where he hasn’t bothered fixing it too much, but his suit makes him look far more like himself. He nods at Gryphon and then swoops down to give me a kiss, snapping his fingers at August who appears at my side obediently. The change in their relationship has been dramatic since I spoke with his bond. I’ve noticed that even when August returns to him, North will mostly leave him out to guard whatever space he is in.

It makes me fall for him just a little more every time I see it.

“Stay with one of the Bonds at all times today until we get this under control.”

I nod, because I was already planning on it, and let him kiss me again as his hand cradles the back of my head possessively. When he straightens, he shares one last look with Gryphon and then he’s gone, out the door and dealing with the newest crisis here.

I get back to my plate of delicious eggs and to the conversation with Gryphon. There’s too much I want to know about the happenings of the Resistance. “Have you gotten anything useful from the people you took back yet? Did Atlas know anyone?”

He nods and scrapes the last of his eggs onto his fork, still standing in the kitchen like he can’t even take the time to sit down. Thanks to North crashing our training session, we’re over an hour earlier than we usually are, but he’s moving like he’s halfway out the door already.

Before he answers my questions, he cocks his head as his eyes flash, his gift reaching out to check where Atlas is. When he finds him sleeping away, he murmurs to me, “Bassinger’s sister is a mess. I’ve spent two days sifting through her memories, but the inside of her head is like looking in one of those mirrors at a sideshow. The world through her eyes is distorted and misshapen. Growing up in Resistance propaganda and then having four Bonds with the same opinions? She’s… a mess. She’s also being abused by most of her Bonded, physical and mental abuse. That isn’t uncommon in the families from the East Coast Gifted community, but the fact that her parents both know about it and do nothing for her is fucking disgusting.”

My heart breaks a little more for Atlas, the stuff he didn’t want to have to tell me but that he was willing to if it meant I’d believe him. It feels a little bit wrong to be talking about it with Gryphon, but he’s also my Bonded and I know this is weighing on him too. Everything he has to see and experience in his work as a TacTeam leader, it’s a heavy load to carry.

Isn’t it exactly my job to help lighten the load?

“I wouldn’t ask you to, Bonded. I would never put too much of this shit on you, your own burdens are heavy enough. I’m heading into North’s offices to sort out what we’re doing about the water issue. You just get on with your day the same way you would normally. Just keep Bassinger and Gabe with you at all times, okay?”

I nod and grab his plate, hip bumping him out of the way as I load them and the other dishes into the dishwasher. He kisses me soundly and heads off to get dressed for the day, and I enjoy the view of his ass in those shorts the whole damn way.





I almost forget and climb into the shower when Gryphon leaves, but instead I text Sage and apologize about the rude early morning wake up. She gets back to me straight away, calling me to say that she’s totally fine about it because she’s the best and we spend a good hour on the phone.

Mostly gossiping about Bonds, which is annoyingly fun.

When we get to the fun shit, I break Sage’s poor brain with my own little updates, and it’s the funniest freaking thing. “Both of them at the same time?! Oleander Fallows! That feels… scandalous. And they were just…fine with that?”

I snort and prop the phone up on my shoulder. “Well, it’s not like I suggested it! I was more… convinced that it was a good idea. Listen, once the Bonded ones start having creative ideas, you’re going to be swept up into crazy shit that no one warns you about. We might need other friends in Bonded Groups, just for, like, a heads up for this shit. It’s not like we can just ask your parents—”

She makes a gagging noise and cuts me off with a squeal. “Shut your mouth right now! I do not want to think about my parents in an orgy. Fuck, I could vomit. Why would you even say that? They’ve only done it twice, just for me and Sawyer. That’s it! Gross.”

I hear Sawyer’s dramatics in the background, cussing her out for so much as talking about something so gross, and I cackle at them both. They’re such typical siblings in a really normal family dynamic, now that her family isn’t being obnoxious to her about shit outside of her control, and it’s nice to just experience it vicariously through them both for a minute.

Sage clears her throat. “Okay, so now that I need my entire brain dipped in bleach, what is the plan for today’s incident? Are you going to help out with whatever they do about it?”