Tragic Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #5)(28)

“Funny you should bring up the blood tests,” North starts, leaning back in his chair and smoothing a hand down the front of his suit in a very leisurely way that I'm sure sets the General’s teeth on edge.

He looks as though he is a playboy sort of councilman when he does it, the type who doesn't have any skin in the game and couldn't really care less about those underneath him, the exact opposite of who I know North Draven to be, another weapon he is wielding against this man.

“While you're here, you should stop by the medical office and have your bloods redone.”

All three of them frown at us, and Gryphon’s mom is the one to reply, “What's that supposed to mean? Why would we need to do something like that?”

Gryphon clears his throat and looks between the three of them. “We have recently uncovered a Resistance plot to break up the strongest Bond Groups.”

The General rolls his eyes and waves a hand. “Of course they are, that's what they've always done.”

Gryphon nods and speaks through gritted teeth, barely holding onto his own temper. “Yes, but we found out their long game. They've been messing with the blood testing and the Bonded Groups, specifically. We uncovered that they had specifically miscategorized a Central Bond and had one of her Bonds assaulted by a Resistance member and had him thinking that she was his Bond.”

There's a moment of silence in the room and then the General smirks. “Have you all had your bloods retested? Am I finally going to get my son back?”

I would like to kill this man.

I clench both of my hands into fists underneath the table where no one can see it except Gryphon, who glances down at them and then sends through our mind connection, We can leave if you need to, Bonded. We don't have to sit through this.

I'm surprised when it's North who loses his temper first, and the way that he does is, I'm sure, the worst way that he could possibly think of.

The small band of smoke that circles his wrist grows until August appears at his side in his largest form, the rows of sharp teeth in his jaws bared as he smiles at Gryphon's family.

I don't want anyone to panic or get into an argument about this, so I hold out my hand and beckon the shadow pup until I get his attention. It's not easy, because he would very much like to eat the General, but I get him over to me and sitting in my lap like the perfect shadow puppy that he is, his tongue lolling out of his head as I scratch him behind his ears. His giant head rests on my shoulders as he snuffles at my hair and just enjoys being out with me again.

“I’ve missed you, sweet boy,” I murmur as he butts at my hands for more scratches, and I giggle as I give him everything that he wants. “I have missed you so much. We need to talk to North about letting us hang out more, because you are so perfect and you shouldn't be cooped up so much. You’re so sweet for the kisses. Thank you, my sweet boy.”

“And that is why I don't need my bloods rerun,” North snaps. I startle and look over at him, taking a little bit more notice of what's happening in the room around me while I was distracted by August. I find the General and both of the women staring at me in absolute horror.

“The creatures tore your mother apart,” the General says in a voice that doesn't quite shake, but I'm sure that has more to do with his control than the level of fear that is pumping through him.

North nods. “They did that because she wasn't really my father's Bonded. The Resistance has been messing with the blood tests for a very long time. You don't have to have them rerun if you don't want to, but I have made the suggestion to all of the Top Tier Gifted, just in case. Do with that information what you will.”





I try to catch North's attention as we leave the meeting room, but he stalks ahead of us all as he hurries off to his office, late already for a council meeting that I'm sure he would rather not attend.

I feel a little sad to have still not been able to see him properly since everything happened with Nox, but I also don't want to interfere with the work that he’s doing. He’s got a permanently full plate being a member of the council, the only currently serving member actually doing anything to help the community, from what I can tell. I’m not about to throw myself a pity party over him doing his job.

Even when I really want to.

August stays behind with me, and that is enough for now.

Nox stalks off in a bad mood, thanks to everything that was said, and I leave him to it, knowing that he’s going to go back to his books. He’s still obsessively researching everything he can find about our bonds to try to find a link that might get us closer to knowing what it is that they’re really here for.

The possibilities seem endless and terrifying.

Gabe and Atlas both follow behind me slowly, ready to bundle me into the ATV to go back to the house, but Gryphon waves them on. “I need to speak to my Bonded. We'll head up to the house once we're done.”

It's such a firm and no argument sort of command that neither of them bother to question it, simply pressing kisses to my cheeks as they stalk past, laughing and joking with each other now that we're out of the suffocation of the meeting room.

I shove my hands into the pocket of the jacket that I’d borrowed from Atlas. It’s three sizes too big on me to even be considered a loose fit, but I enjoy being swallowed by the fabric. It smells like him, and nothing makes my bond more happy and content than being surrounded by them, even when they aren't here physically with me.