Tragic Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #5)(29)

“Dad and Serena are going to refuse to meet you, but my mom wants to at least have a conversation with you before they leave.”

I nod and try not to feel awkward about the fact that I don't actually know what his mom's name even is, but once again, he proves that you don't necessarily need to be able to read someone's mind to know what they're thinking.

He smirks at me and murmurs quietly, “Her name is Allison, and she definitely falls in line on what the General says, but me and Kyrie are her exception. We always have been.”

I can respect her a lot for that because children should be the exception to everything, and I glance around the room. “Where is Kyrie, or does she not get the same welcome that you do?”

Gryphon groans a little under his breath. “No, she gets it too, and it’s possibly worse than I do. She got it out of the way first thing this morning, before the meeting. Mom has been harassing her about moving over to the East Coast to the Gifted community there. Mom thinks that's the reason her blood tests have come back without any Bonds so far, but Kyrie has always been happily independent. I think she’d prefer to stay single for another decade or so before she's tied to someone.”

I nod at that just a little too enthusiastically, and he gives me a look, his eyebrows creeping up his forehead. “The single life is not for you, Bonded. You are far too good at running into danger head first. I think you wouldn’t survive if you were left to your own devices. Better off with all of your Bonded covering your ass when you get some idea of running off.”

I roll my eyes and glance around quickly, finding us alone in the foyer before I push forward and wrap myself around my Bonded. “You guys all survived pretty well without me. I'm sure I would have been fine. Besides, you can't miss what you don't know. Kyrie is happy being single because she doesn't know what she's missing out on. When she does eventually find her person, or people, she'll wish she had it sooner.”

Gryphon gets a handful of my ass as he hoists me up into his arms, ignoring my squealing and protests as he presses his lips into mine unrepentantly. “What a terrible thing to miss out on,” he murmurs as I pull away from him, and I smile at him like a lovestruck idiot.

“Good thing you don't have to,” I mumble back, and this time, I swoop in to kiss him until the sound of footsteps stops it from going any further.

Thank God, because Gryphon's tongue is a wicked, wicked thing. I'm sure he could have convinced me to do just about anything in that moment. By the time his mom rounds the corner, I’m back on my own two feet with one hand tucked into Gryphon’s tightly, the only connection between us now, and even then I feel like blushing when her eyes drop down to them.

She's holding a large box, and Gryphon's mouth sets into a firm line at the sight of it.

“Thank you for picking them up,” he says, and his mom nods before she sets it down at our feet.

“It was no problem, baby,” she says, smiling at him with such pride in her eyes.

I will not make faces at Gryphon's mother and her fussing over him, though it's difficult not to and incredibly adorable to see.

He lets go of my hand a little reluctantly as he steps forward to give his mom a hug. She's a tall woman, but he still has a good five inches on her, and she almost disappears in the hulk of him.

“Your father is considering moving back here. I've told him I don't want to, which is a bald-faced lie, but I don't think it's a good idea until he comes around a little more,” she says quietly as she pulls away from Gryphon's arms.

Her eyes shine a little brighter, the way they do when someone is fighting back tears, and I almost feel as though I'm intruding on a moment that I should not be witnessing. I'm about to step away and make a run for it when she turns to me.

“It's nice to meet you all. Gryphon has told me so much about you and, though I'm sure it doesn't look that way, I'm glad the two of you have found each other. Finally.”

That last word stings a little, but I smile at her and duck my head. “It's lovely to meet you too. I'm sorry that I might not be the ideal Bonded, but I promise that I love your son, and I'm doing my best to be what he needs in a Bonded.”

Gryphon frowns at me, but his mother smiles a little and nods her head. “Every mother wants their child to be safe and loved. Seeing that shadow creature sitting on your lap as though it was a docile puppy actually gave me some hope that my son will get those things. That wasn't always the case, so I'm grateful for that.”

I kind of want to point out to her that I recently brought one of my Bonds back to life and that there is no one else that we know of who has been able to do that, but I also don't want to freak her out any further. Instead, I just nod and shake her hand when she finally extends it to me.

Baby steps, right?





Gryphon is quiet as we bundle ourselves into the ATV together, and he gets us on the road towards the house.

The box that his mother had given him rattles a little in the back. I find myself intensely curious at what exactly he wanted her to pick up, but I keep my curiosity to myself for now. I just enjoy his company for a moment.

There’s still a lot of people on the paths despite how early it is. Most of them acknowledge us in some way, waving or calling out good morning to us, and I find myself relaxing back in the seat a little. They might all be afraid of me, but at least we're now getting to a place where they can be civil. I'm sure this is how things had gone for the Dravens after what had happened with their father, but I find myself completely okay with receiving the same treatment.