Tragic Bonds (The Bonds That Tie #5)(63)

I'm not in the habit of traumatizing my Bonds any more than they already have been.

Not when I can help it at least.

I'm careful with how I word my question, my words coming out slow. “Where exactly in the argument do you stand? Because I'm pretty sure I'll be at your side, no matter what.”

He shoots a grateful smile over his shoulder, though it's a tired one, as though simply starting this conversation about his mother drains the life right out of him. “I’m at the place where I agree with my uncle that my mother made a lot of bad decisions about how she would cope with my father's death… but I'm also her son and responsible for her, so I'm not just going to abandon my responsibilities to her because of something as small as my own feelings on the matter.”

I don't feel like his feelings are a small thing at all. But he continues as he pulls a shirt on over his head. “I wasn't alone, either. I had the rest of my Bonded Group. Gryphon and the Draven brothers didn't just welcome me with open arms… they filled in any gaps in my life that my mother might have left behind for me. When I graduated high school, all three of them came. North signed all the paperwork for my college acceptance with me. Gryphon took me car shopping and did his best to talk me out of the motorcycle because he thought he was supposed to be steering me towards a safer option, even though he test drove it with me and bought one for himself as well. When I started struggling with my classes after Gryphon found you and brought you back, Nox stayed up with me and got me back to where I needed to be to stay on the football team. I just… I stopped going home for dinner and just went to the Draven mansion for years, because they were my family now. It could have been a lot worse, and I need to extend that goodwill to my mother. She had just lost her chances of ever having a family in the same way that mine was being built in those moments. I can hate my experience as much as I want, but I'm not going to let that dictate how I respond.”

I duck forward to wrap my arms around Gabe’s waist, pressing my face into his back between his shoulder blades and inhaling the clean smell of him. My lungs fill up with the scent of my own shampoo mixed with his, the mishmash that they all now share thanks to the one bathroom situation we’re all still holding on to despite other options.

“You're a good man, Gabe. Better than I deserve.”

“Definitely better than the rest of us,” Atlas gripes, and Gabe scoffs at him, shoving him with his free arm as the other comes to lay against my own as he holds me there against his back.

“That's not hard, Bassinger.”





The small town center is bustling with bodies when we get down there, not all of them are newcomers. There are a lot of people volunteering to help move groups and families into houses, everyone coming together to welcome more Gifted into the Sanctuary and into the relative safety we have found here. My heart clenches in my chest as I watch families being reunited, people calling out to siblings or aunties and uncles, even some Bonded Groups coming back together now that the vetting process has been completed and we’re able to move more people in.

Gabe walks with my hand in his, smiling and chatting to people happily, like the little social butterfly he's always been. Atlas scoffs at him from my other side. His arm is tight around my shoulder as we work our way through to the center where the rest of our Bonded Group is waiting for us, minus Nox, who is still on his research binge.

I make a mental note to grab him some lunch and take it up to him later.

Gabe only releases my hand when we reach the others, and he moves forward to hug a man that I assume is his uncle.

The man has a kind-sounding voice and seems to be genuinely happy to have his arms full of his nephew. “Have you gotten taller, Gabriel? I didn't think that was possible! You were already a beast of a boy when I last saw you.”

When Gabe pulls back, he slaps at his uncle’s shoulder with a grin. “No, Jeremy, just wider, thanks to a city needing to be built. I'm definitely glad to have some more experienced hands on deck.”

Jeremy nods and jerks his head at the two teenage boys behind him. “We're here, and we're ready. We're glad to be out of harm's way. Things were getting pretty bad out there.”

Gabe frowns a little and nods, slapping his shoulder again. “Sorry it took so long. I’m glad you're all here safe now. I can see that you've already met North and Gryphon. Let me introduce you to Oli, my Bonded, and Atlas, the last of our Bonded Group. Nox is busy with his books.”

I step forward and reach out my hand to shake Jeremy’s, his grasp firm but friendly, dropping away the moment that I release his hand, and he smiles warmly at me.

This is probably the closest I’ll come to meeting Gabe’s parents, so I do my best to sound friendly and not at all like a monstrous Soul Render here to destroy the Gifted Community for shits and giggles. “It's good to finally meet you. I'm glad to hear that Gabriel finally has someone keeping him in line.”

Gryphon scoffs a little, smiling warmly enough at Jeremy that it tells me a lot about the man's character. Gryphon is the harshest judge, especially when it involves someone in the Bonded Group. “I’m not sure Oli keeps him out of trouble, it’s more that she finds herself in it enough to keep the rest of us distracted and busy.”

My jaw drops playfully, and I shoot Jeremy a mock scandalized look. “I would never throw myself into trouble. It's not my fault it's attracted to me.”