by J Bree
Shit.
“Are you hungry? I brought a burrito, but I can split it.”
There’s literally a Twizzler hanging out of my mouth so I shake my head at him. Honestly, I’m still trying to get my exhausted brain around what is happening right now. He’s here, in my bedroom, offering to split food with me without any sort of a reason that I can tell.
It feels like a trap.
“Stop staring at me like that, Oli. I’m here to make sure you’re okay. You sobbed in my arms for hours last night, even after you fell asleep.”
Oh God, that’s embarrassing. “I’m fine. It’s better with the drugs and you made sure I have a great supply of those. Seriously, go home and forget about me.”
He grunts at me and parks his ass on the floor, a mirror of Gabe only a few weeks ago, and he tears into his food. I shift my focus back onto my books and lose myself into the history of the blood tests, and how the Bond markers were discovered.
The next thing I know, I’m waking up to Gryphon’s hand gently moving me onto the bed. I try to mumble a thank you, but it comes out as a garbled mess. He huffs at me, pulling me into his arms and that magic freaking hand of his slips onto my stomach.
I could get addicted to this so freaking quickly.
This time when I wake, he’s still stretched out in the bed next to me, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. The bed is too small for me to roll over so I just lay there, too afraid to breathe in case it wakes him up and I lose this moment.
I’d get this all of the time if I was allowed to Bond with him.
This moment I think it, I hate myself because my bond starts immediately straining towards him, desperate to have him. I’m rough as I yank it back, my frustration coming out.
There’s a sharp knock at the door that startles Gryphon awake. He bolts out of the bed, instantly on high alert, and he pulls a gun that I had no freaking clue was in the room out of his boot as he takes the two steps over to the door.
My brain hasn’t even caught up to the fact that someone is here, when he grabs the door handle and yanks it open, shirtless, bed-rumpled and in all his early-morning glory.
Sage and Sawyer look at him in twin images of shock.
It would be absolutely hilarious if it wasn’t also completely freaking shameful. There’s no way I’m getting out of this without them making some comment that is going to make me want to die because one look at him, and they have to assume we’ve spent the whole night fucking like horny rabbits.
“Well, excuse the fuck out of us! Sage, we need to leave. Now. Move it.”
I groan as Gryphon stares him down, finally lowering the gun and stepping away to let them in, except Sage is cemented to the floor in shock. I climb out of the bed and rush over to attempt to explain that this is definitely not what it looks like.
I hear Gryphon rummaging around behind me so I assume he’s getting dressed, thank God, but the moment I open my mouth, Sawyer cuts me off, “We need to swap dick stories because there are a lot of rumors about him and I need to know which ones are true.”
Sage elbows him in the gut so sharply he actually groans and I grin at her. “Sorry, I forgot to set an alarm. I’ll be a minute while I throw some clothes on and we can grab food on the way, right? I’ll explain—”
Gryphon nudges me out of the way, his keys in his hands as he scowls around at the entire hallway full of gaping girls. “What’s there to explain? You’re my Bond.”
He then stalks off like he didn’t just casually confirm to the girls here that he fucked my brains out last night, and I want to die. Not that there’s anything wrong with us hooking up, but I’ve been so adamant about hating them that this feels like I’ve suddenly just bent over for him because he asked.
I sigh and usher the siblings in, groaning as I shut the door behind them.
Sage awkwardly stands there like she’s trying not to touch anything but Sawyer slumps down on my bed. “Dammit, I really thought you’d finally fallen into bed with one of them. I’m strangely disappointed.”
I quickly start throwing clothes on, crowing inside a little when I find Gryphon’s hoodie that he’s left behind. “Sorry, he was just here as pain relief. I didn’t think you’d believe me. I’m shocked at your trust, Sawyer.”
He rolls his eyes at me and picks at the sheets. “There’s no sex smell. I know the scent of a good fuck when I smell it.”
That’s oddly disgusting and when I finally sling my bag onto my back, I find Sage looking at me with concern. “Are you sure you’re okay? Should you be going to classes if you’re in that much pain?”
I’m fine now and there’s no way I’m calling North to get a sick pass. “Let’s just forget this happened. Gryphon still hates me, he’s just also a decent human being. He won’t be back anytime soon.”
A week later, I’ve almost forgotten what my bed feels like without Gryphon in it. He’s much more discreet about his stays in it, always coming in after I’ve fallen asleep and leaving before I wake up in the morning, but there’s always little signs that he’s been here.
I get up and try to ignore the fact that my bed is empty again. I wish he’d stay to wake up with me, just once, but I also know how dangerous that is because he’s chipping away at my resolve to keep them all at arm’s length. I can’t afford to let that happen, no matter how desperately I want him.
The shared bathroom is full of girls and I have to grit my teeth to ignore all of the looks and whispers. You’d think they could all find something better to do than gossiping about me and my asshole Bonds, but nope, they love nothing more than talking about how great they all are in bed while I scrub my body like I’m trying to scour the devil from my skin. Just once I'd like to get clean without hearing about how amazing Nox is with his tongue or how big Gryphon's dick is. Just freaking once!
The Gryphon comments burn a little more these days.
By the time I get back to my room, I’m so angry about how freaking rude every girl in this damn building is that I don't even bother looking at my phone for my usual good morning text from Atlas. I just shove my legs into a pair of yoga pants and throw a hoodie over my head, nothing but a bra underneath. The hoodie is one of Gryphon’s, the one he wore here last night, and I tell myself I’m only wearing it because it’s cold out and not because I’ve become addicted to the smell of him. If Gabe spills something on me at lunch and forces me to wash it, I'll freaking... stab him, or something. Hell, I'll ask Sage to set his ass on fire.
I won't tell her why I'm pissed though.
As I'm giggling to myself about setting one of my Bonds on fire, there's a knock at my door and I roll my eyes, expecting it to be Gryphon coming back to steal back his hoodie or bitch me out over something, but when I fling the door open with a frown on my face and fire in my soul, I’m ready to unleash my shitty mood on him. I find my breath knocked out of my chest instead.
The photo Atlas sent me of himself did not do him justice at all.
I am stunned as I stand there and take him in. Tall, dark, and handsome. I check to make sure I'm not drooling at the freaking sight of him towering over me. He fills the entire door frame, his shoulders wide and defined in the tight tee he's wearing. Hot-freaking-damn! His arms are covered in tattoos that creep up his neck to tuck under his chin and my eyes follow them up obediently. It's only when I get to his face that I see the cheeky grin plastered across there at my swooning and I blush.
"Well, damn! You look even better in person and I can tell you, I was fucking impressed with your photo," he drawls, and I scoff at him, recovering from my embarrassment now that his smart mouth is starting up.
"You could have called ahead and let me know you were coming! I'm wearing yoga pants, for fuck's sake! I could have at least attempted to look cute."
He chuckles at me and grabs my hips in his big hands, walking me backwards into my room and kicking the door shut. I swear to God, my heart skips a beat or five.
"If this isn't your cute, I don't think I'm pre
pared for it."
I blush and grab my bag, the blush deepening when Atlas takes it from me and swings over his own shoulder like a lovesick teenager.
"I can carry that, you know," I say, hoping the words sound flirty and not snappy. My mind is still whirling with the shock of him being here and the unspent rage of dealing with the other girls.
He grins and shrugs. "Yeah, but you'll let me do it today. I was kind of hoping we could stay here for the day, let you get to know me a little better, but if you insist on going out, then you'll let me take care of you a bit instead."
The sweet grins he's giving me make it even harder to look at him. "I'm not allowed to skip classes. The GPS tracker means North will know and he will personally come here to punish me."
All of the teasing and playful joy melts off of Atlas. He goes from looking flirty and sweet to having the stone-cold glare of a beast who has smelled his prey. "Yeah, I'm going to fix that for the both of us pretty soon. North may be on the Council on this side of the country, but my family controls the Council on the East Coast. If he is going to a be a dick about this, then I'm taking you home with me and they can fucking rot here for all I care."
A shiver takes over me. "If I thought we could get away with that, I would totally agree. But I get the feeling North Draven doesn't ever lower himself to compromise."
Atlas smirks at me, pushing the hair away from my shoulder and kissing my cheek softly. "Sweetness, I don't give a fuck what North Draven wants. If he gets in my way or upsets you, I'll royally fuck him up."
Ok, now I'm definitely swooning.
I have to remind myself that I'm trying not to get too close to these guys and I take a half step back. "We should head to class. I don't want to fall behind."
He doesn't look pissed off at me for pulling back, instead he holds out a hand and threads his fingers through mine. When he opens the door to lead me out, we find Gabe walking up to escort me to class, the smile on his face directed at the girl poking her head out of the room next to mine. It slides right off when he sees Atlas standing there, holding my hand and my bag.
Oh shit.
A giddy sort of giggle bubbles in my stomach, but I hold that sucker in. Atlas squeezes my hand gently and leans in close to whisper in my ear, "Lock your door, Sweetness."
I side-eye him, he totally did not have to get that close to me to say that, but I do as he says, turning my back on them both to lock up with the extra-secure lock Gryphon installed.
A snarl rips out of Gabe and I fight my instinct to spin around to face him, trusting Atlas to watch my exposed back against my shifter Bond. I make sure everything is secure and then turn slowly, as if the idea of a freaking wolf tearing my limbs off isn't at all concerning. There's a whole lot of interest in what's about to go down here. Every door is open and there's girls everywhere. Even a few guys standing with their own Bonds and girlfriends, watching.
Atlas laughs. "Oli has no need for her pouting jailer today, Ardern, so fuck off."
Gabe's eyes start to glow and I suck in a deep breath. Who the hell do I call if he loses it? I grab my phone, Gryphon is going to be my best backup, but he never freaking answers my messages. Nox is a dick, and I'd rather gouge my own eyeballs out than speak to North. Well, fuck.
“Don’t fucking tell me what I can and can’t do with my Bond, Bassinger,“ he spits out between clenched teeth and Atlas drops my hand to instead sling his arm over my shoulders.
“No one wants a sulking dickhead trailing after them, so beat it, Ardern. Do it before I make you. You really don't want me to make you."
Gabe struggles to get control over himself, the shift rippling over his face as his eyes glow and the skin of his arms darkens into a soft pelt. I’ve never seen him actually lose control before, even when Martinez went for him, he’d kept his gift under tight control.
I really don’t want to do this, and certainly not in the hallway of my dorm with all of the gossiping girls here. “Can we just head to class, please? I don’t want to be late and I’m assuming you’ll need to get your timetable together, Atlas?”
He shrugs and holds out a hand for me to take. I hesitate for a second, because this time it feels like more than just a little sign of affection, but it doesn’t bother him. “You wanna go slow, then we’re going slow. Take my hand, Bond.”
Deep breath.
And then I take his hand.
Chapter Twenty-One
Eating lunch is usually my favorite part of the day, but being jammed between Atlas and Gabe, with Sage and Sawyer dying of laughter at their vicious jabs at one another, kind of ruins it for me. Atlas had picked up a timetable that slotted him into all of the same classes as Gabe and me, grinning at me when I questioned him about it.
“You’re in the general courses, if I have to repeat, at least we’re doing the easy shit.”
I roll my eyes at him with a huff, mostly because it definitely doesn’t feel easy to me, and our relaxed familiarity pisses Gabe off. He then shadows us both, scowling and snapping at us whenever Atlas leans in to me or makes me laugh with his easy going humor.
I’d taken my bag back and kept my hands to myself as soon as we’d made it out onto the campus grounds, but Atlas hadn’t commented, just accepted the boundaries I was putting in place like this is all going exactly the way he expected it to.
Sage and Sawyer had accepted Atlas in without an issue, both of them already rooting for him in the ‘Bonding race’, as Sawyer has so nicely dubbed the mess that my life is.
When lunch is over, Sawyer heads off to his computer science class, and I have an awkward moment of trying to get around Gabe to walk with Sage to our next class, but he’s not willing to just step back and let me walk with her. Atlas smirks at him when I finally shove at him to get him moving, and I decide that I would rather drop out and deal with North’s scathing reaction than deal with this every day until I get out of this place.
We arrive at our Econ class to find Gryphon’s second, Kieran, on watch outside the lecture hall. He’s my least favorite of all the TacTeam security, and I struggle to keep the disdain off of my face when I realize he’s the one checking over the students’ ID’s to get in and I’ll be forced to speak to him.
I forget that Atlas has no clue about any of the history between us and when he gets an eyeful of the look on my face, he instantly shifts to tuck me into his side, curling a little so he’s covering me.
“Who the fuck is that and what did he do to you?”
I shake my head at him, because I have no idea of who is around us and what their powers are, but Gabe, who is watching us both with a moody sort of obsession, murmurs, “He’s on Gryphon’s TacTeam. She just hates him.”
Sage scoffs and darts a look at Kieran, like he’s venomous and she’s afraid of being hit with that acid. “He’s the one who caught her, tackled her to the ground in broad daylight like she was a criminal, and then dragged her back here to have all of her freedoms and liberties taken away by Councilman Draven. As glad as I am to have Oli here, I hate him for doing that to her too.”
Atlas’ arm tenses around me for a second but then he relaxes, that grin back on his face again, and I’m learning very quickly that the grin spells out danger.
We have to wait in the line as the ID of every student is checked. I fumble to grab mine out and Sage curses as she digs through her bag, loose sheets of paper rustling at her rough treatment. Gabe stands there like a brick wall, scowling and huffing under his breath at the wait.
When we finally step up to the door, I have to take a deep, calming breath, checking in on my gift and my bond to ensure they’re locked down tight. Kieran is huge and kind of terrifying this close but he acts like I don’t exist, grinning at Gabe and clapping him on the shoulder as he ushers him through without question, completely ignoring the frown on my Bond’s face. He checks Sage’s ID but only because she already has it out, waving her through quickly as well.
He holds out an arm when Atlas steps up, pulling me along with
him.
“Who are you? There are no extra seats in this class for a bystander.”
Even his voice has my jaw clenching, but Atlas just flashes his own ID at him. “I just transferred in. You should move your arm.”
Kieran’s eyes narrow at him until they’re nothing more than dark slits, but he doesn’t move his arm. “Bassinger. You’re related to Athena Bassinger of the East Coast Council?”
“My aunt. I’m not going to ask you to move again.”
Gabe takes a step back through the door and says, “He’s telling the truth, he’s Oli’s other Bond.”
Finally his eyes dart down to me and the disgust on his face is palpable, like a sharp slap to my cheek, and I immediately flush scarlet as though I’ve done something wrong.
Atlas doesn’t like that reaction at all and when the grin drops away, Kieran finally figures out that Atlas isn’t just a grinning, arrogant kid. He’s a Gifted making threats.
Because things can only get worse for me and because that is exactly what I need in my life, Gryphon turns the corner and stalks towards us, reading the malevolent atmosphere perfectly. “Move aside, Black. They’re late for class, and I know you weren’t about to use your gift on campus grounds, Bassinger. That’s rule number one here.”
Atlas smirks and shrugs. “I have an exemption, Shore. I can’t turn mine off, it’s a part of me. Your thug here didn’t like that I’m not worried about him. Honestly? I think he didn’t like that I’m not a Gift-less girl half the size of him that he can throw around.”
Oh God, I don’t want to be around for this dick swinging competition and I definitely don’t want my entire life aired out and picked through in the hallway with way too many eyes on us all.
“Fuck this, I’m going to class. If you guys wanna whip them out and measure them to get this over with, then go right ahead, I’m not sticking around for it.”
Kieran scoffs at me and snaps, “Of course you’re running away. Oleander Fallows is exactly the type to just disappear when things get hard.”