Page 54 of Blood Bonds

“Don’t do this to me, Sage. Don’t throw me to the wolves like this. We’re supposed to have each other’s backs here!”

She scrunches her nose up with a smile and says, “I love my psych. Maybe you can see him?”

North cuts in before I can whine about my bestie's betrayal. “Who do you see? I’ll arrange for him to come here once he’s been through the security measures.”

Sage opens her mouth but I cut her off, snapping at North, “I definitely do not need another man in my life trawling through my head. I have enough of that shit happening right here!”

All of the other chatter at the table stops at my outburst, and one of the kitchen staff who was putting out extra plates scurries back into the kitchens as though she’s worried about what’s going to happen to me for being so rude.

I’m not.

Sort of. Okay, I’m sure there’s still plenty of shit that North will be more than willing to do to me as punishment for not just happily going along with his plans, but I draw the line here. I don’t want to speak to someone. I don’t want to pour my heart out to some stranger. I’m not ready for that sort of thing yet.

I barely want to talk about it with my Bonds, who are supposed to love me and accept me no matter what.

Sawyer leans into his sister’s side and mock whispers, “Are we about to see them fuck over the potatoes? Because while I didn’t ask for that on the menu, I’m down to have a front row seat.”

The look that North levels at him makes me want to die on his behalf. I shove a spoonful of vegetables in my mouth so I look too busy to get involved, as though I can ignore this entire mess of a conversation and it’ll just disappear. Grey just groans and covers his eyes with his hands like he’s preparing himself for what shitstorm Sawyer has brought on him by default.

Sawyer excuses himself from the table shortly after, apparently too chicken-shit to deal with North now that he’s pissed him off. Grey leaves with him, and shortly after, Sage gives me an apologetic sort of smile of her own as she heads out with her Bonds as well. I was hoping to actually speak to her but the tension in the room is thick, and I don’t blame her for wanting to get the hell outta Dodge.

It’s quiet for a minute, and then Nox opens his fat mouth.

I should’ve seen his attitude coming from a mile away because it’s been too peaceful around here lately, so of course he wants to ruin it for us all.

“So Bassinger failed to convince you to Bond with him as well? Or are you only interested in Bonding with the more powerful Bonds in the group? You’re a lot more calculating than I was expecting, Poison.”

I roll my eyes and shake my head at North when he death stares his brother down the long expanse of the table. I don’t need him fighting this war for me. If I let them all fight over me right here at the start, it’ll never end.

Instead, I sigh and turn to face Nox. He’s not drinking for once, but there’s also a focus in him that hasn’t been there for weeks, like whatever it was that knocked him off-kilter has passed and he’s back to being the stable professor again.

I fight back all the same. “I’m not going to sit around and let you talk shit about me or try to make me feel bad about Bonding with North. Not now and not ever, Draven. So you can just give up on it. And not that it’s anyone's business what I choose to do with my own goddamned body, but I’m going to see what my gift does now. If it gets stronger, then we’ll make decisions from there. But again, it’s none of your business or anyone else’s. Being one of my Bonds doesn’t mean I owe you shit, Nox.”

Gabe’s hand slips onto my thigh and squeezes gently, a silent show of support, but naturally Nox picks up on it anyway and sneers at us both. “Picking favorites? It appears panting after her like a lovesick puppy isn’t doing you any favors, Gabe. You should really change tactics if you want her that badly.”

Gabe turns to stone next to me and my eyes narrow in Nox’s direction. I’m mostly fine with him taking swipes in my direction, but I’m learning that there’s nothing that pisses me off faster than him taking a swipe at one of my other Bonds.

Especially the one who has accepted me and my reasons for wanting to take things extra slow.

“The only person around here who needs to change anything is you. I don’t know what the hell has happened between us that makes you this twisted about me, but I don’t owe you anything. Gabe doesn’t owe you shit.”

“So you’ve just been lying and manipulating all of your Bonds to get what you want? I tried to warn my brother that this is what would happen—”

I cut him off before I have to hear anymore of his twisted version of things. “Oh yeah? What if I bond with you all and suddenly my power gets even stronger? What about if I sneeze and kill everyone in our town? Fuck you, Nox. Fuck you and yourunbelievablyprivileged life. At least your shadows heel when you tell them to. You can stop whenever you want. I don’t have that option.“

His lip curls at me, but North has obviously had enough of listening to us tear into one another and says in a cold tone, “Nox, walk it off. You’re not doing yourself any favors right now.”

He stares North down for a minute and then grabs one of the linen napkins and wipes his hands, shoving his plate away from himself and pushing his chair back without another word.

I reach for the chocolate cheesecake that’s sitting in front of me, because I’m done eating real food and now is the time for a sugar coma to kick in. I throw all of my sass into my tone, just to cut him down a little more as I snark, “Such a good little boy, doing just what you’re told.”

The reaction is instant and severe.

An emotion that I can’t believe flashes across Nox’s face right before his bond kicks in and his eyes flash into the voids as it takes over. Shadows begin pouring out of his body in a slow, ominous stream.

Stop.

North’s voice echoes in my head, but I don’t know what the hell I’ve done to trigger Nox’s bond. The black curls wrap around his wrists and the creature that has come out of his chest to stare at me has its jaw wide open, its teeth glistening as he snarls soundlessly in my direction.