Page 55 of Blood Bonds

What did I do?

North answers immediately, firmly and with a no-bullshit air that helps the panic in my chest ease a little.Nothing. This is just a problem for him, and you need to leave it alone. He can’t control his reactions to… this sort of thing.

I try to meet his eye across the table but he’s focused entirely on Nox, his own eyes shifting to black as well.

“Fuck,” Gabe mutters. He braces a hand on the table across me like he’s preparing to cover me entirely. I want to think that it’s just overprotective Bond shit, but Gryphon is moving slowly on the other side of the table, clearly trying not to provoke either of the brothers, but he’s moving towards me as well.

What did I do?

There’s a cold press of a wet nose on my ankle and I look down at Brutus. He looks miserable, sadness pouring out of him, but he’s still checking in on me to see if I’m okay while his Gifted is having a very man-version of a meltdown at the dinner table.

Thank God Sage and the others aren’t here for it as well.

Gryphon answers me.You didn’t do it on purpose, but don’t talk to him like that, Oli. I know that’s not fair because he was crossing the line already, but you just hit a trip line inside him and he can’t stop himself from this sort of reaction.

I barely even remember what I’d said.

When Gryphon finally makes it over to me, he continues to move slowly as he pulls me up out of the chair and into his body, shifting until he’s covering me entirely. The problem is that what North’s bond said to me in the bathroom keeps swirling around in my head. I don’t want him between me and the shadows, even when they’re snarling.

But when I try to step around him, Gryphon’s arm tightens around me and Gabe moves to begin pulling me towards the door as well. I don’t want to leave either of them, not when it’s my fault this is happening. I’m not going to beat myself up about it but, fuck, I should help, right?

You’ll only make things worse. You’re his Bond. That’s enough to break what shred of control he has left.

They both bully me out of the dining room, but I hold firm about staying in the hallway, listening to the murmuring of North attempting to firmly talk his brother down from whatever the fuck I’ve caused here.

When Gryphon tries one last time to get me moving, I stand my ground. “I’m staying here until they’re done in there. I’m sleeping in Nox’s bed tonight anyway. I have to wait for them.”

Gryphon gives me a look but nods, sliding his hulking form down the wall until he’s sitting with me, and Gabe folds himself into a pile on the other side of me. I don’t feel tired but as the minutes stretch into an hour, I let my head drop down onto Gryphon’s shoulder and my eyes drift shut.

I wake up to North murmuring quietly, “He’s fine. He’s gone down to the gym. Maybe you should go and keep an eye on him.”

I blink to try to clear the sleep from my eyes, but North is good about helping me up and getting me back over to the elevator without much effort on my part. With a gentle hand, he directs me the whole way there, opening Nox’s bedroom door for me and then holding my hand up the stairs. He perches on the couch while I climb into the bed.

“I’ll stay until you’re asleep, Bonded. Just rest, and Gryphon will be here for you in the morning.”

It shouldn’t be that easy, but my bond trusts him implicitly, so I’m drifting off in minutes. Nox is on the couch instead of North when I wake a few hours later, his creatures surrounding me except for the one who had snarled at me at the table who looked as though he’d rip my throat out at the drop of a hat. No, that one is sleeping across Nox’s chest in a savage looking smoke form that is still more teeth than anything else. I get the feeling he’s there to make sure I don’t get close to his master.

Chapter Seventeen

North

I should leavethem both alone.

I already know that. I know that they have their own Bond to work out for themselves, but when I leave Nox’s room for my own, there’s a dull fog of dread clouding up my brain. The moment I lie down in my own bed and shut my eyes, all I can see is the haunted look in my brother’s eyes right before they void out.

I can’t sleep like this.

So instead of even trying, I get up and throw on one of the sweatshirts my Bonded left behind in my room that smells like her. She has a good point about the scents calming bonds down. Then I make my way over to Nox’s room. The door is unlocked, it always is, and I don’t bother knocking. His creatures will tell him that I’m coming up and, sure enough, when I make it to the top of the stairs, he’s blinking up at me from the couch.

Oleander is asleep on the bed, alone and looking safe enough.

“You really don’t trust me, do you?”

I glance at him and step over the sleeping pile of shadows by the landing to join him on the couch. The biggest of his shadows, the meanest one now that Oleander has tamed Brutus, lifts his head from Nox’s chest to growl in my direction. It’s always been protective but what happened at dinner has opened up old wounds.

“I’m here for you both. I’m here because, while you might not ever want it, I want to help you. No matter what you need. I said that to you and I meant it.”

He huffs and runs his fingers through his hair, tugging at the ends of it like he’s really trying to tear it from his head. He’s usually better about keeping up the front, acting like the put together professor he’s emulating, and I attempt to take it as a sign of progress that he’s allowing himself to crack a little with our Bond so close to him.