Blood Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #3)

by J. Bree

“Jesus fucking Christ, be glad none of you can hear what’s happening in her head right now. A lot more shit about our Bond and her fear of this is making sense,” my Bonded says, and I fight the urge to reach into his chest and pull his heart out.

“You wouldn’t. You need me and we both know it.” Still. It ...

“Oli isn’t really in right now, and her bond is trying to plan how to take over the world, so maybe give her a minute,” the Shifter says with a smirk, cocky and confident now that he knows what’s going on.

The Dark One glances down at me and then crouches down until he’s back at my level, his voice firm as he says, “Give Oleander back so we can heal you.”

I scowl at him. “No. I’m not giving her back while there’s still pain. I don’t let her feel it.”

“If you can promise you’ll be in control while I do what I need to, I’ll do it. I’ll take your word for it, because Gryphon will have to stop blocking the pain while I do.”

My Bonded answers for me without hesitation, “No. You’re not healing her while she can feel it.”

The Healer shakes his head. “I can’t pinpoint all of the damage if she can’t feel the pain, I’m sorry. If I miss something, it could kill her later. I’m not willing to take that chance. Other Healers might, I won’t. There’s too much at stake here, and I’m not losing Oli because you're concerned about...

“I won’t harm you so long as you don’t harm me or mine. Not now, not ever. The pain is nothing, only the girl feels it and she’s sleeping right now. Do what you need to.”

“I don’t know what you’re fussing over her for. She’s taking this better than anyone I’ve ever healed. Ease up a little, Shore. She still needs to breathe.”

“I saw your face when you showed up to Draven’s the day Benson set a building on fire for you, don’t pretend like you’re above Bonded behavior,” he snaps back.

my Bonded’s strength flowing easily into me, thanks to our connection. I can feel my body breathing him in, taking everything I need from his vitality while he takes the same from me, a sharing of our resources, until I have everything I could ever need from him.

“It’s not usually so dramatic but yes, they’re sharing power. It looks more… bright because she’s so strong.”

“Take your shirt off. She’s scenting again and needs more. We need to get Bassinger to be ready for us back at the house as well. She’s going to need us all.”

The stretcher moves as someone else sits down, and then I’m moved over into the Shifter’s arms, pressed firmly against his bare chest next. He smells warm, goosebumps exploding along his skin as I bury my nose into the crook of his neck.

I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, knowing that when they open again, it will no longer be me in charge and the girl will be back to deal with the consequences of my actions to save us. But we’re alive, mostly unscathed, and...

I wake up surrounded by delicious Bond scents, my nose buried in warm skin and with arms tight around me. I’m naked from the waist up, and so is North where we’re pressed tightly together, though there’s something thrown over my shoulders to cover me up, and my legs are wrapped around his waist.

his arms tighten around me and he turns his head into mine a little more to murmur into my ear, “Ten more minutes, Bond. Then I’ll get you to a bed.”

Goosebumps explode over my skin and I shiver, my nipples tightening until they’re pebbled where they’re pressed into his chest, and his hand drops back down to grip my thigh, pulling me in closer to his body. My bond purrs in my chest, humming with pleasure at having him desperate to keep me close, because there’s no other way to describe the grip of his hand.

I can’t say it out loud. I can’t admit what it is that’s tearing me in half right now, so I take the coward's way out and send the words directly to him as I squeeze my eyes shut. I don’t want to leave him, but I need the bathroom. I don’t want to lose this.

Don’t think like that. He’s pissed that Hannity and Rockelle are insisting on the debrief happening now so that he can’t just tend to you like he wants to. No one is rejecting you, Bonded. Not now, not ever.

I allow myself one last glance at North’s face before we leave him behind, and if I thought his hands felt desperate on me earlier, they had nothing on the dark possession in his eyes now. He’s staring at me like I’m prey.

Brutus pops out from behind my ear and jumps down onto the tiles in front of my feet. Tears fill my eyes because I’m tired, emotional, and so fucking relieved to have him back. Seriously, the few hours we’d been apart were too much for me now, and it occurs to me that Nox now holds a massive trump card over me. If he takes this puppy away from me, I will break in half.

“At least I know you’ve woken up as yourself again, no mistaking that sass.”

“You missed it though, right? You hate to admit it, but you missed my smart mouth.”

“I’ll admit to every part of what I’m feeling. You left here again, but this time it was worse because you weren’t just the idea of a Bond to me anymore. You’re you. You’re mine, and you walked away from us again.”

“I know. You went after my sister for me, and I can both love you for it and be fucking furious at you for doing it. I’m never leaving you behind again. I’m never trusting anyone, not even our own Bond Group, to watch you ever again.”

I’m just going to skip over the usage of the L word, because I’m sure it’s just a little slip up, so instead I nod to him. “I like that plan. The feeling of you leaving was… let’s not do it again. There’s no real reason we can’t just stay here together from now on, right?”

“No. You will hear nothing from her, and neither will any of the rest of the council. You’re sitting here because Gryphon has vetted you. If that status changes, if he finds even the slightest whiff of deception from any of you, you’ll be dealt with.”

“And how are you planning on achieving that, North? You’re strong, but you’re not a god.”

“Me. He won’t get the chance to set August and his creatures on you, because I’ll have you dead on the ground before they get the chance.”

I watch as two fully grown, Top Tier, Gifted men gulp at the sight of my void-like eyes. The look of exaltation in North’s eyes only draws me into him even more. It feels too damn good; my bond preens in my chest.

Felix finally removes his hand from me and when he shuffles over to Kieran, there’s a wobble in his gift that wasn’t there before, and he’s clearly nearing the end of his power source for the day.

Sage senses it too, of course, they’re Bonded after all. She eyes him, her brows drawn together in a frown, and then I watch as her bond bursts out of her and into him in a wave. He grunts a little and rocks back on his heels, but the lines of tension melt away almost instantly.

“Shit, sorry! I’m still figuring out how to do that!” Sage stutters, and Felix steps back over to reassure her, but...

Mainly over to where Kieran is staring at Sage with something close to… wonder....

He notices the daggers I’m staring into the side of his head. When his eyes swing in my direction, my own eyes drop down to his leg, where his Tac gear is still cut up. Where the long gash that had only been partially healed in a rush job before they ...

When my eyes flash back to black, the grins falters and he gulps, but I move to tug his shirt back over his head and shove him down on the chair. I want to strip and press our bodies together. Hell, what I really want to do is fuck him against the wall until his scent is all over me and his cum drips down my legs in the most brutal and obvious branding, but my senses are still too aware of all of the extra bodies in the house and the giant opening to this little alcove he’s brought me to. I don’t want anyone to see what’s mine.

I huff, frustrated at the layers still between us, and lean back to pull the sweater off of myself. Gabe swallows roughly, color bright and high on his cheeks as he sees me bare to the waist, but he doesn’t attempt to stop me. When I press myself in tight against him again, he grabs the sweater and covers my back up. Another point in his favor. My bond likes him coveting me just as hard as I covet him.

He chuckles quietly at me grumbling under my breath, but when I attempt to pull away, he just tightens his arms and gets back to stroking my spine until I turn into putty right there on top of him. I might be desperate for a shower and a proper sleep in a comfortable bed, but this little moment between us? It feels like pure magic, and I know the moment my bond starts pulling from his energy.

“You’re glowing again. Shit, I think I am too.”

“Sorry about that. I think I’m stealing your energy.”

“Take it. Take whatever you want, just don’t fucking leave me again.”

I hear movement again and then Gabe says, “If you’re going to take her, you need to get your shirt off. She’s not interested in clothes right now.”

Smart boy, I definitely do want skin.

Horny, tantrum-throwing bond. I huff a little, and Gabe stiffens again like he’s afraid my bond is about to wreck their shit, and his hand strokes down my spine again. He’s very good at this whole calming, petting thing he ha...

North’s arms are tight around me as he lifts me up, and Gabe rolls up onto his feet, immediately grabbing the sweater to cover my back up. I tuck my face into the column of North’s neck and breathe him in, taking in everything I could ever need from him as well.

I just need Atlas back, and then maybe I’ll be whole again.

“I’ll kill my assistant if I have to, no one is going to burst into any room in this house going forward. We’re on a security lockdown, and if Oleander wants to sleep somewhere else, she can wh...

Oh, I like that too. I like ...