Forced Bonds (The Bonds that Tie Book 4)

Once I know for sure that Ollie is safely at North’s offices, I let Gabe know that I am heading out for the day. I’m not one to check in and report where I’m going to be but, thanks to current circumstances, I don’t need anyone questioning my loyalty or my allegiance.

Sage being the one to kill the Shield wasn’t just a shock to me, it was a threat. If Oli’s best friend could be one of the people betraying us, then there isn’t much doubt in my mind that they could point the finger in my direction too, thanks to my family’s allegiances.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to go and see your sister?” Gabe says, his phone in his hand and his eyes on the screen as he questions me, as though he’s so nonchalant about the answer. But I know that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I have no idea who he could possibly be texting, it’s not like he has any friends really outside of the Bond Group. A ripple of frustration creeps down my spine and I have to shake my head to clear it.

I force my tone to be calm and even as I reply, “I was avoiding speaking to Aurelia because she’s my sister, and I don’t really want to listen to my family’s indoctrination bullshit coming out of her mouth. But… if there’s anything that she might know about this, then it’s my responsibility to find out. If Oli can face everything head on, even when it’s breaking her fucking heart to do it, then so can I.”

Gabe glances over to me and nods slowly. If I really look hard enough, I think I can see some respect in his eyes. I never really cared about what the other Bonds think of me though, so I don’t care to look too hard for it.

So without another word, I grab my jacket, the same one that I’d slung over Oli’s shoulders a few hours ago, her sweet scent still clinging to it, and then I head back out to track down Shore. I need to get a pass to see one of the Transporters to go back to Draven and see my sister at the council offices there.

I already know that he will insist on sending someone with me to watch my every move and report back on me, but that isn’t something that bothers me anymore. Now that I’m sure we’re all on the same side when it comes to Oli, nothing else matters to me. Whatever little tests and boundaries and bullshit they set for me, I’ll deal with it all if it means she’s safe here and has a whole lot of eyes on her at all times.

The fact that they’ll all spend the rest of our lives doubting me and waiting for me to turn on them should probably bother me more than it does, but Oli’s complete trust and faith in me is all I really need. The fact that she chose to bond with me even after she found out about my family’s ties to the Resistance and their involvement in her capture and time in the camps? There’s no doubt in my mind that Oleander Fallows is the perfect Bonded for me, made for me to devote my life to and worship until my dying breath.

I’m still furious that our time together had been cut short thanks to the attack, finding out about the Shield’s death, Sage’s possible betrayal, and now trying to figure out what the hell is really going on around here. Knowing that she’s going to sleep in someone else’s bed tonight is incredibly frustrating, especially since North had kept her in his rooms for days after they’d bonded. Not that I’m pissed at Oli, none of this is her doing. Having five Bonds to split her time with would be fucking hard in the best of circumstances.

The poor girl has to deal with five alpha males with huge egos, overprotective tendencies, and impossible safety standards… not to mention Nox fucking Draven’s issues here.

The streets are still looking as though the Resistance came here on a mission just to destroy as much as they could which, honestly, might be the case. There’s a reason their camps are all made out of temporary structures; cheaper, easy to replace, and everyone who lives amongst the tents are entirely disposable to the higher families of the East Coast.

Even Silas Davies.

Sure, he’s powerful. Really fucking powerful. The type that makes warning bells sound in your head the moment you step into a room with him, but he’s not at the top of the food chain. Someday, I’ll talk to Oli about him… about where he sits, about who he’s Bonded to, about all of his weaknesses and the ways that the higher families keep him in line.

Someday, when her best friend isn’t in question and she’s not completely fucking fried by the fact that maybe we’ve all been flirting with the goddamn enemy here.

I find Shore in the small town square area with a group of TacTeam personnel surrounding him. Black isn’t there, thank God, and I would have a lot to say if he had been given an out just because of his high position within Shore’s team. Rockelle is there though, and when he spots me coming, a sly smirk stretches across his smug, mouthy-asshole face.

When he opens his mouth, Shore cuts him off before he can let out any of the bullshit brewing in his brain. “Focus, Rockelle, we’re not here to talk shit. We’re here to get this mess cleaned up and the holes in the security fixed before nightfall. Get your head on straight before I get you removed from rounds and put on probation.”

Rockelle doesn’t let the threat to his job affect him in the slightest. Instead, he jerks his head in my direction and snarks back, “Oh, my head is where it needs to be, but I doubt yours will be for much longer. No doubt there’ll be an exception for your Bond Group bullshit though, won’t there?”

If I were a Rockelle’s superior, I would have knocked him on his ass for that disrespect. Sure enough, the look that Shore gives him would make a much stronger man’s balls shrivel away to fucking pebbles.

His voice is light in a very obviously fake way as he says, “I’ll see you at the training rooms tomorrow morning, first shift. I’ve needed a new training partner. Good of you to offer.”

The guys surrounding them both start to snicker and murmur to each other and finally Rockelle looks as though he’s regretting opening his stupid fucking mouth.

His mouth is downturned and his tone is rueful as he gripes, “I’m not in the first rounds. I was assigned the third so that I can check over new recruits—“

Shore cuts him off. “And now I’m reassigning you to the first rounds. If you have any complaints, feel free to go and raise them with my superior.”

Rockelle pulls a face and turns away from him, muttering under his breath, “You don’t have one.”

Shore turns to face Rockelle fully and the way he moves is deceiving. You’d guess he was a Shifter or some other physically Gifted with the sheer presence he has when he’s pissed off, but then I guess the level of Neuro he is isn’t something to be taken lightly.

My father would sell his soul to have access to the inner thoughts of others like that.

Shore’s voice drips with derision as he says, “Exactly. No one cares about your opinion on how things are done around here. You’ve gotten away with too much because of your counselor daddy, but that ends here. Shut your mouth and get back to work. All of you.”

The group disperses quickly, none of the other personnel have a single thing to say back to their commanding officer. Shore stays with his back to me until he’s sure they’re all heading off to where he’s assigned them. Rockelle practically runs away from us both.

I scoff at the sight of it which catches Shore’s attention. He finally looks over his shoulder to acknowledge me, his face hard. The scar on his face is darker with the exhaustion he’s clearly feeling. It makes him look older and angrier, but I’m sure the weight of the day is heavy on his shoulders.

He and Draven both carry the brunt of it all to keep the Bond Group, and more importantly, Oli, safe.

“What can I do for you, Bassinger? I thought we already assigned you cleanup duties.”

I shrug. “I’ve given them to Ardern. We thought it would be smarter if I went to speak to my sister, to see if we could figure this shit with Benson out a little faster.”

That gets his attention.

He turns on his heel to face me fully and says, “You want to speak to her? That was one of your hard lines. You really think she’s going to know something?”

I let out a frustrated breath and try not to just shrug at him again. This feels like another interrogation, and I have to remind myself that he’s doing all of this for Oli. We’re all doing it for Oli.

Except that fuck, Nox.

“I think it’s an avenue we haven’t tried yet. I’d be a selfish dick if I didn’t at least give it a go.”

It’s the truth and he knows it with a thousand percent accuracy, so in under a minute he’s told Draven we’re leaving and has a Transporter there to move us out. Things happen quickly when you’re Gryphon Shore, apparently.

Shore claps one hand onto the Transporter’s shoulder with a firm nod, his mouth downturned as he widens his stance a little in preparation. All of his movements are small signs that he finds this as hard as Oli does, only he’s had years of training and experience to keep his stomach in line now.

She relies on his Neuro abilities to settle hers for her.

The Transporter stares at me like he’d rather pick up dog shit with his bare hands than touch me to do the job and he murmurs to Shore, “Are you positive that he’s not in on the attack? You know what they say about Bassingers.”

Shore stares at me and replies, “Do your job, Godden. I don’t answer to you, and neither does Atlas.”

It’s the first time he’s used my first name, and I know that it’s a very strategic move. I’m not a Bassinger to them anymore, at least not publicly, and they’ve all made their choice to side with me.

Now I just need to pull my weight and prove that I’m worth the risk to everyone, not just to my Bonded.

The Council offices are like a ghost town.

The last time we were here, they had been quiet, but there were still a few employees milling around and other council members here. Those were the ones who had refused to come to the Sanctuary and instead stayed in Draven in their gilded mansions as easy prey to the Resistance. I see their unwillingness to go through the vetting process as a clear indicator of their treachery. I’m sure Gryphon and North feel the same way.

The Transporter steps away as soon as our feet hit solid ground as though he’s worried about being near me, or maybe it’s being so close to Gryphon and his vicious mood that has the guy worried.

It doesn’t worry me. Gryphon simply barks out an order to keep careful watch while we’re gone, then we’re stepping away to head to the elevator. There’s only one in the building that goes down to the containment area, and it’s here in the underground parking. I’ve already mentioned to North that it’s a security risk for us to always be transported to the same spot. He’d agreed with me, but nothing has changed yet, so I’m careful as I look around, watching out for some sign that we’re about to be ambushed.

Gryphon is less concerned, and when I meet his eyes, he taps a single finger to his temple, a reminder that he can now ‘hear’ when people are around.

Right.

The moment the elevator doors shut behind us, he turns to me and then says quietly, “I will need to be present for the conversations with your sister. It’s standard procedure for me to monitor and assess whether or not she’s telling the truth. It’s also protocol to have a TacTeam member there with you in case she attempts to harm you or escape in any way, so don’t take it the wrong way.”

I nod and shrug at him. “I was expecting you to be there anyway, and it’s handy to know whether or not she’s lying. I… think I can tell, but I’m also aware that I’m too close to her and can’t be completely impartial about this. I wish I could be. I want nothing more than to just be done with her but… it’s different. It’s different with her than it is with my parents.”

He nods and looks away from me, offering me what little privacy with my thoughts that he can. “Of course it is. You were raised together. You know exactly how they brainwashed her, so you’re struggling because… some of this isn’t necessarily her fault. The problem is that life isn’t fair. She’s an adult who made decisions that she has to face up to now. You made different ones.”

I scoff and mutter, “For Oli. If it weren’t for her then—“

“Don’t go there. You’ll just drive yourself insane. You can front all you want about not giving a shit about any of this, but I saw your face when you saw those kids who’d been killed. You’re not a villain, no matter how much you might wish you could turn your humanity off.”

When the elevator doors open to the long hallway of cells, I find that the majority of them are now empty. The last time we were here, every single cell had at least two Resistance members in them, so either a lot of processing has happened… or there was a raid here that I was unaware of.

I turn and give Gryphon a look and he gives me a dry grin back. “We’ve been very busy. There’s no point in feeding all of these people and wasting our finite resources on them just for the pleasure of their company down here. There’s only so much information any of them can give us.”

I feel a small seed of dread in the pit of my stomach at the thought of them finishing with my sister in the same way and putting her down, but I also know that she has probably been given more leeway in this place than she deserves, thanks to me.

I’m not sure what the fuck I’m going to do about it either. She has made this bed for herself and now has to lie in it. She has to face the consequences of her own actions. It’s just the guilt that’s nagging at me. The guilt that will eat me alive if I let it.

Would I be the same as her if I hadn’t seen that file on my mother’s computer and the footage of my Bonded being tortured?

There’s every chance I would be sitting in one of these cells, waiting to die or to rot away, because once upon a time, I’d lapped up every last bit of my parents’ propaganda and indoctrination.

It’s sickening to even think about.

Gryphon steps ahead of me to unlock my sister’s cell and move her into the interrogation room. She doesn’t fight him or attempt to use her Gift in any way, which is strange to begin with, but when he steps out into the hallway with her and her face turns up to mine, I see the white ring of light around her iris that is Gryphon’s Gift hard at work. He’s hacked into her brain to ensure her complete and utter obedience while he’s interacting with her, which is both incredibly smart and a little terrifying.

He’s a much bigger weapon in this fight than I’ve ever given him credit for.

She looks thinner and more haggard than I have ever seen her before. I already know that North wouldn’t torture her through starvation or that form of deprivation, but clearly her time in captivity is not treating her very well.

Not to say that they’re above treating prisoners the way that they deserve, but being my sister has clearly afforded her more allowances than the other prisoners ever received.

Gryphon adjusts the grip he has on her wrists and then marches her into the interrogation room. She complies with his every order without a word. It’s not until he has her restraints secured to the chain running up from the concrete flooring and her ass in the hot seat that the white ring in her eyes disappears.

He moves around to the other side of the table as I watch her blink back into herself.

The sneer on her mouth when she finally looks up to see Gryphon standing there is instant. Every inch of her is radiating that ingrained loathing that we were raised to have for these people, the ones who are so far beneath us that they’re practically a different species.

Her voice is thready and cracks when she speaks. “I don’t know why you keep coming here to see me. There’s nothing left in my brain that you haven’t sifted through already, nothing there that hasn’t been picked over, so either kill me or leave me to rot away in peace.”

Gryphon nods slowly to her and then jerks his head towards the open door where I’m standing. I’m obscured from her view but watching her every move through the double-sided glass. “I brought someone here to see you. I thought maybe you would want to speak to someone familiar instead of me for a change.”

For a small moment, I can see the tiniest shred of hope in her. “You’ve captured Jericho? He came for me?”

There’s a pang in my chest at that. The one Bonded she has that actually loved her, the only one who treated her as though he truly loved her, of course she’d be hoping to see him before her inevitable death here in captivity.

“Your brother, actually,” Gryphon says, and the hope in her eyes dies out.

She doesn’t look happy about it or even relieved, which is strange because she saw me at the camps and must have already guessed about my ties to the Dravens. I would have thought she would want to use me to get out of here.

I’m not offended by her dismissal though, and I slip through the doorway easily, taking up the seat across the table from her. Gryphon looks between the two of us and then steps out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

I didn’t need him to tell me that he was going to be watching us both through the double-sided mirror.

“What have you gotten yourself into, little brother?” Aurelia says, shaking her head as her lank and filthy blonde locks fall around her face.

I make sure I keep my eyes on hers, never wavering so that she knows that there’s no shame in me as I reply, “I found my Bonded. I’m a part of the Draven Bond Group. I went into those camps where we found you with every intention of helping to find and destroy every last Resistance member that I could find.”

She blinks at me and then nods slowly. “Did Mom tell you? Or did you find out by yourself? You should take the girl and run, Atlas. You should do what Jericho and I should have done a decade ago, and just get out of here before they get to you.”

Jericho.

She’s still only worried about him, no mention of the others.

When I say this to her, she just shakes her head back to me, her voice breaking as she admits, “I don’t want the rest of them. I don’t want to go home to Father. I want to see Jericho one last time, and then I want to die, Atlas. I want to fucking die here.”

My stomach turns. Gryphon had told me that she had been a shell of a woman in his interrogations but… I was never expecting this. “Aurelia, how can you say that? How can you—“

She cuts me off, her voice shrill and panicked, “If I get out, then I’ll have to go back to them all. I don’t want to! I went to the camps to die. I went there to be done with all of this, Atlas. I just want to be done.”

She starts to sob, and it takes everything in me to stop myself from walking around and pulling her into a hug because she’s just… broken. Desperate. So far into her own misery that she’s completely given up.

“Aurelia, what’s been happening? Give me something, anything, and I’ll try to find Jericho for you.”

I might be lying to her, I’ll go to hell for saying it, but she chokes on a sob and sputters back, “We’re better off dead, Atlas. What they have planned for us all… we’re better off dead.”