to know I didn’t completely ruin my life while on the run.
Gabe’s brooding presence keeps the chairs around us empty, but I don’t give a fuck about making a heap of friends. Sage is sweet, kind, and hilarious once she opens up a bit, and that’s all I need.
We sit together at lunch and when time’s up she hesitates for a second. “I can… walk you over to the training center, if you want?”
I give her a half smile and jerk my head in Gabe’s direction, where he’s already heading our way. “I’m pretty sure my prison officer will direct me over there, but thanks. I’ll message you later to cry about how freaking bad it is.”
She winces and glances at Gabe. “I do not envy you. My parents wanted me to take it this year just so I had a grasp on self-defense but I pointed out that I can literally set people on fire, so I’m good. Hell, I almost killed my little brother by sneezing a few years back, so I need control, not encouragement.”
I cackle at her, because I highly doubt it was really that close, and wave her off. She’s heading to a politics class that sounds insanely boring that I would give my left kidney to transfer into. My eyes narrow as I watch the other students giving her a wide berth, like she’s diseased, thanks to her asshole Bond.
Fuck the lot of them.
Maybe I’ll try to talk her into running with me when I figure out how to get the hell out of here with this stupid GPS chip… except she’d be in danger then and not just social targeting.
“I’m starting to think you’re in love with her,” Gabe grumbles, and I roll my eyes at him.
“Are we going to the torture sessions or not? I’m guessing you love this class, it’s your favorite, isn’t it? Gross.”
He huffs and stalks off, his strides so big that I practically have to jog to keep up with him. “I’m acing it, doesn’t mean I love it. Vivian is a hard-ass and tries to kill us all. I hope you’re in shape, or this is going to suck for you.”
Considering that I’m puffing just keeping up with him, I’m going to die today. I’m going to just run myself into the ground and freaking die.
The training center is on the far side of campus and there’s an outside training course fenced out in the front that looks like it was built for Navy Seals and definitely not college students. I gulp, freaking the fuck out, and Gabe laughs at me like an asshole. There’s that edge to it, like he’s really freaking enjoying my terror, and if I wasn’t doing my best to make sure I don’t touch him, I’d probably punch him.
It would also probably be like punching a wall.
The other students surrounding us are all very athletic, tall and muscular, and it becomes very obvious that I’m not just going to die here, I’m going to be utterly humiliated as well.
Fuck my life and damn North Draven to hell where he belongs.
I know before I open the door that one of my other Bonds is in the classroom. I figure out pretty quickly that it’s Gryphon, because he’s the only one of the four Bonds here in Oregon that I haven’t spent any time around. I feel weirdly nervous about him being here, out of all of my classes for him to show up to, he chooses the one I’m most concerned about?
I’m not going to be the fastest girl there, or the strongest. I have a handle on self-defense but very little knowledge about actually fighting someone, and the moment we’re put into some sort of scenario or fight, I’m going to fail because I’m doing everything I can to keep anyone from knowing I even have powers.
He’s going to watch me fail.
There’s something about him that makes my bond want to impress him. It’s fucking stupid. I don’t care about Gabe or North or that asshole Nox like that. Hell, Nox had pulled me to the front of the class and shamed me in front of all of the other students like it was nothing and, while my bond was pissed off, I was also expecting it from him.
There’s something about Gryphon that might break me.
Gabe pushes the door open and ushers me in with a smirk.
Chapter Five
I follow Gabe’s lead and walk into the changing rooms to dump my bag off