fury.
It’s not until we reach the cafeteria that I find out that the entire student body is subdued. I'm not used to standing in line without there being nasty jibes in the giggles of ridiculous gossip following me. But all of that is missing now.
I glance back and finally spot the mood Gabe is in.
"Something happened? I just thought you hated being around me, but now it's pretty clear that it's not just you," I ask hesitantly. I'm fairly certain that even with me leaving him on read last night, Atlas still would have told me if whatever happened was big enough for news to hit the East Coast. This must be local.
"You know that some of the Bonds and Bonded are going missing now, right? Well, three more were taken last night. A fourth person was found dead."
He sounds miserable, so I leave it for a second, until we're both seated at our usual table, and then I ask, “Did you know the person who died?"
He shoves his plate away from himself and rubs a hand over his face with a sigh. "He was on the football team with me. He was one of the seniors, but he had taken me under his wing because he was shifter too and he knew how hard it is to control the change in such a violent game."
Right.
I can’t even enjoy the fact that he’s just told me his gift, because bile is creeping up the back of my throat. The Resistance was here last night, they took people and I, for one, know exactly what’s going to happen to them.
It takes a second for me to be able to choke out, "I'm sorry. I know what it feels like to lose someone like that, I'm really sorry."
The words are too revealing, the shock making me less careful, but he’s too distracted to see it. He just shakes his head as if to clear it and says, “Brayden was a good kid; he didn't deserve it. It's pretty obvious that he was killed because he was trying to stop them from taking the others. The Resistance aren't after shifters. One of his Bonded was taken, and I'd like to get her back. I know he's dead and it doesn't really matter to him anymore, but for his memory, I'd like to get her back."
A fine tremble starts in my fingers at the thought of him getting too close to those people after everything I’ve done to keep them away. Even if he had noticed the changes in me, he'd have no clue that's why I'm so shaken.
A few of his football buddies walk past and they give him a slap on the shoulder as they go. He grabs his plate again to try and eat something and once he is no longer folded over in misery, I find myself able to eat as well. I'm so lost in my thoughts about the Resistance and how desperately I need to get out of here, that I don't notice when Sage approaches until she pulls the chair up beside me and takes a seat.
"You heard about Brayden, then?" she murmurs, and I nod my head.
"Is Riley okay? I know he lives over in the boys’ dorms."
Sage grimaces. "He is living at Giovanna's house at the moment. He has been for months."
Gabe pegs her with a stern look. "They're Bonded, he's supposed to want to live with her."
Sage flinches, but it's only really noticeable to me because I know what it looks like when you're trying to hide it. My fingers start to tremble with something that isn't fear. "Do you have to be such an insensitive dick about it? It's not like she was saying she was pissed off about it."
He smirks at me. "Oh, so you're a bleeding heart about your girlfriend but don't give a shit about your Bonds? Maybe Nox is right and you really are a lesbian. That would explain a lot."
Fuck, I wish I was. I bump Sage gently with my shoulder and give her a little smile. "I'm glad he's safe and I'm sorry you guys are still... struggling."
Sage smiles at me and shrugs. "It is what it is. I'm glad he's safe too, as long as he's alive I guess there's a chance we can work things out."
Gabe winces a little. "Sorry, Sage. I didn't mean to be a dick about it. I'm just... fucked up over Brayden and my own mess of a bond."
Ouch.
I ignore it