Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie #1) - J. Bree Page 0,82

fucking bitch and it’s because of that, or the warm drugging sensation of his power, that I add, “Leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. This pain is nothing compared to that.”

His arms tighten around me until I think I can’t breathe, but it only makes me feel… safer.

I fall asleep easier and more deeply than I have in years.

I wake up alone in my bed.

My cramps are back but much more manageable, thank God. I feel bloated and cranky and ready to rip the faces off of any bitches that start on me today. I go and take a shower, thankful that the shared bathroom is blissfully empty.

I do have a little chuckle at the thought of North’s face if he found out I’d gotten into a fight with some of these girls. I can only imagine how terribly embarrassing that would be for the great Councilman himself. Then I remember his complete dismissal of me when he’d dropped me back here last night and the smile just falls straight off of my face. It doesn’t matter what they think. I’ll keep telling myself that until it sinks in.

I dry off and head back to my room to pull my clothes on for the day. I aim for comfortable and cute, needing what little armor I can have against these people, and I have my shirt halfway over my head when Gryphon unlocks my bedroom door and walks through. He doesn’t look up at me or notice my state of undress as he grabs the door to shut it and lock it behind him.

I manage to get the shirt over my bra before his eyes finally touch me. He doesn’t show any sign of being shocked, but he does take his time in dragging his eyes over my bare legs. I’m glad I chose cute underwear today because usually I stick with comfort while I’m on my period. The black bikini briefs are simple but sexy enough.

He glances at me. “I grabbed you the pills you need. I also grabbed a heat pack and some junk food. My sister lives on candy when she’s PMSing so I guessed you’d want that too,” he says, holding the plastic bag out to me.

I just stand there and blink at him for a second. “Why would you do that?”

He puts the bag down on my bed when it’s clear I’m not going to take it. I finally remember that I’m not wearing any pants and stumble over to my bag to grab my jeans, forgetting my plans for yoga pants now that Gryphon is here looking as hot as hell. I turn away from him to shove my legs in and try not to wince as I do them up. Why can’t they make cute jeans that don’t squeeze your uterus like a damn vise?

“I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to answer it honestly.”

I grimace and give him a side-eye. “And why would I answer it for you?”

He scoffs at me. “I helped you last night, didn’t I? It’s a simple question, nothing too revealing.”

My eyes narrow as I take him in. He did help me, he helped me more than he knows. It wasn’t just the pain I was feeling that he helped with, I was starting to feel like I couldn’t keep going here, but he changed that with a single act of kindness. I guess I do sort of owe him something.

I shrug. “I’ll answer what I can. I can’t promise you any more than that.”

I grab the Midol out of the bag and take it without any water, the pill dragging down my throat a little, then I sit on the bed to pull my shoes on. I don’t have long until my classes start and I need to eat something before or I’ll have to wait until lunch and that sounds like another form of torture. I really don’t want one of the Draven brothers up my ass today. I’ll be too likely to throat punch one of them and I need to hold onto my control.

It’s getting harder and harder to do.

“Did you want to run away from us, or were you forced?”

It’s an open question, open enough that I can answer it honestly without completely fucking my life up, so I sigh and give him a wry smile. “I’ll answer, but you won’t believe me anyway. I had no other choice. I can’t say any more