** Harper''s POV **


    After ss, we wait for Dillon by the door. He rounds the corner a few momentster and I smile. I''ll never get bored with seeing his eyes light up whenever he notices me


    "Hey, are we ready to do this?" he asks as he approaches.


    "Yes, although I''m not sure what exactly it is we are doing? I admit.


    "I think she will confirm us as bonds, which means we get the rest of the day to ourselves," Dillon grins.


    "Do we really get the rest of the day off? We have not even had a full day yet," Archieughs.


    "Yeah, they prioritise


    bond group''s needs. When they are first identified, they can take time to... bond. They also allow us time off during our females heat. I''ve seen groups lock themselves away for a whole week during their female He talks about bonding and heat


    cycles so easily and I like that he isfortable with it, but to me, it''s such an embarrassing subject. I remember being shipped off to stay with


    my family as a child. Usually, it was just for a couple of days and then soon after my return, my mum would announce she was pregnant. At the time I didn''t know what was happening, butst year we learned a few days. I''m not looking forward to that happening to me.


    We arrive at the grand hall, where Sahe is waiting for us with a friendly smile.


    "Good morning, thank you all foring. I will try not to


    take too much time from your studies. I am sorry that I gave you a fright yesterday. That was not my intention and should have exined things better. I will


    correct that mistake today, but first I need to know if any of you have bonded yet?" she says, getting straight to it.


    "No, not yet," I shake my head.


    "That''s fine, so what happened yesterday was the tether between the two of you was interfering with my reading of Demi. This does happen from time to time, especially if I''m a little distracted. When that happe or hand to indicate for them to be removed from my space. Only a touch to the


    shoulder identifies a bond link. Until you have bonded, I think it is wise that you don''t apany me on any more readings. Please don''t feel pressured to bond until you are ready. There are things we can work


    "That makes sense. Maybe the staff should make sure the students are aware of the difference between a shoulder touch vs a touch elsewhere," Dillon nods.


    "Yes, I have already spoken to the headmaster about rifying this. Now what I need from the three of you for now is quite simple and can be done outside of ss hours. Harper needs to learn to navigate the a learns h move around. In her younger years, a seers bonds are


    her guides. As she learns to master


    her gift you will. needed in familiar ces, but your primary role will always be guardians of the seer," Sage exins.


    "Cool," Archie grins, puffing out his chest with pride.


    be


    I look at Dillon, who stands a little straighter. I had been worried they''d be annoyed that they had this role without asking for it like their choices had been taken from them, but my bonds seem honoured, which is "Tell me, Harper, how many bonds do you have?" Sage asks.


    I bite my bottom lip and nce at my two bonds.


    "Three," I admit, blowing out a breath.


    "Wait, what? Who is the third?" Archie asks.


    "Please don''t say Finley," Dillon groans, and I stay silent. I''m not ready to admit it either.


    "Interesting," Sage smiles. "What connection did you have with your third bond before you saw the tether?" she asks.


    "Nothing really. The first time I saw him he spoke to me, the second time I saw the tether."


    "Sometimes we can see them with just a look, sometimes itakes a touch, others it might need time


    to form a friendship first. That doesn''t mean the connection is any stronger or weaker, it is just how it works for us," she exins.


    I had identified Dillon and Finley with a look, but it had been different with Archie. I had known him


    long before my seer gifts manifested.


    Sage exins our assignment for the next week, which is to learn theyout of the academy, including all staff areas. The only ces off、 limits to us are personal rooms, which are not needed anyway, as long as I know my way to each door. She says once I''ve fully bonded with each of my bonds I can start to apany her on her readings, and then I can attempt to do readings myself.


    We leave our one-hour session with Sage and head outside for our twenty-minute morning break. The atmosphere between me and my bonds is tense. I can tell they want to ask about my third bond again, which is understandable. He is going to be a part of their lives too, but if I admit it out loud, things will change, and I''m not ready for that.


    tel


    "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you about a third bond. didn''t want to destroy what the three of us have. I''m not ready to ept him yet. I don''t trust him the way I trust you two, and i


    want to bond with you both before we bring him in. If I tell you who he is, you''ll act differently. If it''s okay with you both, I''d like to tell you after we are bonded," I say as we sit on the grass beneath a tree and watch the other students walk by.


    "I understand, and I''m happy to wait," Archie says, taking my hand in his.


    "I''m not ready for things to change yet, either. Especially not if it''s who I think it is. Take all the time you need. I''m happy with the three of us the way we are,” Dillon says, taking my other hand.


    "Thank you," I breathe, d we are on the same page.


    The next ss I


    have is history, whilst both Dillon and Archie havebat. I haven''t decided on my career yet, so I am enrolled for general studies until my other gifts manifest. Both of my guys are taking the military path, so th training and they even have some sses together.


    The guys walk me to my ss and then tell me they wille back after my ss so we can go for lunch together.


    I hate having a ss alone, but when I walk in and see the familiar face of Demi, I smile and rush to take empty seat beside her.