Page 157 of Bonded Chaos

“You left,” he hissed. “You ran, Cadence. After all we’ve been through, you ran.”

Defiance stirred in my gut, and I scowled at him.

“After everything you’ve done to me, you mean. Did you expect me to stay put like a good little pet?” I taunted.

“Yes,” he snapped, his voice rising. “That’s exactly what I expected you to do. You’re my mate.My wife. You don’t get to just walk away.”

“You left me with no choice,” I shouted back, shoving him.

Ryker gripped my wrists in a tight hold as he pulled me flush against his body.

“No choice? You had a choice, Cadence, and you chose to betray me.”

“Do you hear yourself, Ryker? You discovered my truth, and then you locked me in your chambers. You told me I could trust you, and then the minute you had a chance to prove yourself, you showed me with your actions that I couldn’t.”

My chest was heaving as the sense of betrayal washed over me anew. There had been a fleeting moment where I’d chosen to put my faith in Ryker. I trusted him, despite everything he’d done, and I thought for the first time since we’d met, we were finally moving in the same direction.

But he shattered that illusion the instant he slid the metal lock into place, trapping me as his prisoner.

We both glared at each other, the silence stretching between us as the air grew thick with the weight of old wounds and unspoken words.

Ryker was the one to break the silence.

“Fuck Cadence,” he whispered, and then his lips were crashing against mine.

Ryker kissed me like a man possessed. One hand slid down my arm, his rough touch leaving a burning flame of desire in its wake as he settled his palm on my hip. His other hand snaked into my hair, pulling me close as he devoured me.

Mind, body, and soul.

When our need for oxygen overwhelmed us, Ryker broke the kiss, his forehead pressing against mine as we caught our breath.

“I thought I’d lost you, Cadence. I thought you were dead.”

His voice cracked on the last word, and a small part of me felt guilty for what I had done. Then my father’s words rose in my mind, unbidden.

He killed your mother with his own hands.

My guilt morphed into something else entirely.

I pushed against Ryker with all my strength, and he stumbled back, not expecting it. My gaze shifted to the three men I’d overlooked standing behind him, and I gasped.

Riordan, Malesh, and Eamon stood watching our interaction, their faces a mix of relief, amusement, and concern.

“Hi there, sweetheart,” Riordan said as he rubbed the nape of his neck. “You gave us quite the fright.”

A fresh wave of guilt assaulted me, but this time, I knew I deserved it.

“I’m sorry.”

Something cold brushed against my wrists, and I glanced down to see Ryker securing twin bracelets in place. Lifting my hands in the air, I studied the silver bands as they shimmered in the moonlight. A strange sensation coursed through me, and trepidation gripped me tight.

“What is this?” I demanded, shaking my hands in front of Ryker’s face.

“They are magic nullifying cuffs.”

“Ryker,” Riordan hissed, but I ignored him.

My blood pounded in my ears, and I desperately tried to call upon my power, to no avail. Fear clogged my throat, and I fought the sting of tears that threatened to break free.

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