Page 18 of Bonded Chaos

I tried to hide the way my body trembled beneath him, but I was certain he could feel every shudder.

“You are my mate, Cadence. Mine!”

He tightened his grip slightly, as if to emphasize his words.

“Everything about you is my business. Now tell me who dared to touch what’s mine, so I can show them why crossing me was a mistake.”

Despite my unease, I couldn’t contain the words that slipped from my tongue.

“Gods! What’s wrong with you? I don’tbelongto you, Ryker. You didn’t even know I existed before yesterday.”

My chest heaved as I tried to get control of my anger.

“What did you imagine I was doing with my time? Just waiting idly for you to sweep me off my feet?”

I didn’t know why I bothered defending myself. He was nothing to me and never would be. He had ruined my life, and I could never lose sight of that.

Ryker moved his hand up my throat, his fingers gripping my chin between his thumb and forefinger. His hold was harsher this time, and I fought the urge to wince.

He drew my face close to his, and his warm breath fanned across my lips. I struggled against the shiver that worked to break free, unsure why I was responding to him in this way.

“I don’t care that you had a life before I found you, Cadence. You aremymate, and I will eradicate anyone who has ever touched this smooth skin, kissed these plump lips, or entered this tight body. And when I’m done, I’ll sear every last one of them from your memory until the only touch you can recall is mine.”

Ryker closed the distance between us and claimed my mouth with his.

It wasn’t a sweet or gentle kiss.

It was brutal, an act of claiming.

Ryker thrust his tongue between my lips as he went to war on my mouth. His kiss was electric, all-consuming, and it sent goosebumps spreading across my skin.

Ryker’s hand sank into my hair as he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss. My own hand shot up, and I sent my open palm sailing through the air to meet Ryker’s cheek.

Ryker jerked back in shock, and it took him a moment to realize I’d slapped him.

“Don’t you ever touch me without my permission again,” I seethed.

Ryker’s shock melted away, and a dangerous glint danced in his eyes. A wicked grin spread across his face, the searing red handprint on his cheek only making him look more dangerous.

“Oh, Cadence,” Ryker purred. “You’re a little temptress, aren’t you? Idoenjoy a challenge. Trust me when I say it won’t be long before you’re begging me to touch you.”

“This is not a fucking game, Ryker. This is my life!”

“Oh, I’m well aware. It’s you who haven’t come to terms with it yet.”

He leaned in close to me, his lips brushing against my neck as he pressed his mouth to the shell of my ear.

“You may think you’re strong and resilient now, Cadence, but I will break you,” he said huskily.

A foreign feeling settled in my stomach, and I couldn’t decide how I felt about it. Choosing to ignore it instead, I pulled back as far as the mattress would allow and leveled Ryker with a bored expression.

“I’m tired, so if you wouldn’t mind…” I eyed the door, then Ryker.

He grinned, as if he saw right through my feigned indifference.

“So go to sleep.” He shrugged as he made himself comfortable.

“I’m not sharing a bed with you, Ryker.”

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