Page 2 of Bonded Chaos

“My source didn’t have all the details, but it seems the Crimson Enclave is seeking a way to weaken your power. They know you are the strongest member of the royal family and the greatest threat they need to overcome to unseat your father.”

“Can you provide evidence beyond mere speculation?” Malesh gritted out.

“I’m afraid that’s all my source could tell me. I know it isn’t much, but I thought it prudent to alert you nonetheless.”

“Thank you,” I said and nodded to Eamon. “Pay the man.”

Turning on my heel, I started back toward where we had tethered our horses. While there was little to go on, I wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the warning. I would remain vigilant.

It was no secret that I was more powerful than my father. It was why he trusted me to quash any resistance to his rule, but that wasn’t the only reason he used me as a shield. My father was paranoid about any potential threat to his power. Keeping me away from the council and out among the people served two functions. My absence from the palace made it less likely that I would earn the council’s favor. Sending me out to disperse any unrest from the starving and victimized within our kingdom also made me the villain.

I was pulled from my ruminations when I caught the most delicious scent, a mixture of vanilla and wildflowers, and something… unique. Whatever it was, it was intoxicating, euphoric, even.

The marketplace faded into the background, and my attention narrowed as I tried to locate its source.

A strange feeling stirred to life within me, foreign yet insistent. Then something tightened in my chest, and a tugging sensation pulled at my ribcage. It wasn’t painful, exactly, but uncomfortable. Almost as if my skin was too tight.

I scanned the crowded marketplace and inhaled deeply. That same enticing scent filled my nostrils, and a low growl escaped me without warning.

What the fuck was happening to me?

My every instinct was suddenly alert, and my muscles were coiled tight with tension as if preparing to spring into action at any moment. The feeling grew stronger, more potent, as the seconds ticked by, and I felt as though there was a caged beast inside me, prowling endlessly, just waiting to be set free.

Then I saw her.

It was almost by accident. A glimpse of something — no, someone — I may have missed, if not for the hulking man who stepped to the side.

She had long brown hair, which she wore in a braid, and a radiant smile that captivated all of my attention. My throat thickened, and I swallowed roughly as I watched her, transfixed, too afraid to even blink in case she disappeared.

She was talking excitedly with another man, and the sight had me clenching my hands into fists. The sudden surge of jealousy that ravaged me caught me by surprise, and I had to stop myself from marching over to them and snatching her away.

The woman had a petite frame, and she possessed the type of figure that would have men falling to their knees if only she would let them worship at her feet. Her rounded hips would be perfect for gripping tightly while I pounded into her from behind, and her breasts were just the right size to fill my palm. The slender column of her neck would look exquisite with my hand wrapped around it, cutting off her oxygen until she came so violently that she saw stars.

Fuck. Now I was hard.

When a breathy laugh escaped her lips, the tugging sensation in my chest started up again, and my feet moved of their own accord. When I realized what was happening, I dug my heels into the ground to stop myself.

As if sensing my presence, the woman turned, her gaze meeting mine, her eyes a rich brown. She was stunning, breathtaking, ethereal even, and I couldn’t look away despite my best efforts.

She held me imprisoned with her gaze, and I smirked at her as I stepped closer, if only to relieve some of the suffocating tension threatening to choke me. When her eyes darted away, breaking our connection, I inhaled a shaky breath.

My heart pounded, and sweat coated my brow as I realized what was happening.

The woman was my mate.

And she had her delicate little fingers wrapped around the forearm of another man.

I clenched my jaw so hard that I was surprised I didn’t crack a tooth.

“What’s wrong?” Malesh asked, sensing the shift.

“You see that woman over there?” I said, nodding in her direction.

“Yes.”

“She’s coming with us.”

Malesh’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline before he and Eamon shared a look.

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