Page 66 of Bonded Chaos

A man, most likely her husband, tried to quiet her, but she refused to heed his warnings.

“My Lucas would never do such a thing!”

In a blur of movement, I was standing in front of her before she could blink. I allowed my shadows to encase my eyes and tilted my head to the side as I studied her.

The woman paled, realizing the mistake she’d made.

“Please,” she whimpered.

“Your Lucas,” I snarled, remembering the dark-haired man who struck my mate, “was the ringleader of the group.” I leanedcloser, invading her space. “If I had my time again, I would have ensured his death lasted days for touching what belonged to me. He would have suffered until he begged for me to end him, only to discover I’m not that merciful.”

The woman fainted, collapsing into her husband’s waiting arms, who bowed his head before he carried her away.

I fixed my gaze on the rest of the families standing between the stone pillars. “Does anyone else have something to say?”

They remained silent, their heads lowered as they studied the floor.

“Leave us,” my father commanded.

Feet shuffled around me as courtiers rushed for the door, desperate to escape the tension permeating the room.

“Ryker,” my father rumbled.

I turned to face him and noted that Lord Barrington still stood at his side. I closed the distance between us, baring my teeth.

“You are a prince, Ryker. Heir to this throne. You need to prove yourself worthy to the people you just threatened. One day, you will come to rely on their influence. Everything you do must serve to better the kingdom.”

“Is that what you do, Father?” I scoffed. “Work for the betterment of the kingdom?”

“Who is this woman?” he asked, ignoring my question.

“She is not your concern,” I growled.

“I knew you were keeping a whore of sorts,” he said dismissively. “But this is an overreaction, even for you.”

I was moving before I was aware of it. My fingers tightened around my father’s throat as I glared at him.

“Call her that again, Father, and it will be the last word to ever pass between your lips.”

My father’s eyes widened in fear, and Lord Barrington recoiled.

“I am your King,” my father spat.

“Be grateful that you are. If you were anyone else, your head would already be on the floor.”

Releasing my father, I stepped back and descended the dais.

“She is your mate, isn’t she?”

His words stopped me in my tracks. When I turned, triumph was written all over his face.

The fear that I had glimpsed only moments before was long forgotten as he eyed me.

“What about my daughter?” Lord Barrington demanded.

My father relaxed against the backrest of the throne, his posture confident.

“Ryker will marry Celeste, won’t you, Son?”

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