Page 70 of Bonded Chaos

“All I’m saying is that you could treat the appointment as a traineeship of sorts. Pair the son with someone high-ranking and give him shared responsibility for the contingent. Make it clear he is to defer to his senior commander until he’s ready to take over. If that day never comes, well…” Riordan trailed off.

“I like the way you think, Little Brother.”

“Why thank you,” he beamed. “In the meantime, use your advantage wisely. Come up with a plan to keep Cadence safe.”

I nodded in agreement, my mind already working through the possibilities.

“Make it happen,” I ordered.

“You know, the point was foryouto make allies, Ryker. That’s not something you can delegate.”

I gave my brother a pointed look, and he sighed.

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

He cast a glance in my direction, taking me in from head to toe.

“You’d probably fuck it up anyway with all that overt approachability you’re exuding.”

I barked out a laugh, unbothered by the insult. He wasn’t wrong.

My mind turned to the other task I still had to complete.

Riordan narrowed his gaze as he studied me.

“An all too pleased glint just entered your eyes. What’s that about?” he said, suspicion clear in his tone.

I walked over to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“I have a mate to tame,” I said, not even attempting to hide my excitement.

Riordan’s groan followed me as I strolled out of the library, ready to execute the next step in my plan.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Cadence

As the sun set over the palace courtyard, a warm orange hue draped the trimmed hedges that lined the stone wall. The fading light made the bushes appear as though they were onfire — flames flickering across the greenery as the inferno slowly devoured them.

The open space was peaceful, the air fresh and invigorating, as a gentle breeze caressed my cheek.

Until it wasn’t.

“Well, well, what have we here?”

My shoulders tensed, and I turned in my seat, angling my body toward the newcomers.

Standing in front of me, her hair pulled into an elegant twist and her gown trailing behind her in a shimmer of pale blue, was Celeste. Two women stood at her back, their shared look of disdain letting me know we wouldn’t be sharing court gossip over tea anytime soon.

A knot tightened in my chest as I watched them. I wanted no part in the impending territorial display.

“Lady Barrington,” I said politely. “What can I do for you?”

“You can stay the hell away from my fiancée for a start.”

I sighed, hating that I was right.

“You’ll need to discuss that with the prince.”

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