Page 79 of Bonded Chaos

As I turned toward my wing, however, a figure stepped out of the shadows and into my path.

“Impressive performance you put on back there,” Riordan said.

He leaned against a column, his arms crossed over his chest and an amused smile on his face.

“Eavesdropping again, Brother?” I glared at him, but there was no real heat behind it.

Riordan shrugged. “Someone has to keep an eye on you. The gods know you are unpredictable when you’re in a mood.”

“Fuck off!”

I pushed my brother out of my way and continued on my path. His cackling laughter followed in my wake.

“She’s different, you know,” Riordan said as he stepped into place beside me.

I cast a sideways glance at him, and he rolled his eyes.

“You can stop imagining my bloody demise, Brother. All I meant was that she’s genuine. She’s the kind of person who would stand at your side not because of your title and what she can gain from it, but because she thinks you’re worthy.”

Riordan nodded, as a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

“That’s rare in our world,” he mused.

“Sounds like you’ve been spending too much time withmymate,” I grumbled.

“Ha! If you recall, Brother, that was by your command.”

And damn it all to hell, he was right.

A knowing smirk lifted the corner of Riordan’s lips, but he didn’t rub salt on the wound, which was remarkably restrained for him.

We continued in silence for a while, both lost in our musings.

“You can’t push her too far, Ryker. Once she tips over that edge, I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to pull her back.”

I bristled, but Riordan held up a hand to stop me.

“I’m not criticizing you, Ryker. Though your methods leave a lot to be desired,” he murmured.

“Get to the point, Riordan,” I demanded as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“I can see Cadence means something to you. Whether it’s pure desire, the needs of the bond driving you, or, dare I say it, love,” he grinned wickedly, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “It’s clear that you want to keep her beside you.”

“That’s a lot of words to say absolutely nothing,” I grumbled.

“If you want her to stay… willingly.”

My brother gave me a disapproving look, which I ignored.

“If you want her to accept the bond, you need to meet her halfway. Stop treating her like she’s your property and start treating her like she’s your mate.”

Cadencewasmy property.

Mine.

I didn’t voice that aloud, however, as it seemed like it might be counter-intuitive to Riordan’s point.

“And how do I do that?” I asked instead.

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