Page 96 of Bonded Chaos

“Riordan, so kind of you to join us,” I drawled.

“Sorry,” he mumbled as he gripped the back of his neck.

“What kept you?”

“Ahh,” Riordan said before he trailed off.

He glanced to the side before his gaze returned to me. I didn’t miss the way he looked right above my head, not making eye contact. Malesh and Eamon, having sensed trouble brewing, moved to stand beside me.

“What’s wrong, Riordan?” Malesh asked.

“Why do you look like you’re about to be sick?” Eamon added.

“Well, I may have done something, and before you jump down my throat, Ryker, I did not encourage her to do anything.”

My eyes drifted closed for the briefest moment, and I ground my teeth together to stop myself from murdering my brother. I knew without a doubt that whatever Riordan was about to say, I would not like it.

“What did you help her do?” I gritted out.

Riordan shuffled in place as he directed his gaze toward the ground.

“I wouldn’t say I —”

“Riordan,” I snapped, interrupting him. “Tell me what Cadence has done.”

Riordan cleared his throat. “She may have, ah… joined the Wild Hunt.”

My brother stepped back, and it was then that I realized I had advanced on him. I dug my heels into the damp forest floor and forced myself to take a deep, calming breath.

“I’m sorry, Little Brother, but I need you to repeat yourself. I could have sworn that you said, Cadence, my Seelie mate, who I know for a fact is being guarded inside my chambers, had joined the Wild Hunt.”

Riordan made a pained noise in the back of his throat before he said, “I, ah, may have snuck her out of the castle.”

He winced as the last word left his mouth, and I realized no amount of deep breathing was going to keep me calm.

“And what the fuck led you to believe that was a good idea?” I hissed, barely managing to contain my rage.

My hands flexed at my sides, each muscle coiled like a spring ready to snap.

Malesh’s gaze bore into the side of my brother’s head as if he were begging him not to answer, but knowing Riordan as I did, I knew he wouldn’t be able to help himself.

“Because you keep her couped up inside your tower, refusing to let her experience any of the good things our kingdom has to offer.”

He puffed out his chest and if I hadn’t been so pissed off at him, I might have appreciated the fact that he was trying to make my mate feel welcome in our home.

“Did you ever consider what would happen to her if our people discovered who she is to me, or worse, that she’s Seelie?” I said through gritted teeth.

Riordan opened his mouth as though he was going to protest, but then understanding dawned on him, and he closed it again.

“Being my mate makes her a target, but being Seelie makes her a traitor to the kingdom. You and I both know that those who wish to harm me would readily use her against me.”

“Ryker, I —”

“Didn’t think! Yes, Riordan, I established that for myself.”

I regretted the words immediately.

Riordan swallowed hard and dropped his gaze to the forest floor. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far, Ryker. She only wanted a chance to explore our world. To better understand it — to understand you.”

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