Page 716 of The Bonding Games: Part 1

She’s in my head! And not just that, but her voice! I heard her real voice! And it’s . . . it’s beautiful.

Silky and smooth, every syllable works to seduce—

Seduce?

I’ve never thought about anyone like that before, voice or otherwise.

My entire face lights on fire.

Please, universe, tell me she didn’t hear that.

Luckily, the Showmaster’s voice surrounds The Dome at exactly that moment, saving me from the possibility of crippling mortification:

“Congratulations, Players, on surviving Game 1!”

The stands go wild, the stomping of feet and clapping of hands blending with deafening cheers.

“And what an unbelievable Game it was! One so magnificent it will be on the world’s lips for hundreds of years to come! One where our very own Champion . . . the unbondable, beloved Ezla Zefron . . . was bonded! And she’s now part of the biggest Bonded group we have ever witnessed!”

The woman in question lets out an enraged snarl and yanks herself free of the Gold brothers’ grip while they’re distracted with the announcement, the green Avri chains clattering to the ground as she tosses them off violently.

I momentarily fear for my life all over again, especially as she marches right for me.

But she doesn’t attack. Not because she doesn’t want to, I’m guessing, but probably due to the rules preventing any Bonded from killing another in their group unless they want to face the very real consequence of execution. She only snatches her bonding cube viciously from my hand, encouraging a petrified yelp to sail from me at her proximity, before she spins on her heel.

“Baby, wait—”

Ezla doesn’t pause at Player 4’s gruff plea as she storms across the arena, ignoring everything and everyone around her in her mission to get to one of the doors that leads out of The Dome and into the main building of the Headquarters.

And I feel her unwavering fury simmering beneath my skin, moments from exploding again, the entire way there.

16

TIGER

I’ve never felt wrath like that before. Ever. It was like it completely consumed Ezla, and the only reprieve from it was that repressed pain, as though she was working to bury it, to hide it from us.

But I felt it. We all did, I know.

And I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

The fact that she’s a tornado of a woman and currently a volcano preparing for its mighty eruption doesn’t scare me as much as it would have an hour ago. And maybe that’s because I know she’s not allowed to kill me, but I doubt it, because with who her father is, I’m sure he could lower her punishment—so I’m aware that the forbidden nature of the act wouldn’t be much motivation for the Champion not to slay us all.

No, it’s because that fear has been flattened under the feet of my concern and intrigue and . . . hmmm . . . attraction?

Yep, that’s it!

Oh yeah, she’s the one, alright! I’ve honestly thought I might be asexual in the past, but nooohoooo! When I heard that sexy modified voice and got to absorb all Ezla’s scary coolness, my cock arose from the dead! I mean, she’s just a little intimidating, but she’s obviously my soulmate.

My thoughts spin wildly around my head, ideas whizzing at me left, right, and centre.

While we walk through the dim halls of The Bonding Games Headquarters’ central building on our way to get a first viewing of our allocated washroom, my bonding cube clutched in a secure grip and ready to be tucked away safely as soon as possible, I voice the question needed to make any one of those ideas attainable: “So this is gonna be romantic, right?”

Four heads whip my way in sync.

I smile brightly.

“You—” My brother stops. Opens his mouth again. Looks away.