Page 375 of The Bonding Games: Part 1

How fucking dare he.

His hand whips back in an instant.

For fuck’s sake, I projected that outwards through the bond. What the hell is wrong with me this—

Wait. What fucking time is it? With no windows, it is impossible to gauge even a vague idea, and I do not know why it took me so long to be alarmed by the fact when I already recognised my lack of awareness earlier.

“Time?” I demand.

“You’ve been out for hours, Love. It’s almost dinner ti—”

Panic consumes me.

“What?! What is the exact time?!”

Cooper quickly picks up one of their tablets from the bedside table with an apprehensive look on his face. “Five to seven. Why, Vengeance? What’s wrong?”

All the air evacuates the room, and I lunge to get off the bed.

But Cooper catches me and fucking pins me back down, straddling me with his hands like vices on the wrists he pins either side of my head

“GET OFF!” I scream, incensed, knowing realistically I can break his hold effortlessly but not thinking clearly through the terror as I thrash about like a madwoman.

I am never late for dinner.

I cannot be late to dinner.

Never, never, never, never, never . . .

“LET ME UP! LET GO! I WILL KILL YOU!”

“NO! I WON’T, VENGEANCE—”

“GET OFF MY HAVOC, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT—”

“Cooper, maybe it’s best if you listen—”

Tate slams into Cooper, and they go crashing to the hard taalk floor after rolling across the entire width of the bed.

I do not waste a second, springing over them and to the door.

“Ezla, Love! Wait—”

Arms band around me tightly, and I stab my elbow back.

But the pained sound that greets me as it connects brutally is not Scotty’s.

Alby’s choked intake of breath . . . I do not like it.

I swivel around in an instant. This is not the same as training, and the others can take it, but he . . . and I just . . .

My wild eyes dart up to his, and I am sure I look completely unhinged right now.

But my shy boy does not back away.

My shy boy.

Something pinches in my chest.