Page 444 of The Bonding Games: Part 1

The alarm has died down somewhat, and although there’s still lingering hurt and worry, I can see everyone’s mollified a fair amount, which, in turn, calms Scotty.

Tiger perks up then. “Wait . . . what’s the time?”

Brows dipping, I look around, finding someone’s tablet on the plush black chair in the left corner of the room and getting up to go check it.

Understanding at his question and a shit ton of relief swamp me at once. “Fuck.” I laugh breathlessly, dragging an unsteady hand through my hair. “It’s ten.” My heart rate slows a fraction. “It’s ten—she would’ve got up for training hours ago.” But then I falter the longer that sinks in, confusion and doubt picking away at me again. I look over my shoulder at the other men with a frown. “But why wouldn’t she wake us? She’s strict about that.”

Tiger shrugs, a ball of sunshine once more, ignoring my concerns as he wholeheartedly believes his own theory. “Maybe she thought we deserved a break. I was such a good boy for her.” He grins and shows off his sizable muscles, and I roll my eyes while Tate mutters grouchily under his breath, “Mine are bigger.”

More of the tension dissipates, and Scotty disentangles himself from the silk bedsheets as he instructs, “Everyone get dressed. We’ll go have a look in the Training Centre.”

We do as he says without question, all of us eager to find our Bonded.

“No, that’s my bow tie, Tater Tot!”

Tate grunts and snatches the golden accessory out of the way when Tiger makes a grab for it. “I want to try it.”

“Then you should’ve got your own in Techtis Ballroom!”

“No—”

“Neither of you needs to put a tie on. Just put on the basics here. We’re not going anywhere fancy.”

Tate and Tiger both pause and turn their heads to Scotty in perfect unison, incredulity pouring off them in waves.

“Nowhere fancy?” Tate echoes, appearing murderous.

I’m not too sure why until Tiger cries, “It’s Ezzy! My Wifey! We always have to look amazing for her!”

Scotty sighs that beleaguered sigh of his. “While I can relate to the feeling, I also know she will not give a shit.”

They both pout like children.

He shakes his head at them, entirely amused but rolling his lips in in an attempt to hide it. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Tate yanks on the bow tie that Tiger’s managed to sneakily pinch his fingers around at some point, and the latter whines before stealing Tate’s regular tie from the floor in return. Alby follows their lead, putting everything on, while me and Scotty pull on our trousers and white button-ups.

Honestly, it’s surprising with Scotty because he’s always so neat and tidy. But I’ve learned to read him by now, even when he tries to keep his own stress hidden for the sake of those he cares about—which somehow ended up including me in there. And he’s not as certain about his previous words as he wants us to believe.

Apprehension slinks through me, and when Scotty catches my gaze, he can’t hold it. Jaw tensing, he turns his head away.

My nostrils flare.

Stiffer now, I tail him to the door, the other three at our backs. He scans his thumb to unlock it, the taalk sliding into the wall, allowing us to move through the now-empty doorway and into the hallway.

Passing by each of our individual bedrooms, hesitation builds, my feet stalling almost instantly.

I pause for a moment, only able to hear my own shaky breaths and the ones around me, though each pump of blood through my veins threatens to drown all else out. My brothers glance at me, stilling too.

Swallowing thickly, I give them a wordless nod to continue, forcing myself to keep walking.

A sense of dread fills the air the closer we get to the living room, and no one speaks as the tension increases with every step we take.

I slow more and more as trepidation takes hold, stopping completely before we reach the space between Alby’s and Tiger’s doors at the end of the hall.

We can’t see the entire lounge from here, a large portion of the side on our right out of our line of sight. But I swear . . . I swear I can feel her. But that’s not all . . . there’s something else . . .

After more tense glances exchanged between the five of us, we step forwards.