Page 729 of The Bonding Games: Part 1

Oh no.

“Tate!” My panicked cry bounces right off of the commotion, grabbing no one’s attention at all—not even the large crowd’s that’s gradually gathered, half of whom look nervous, and the other half who whisper excitedly as if this is all great entertainment for them. He might be able to take on two, but four . . . “TATE!”

He still doesn’t hear me, and my heart kicks up another notch.

Quickly losing hope, I reach over my shoulders for my armoury sticks, knowing I’ll probably be crushed in all this as I’m no match for any of the men in the brawl despite my recently budged-up Score but needing to do something anyway.

But the air in the room changes then.

The gathered Evots and Exots bolt in different directions, hurrying back to whatever activities they’d been doing around the Training Centre before they were drawn over by the commotion.

I feel her before I hear her.

“And what do we have here?”

Chest now being assaulted by the organ within it for an entirely new reason, I chance a glance over my shoulder, breath hitching at the sight of that sleek black helmet and the crimson-accented suit hugging her strong but slim figure.

Heat crawls all over my face.

“Ezla . . .” Tate’s voice is reverent as he rises from where he’d been straddling a dazed Aider.

Before adding one last kick to his face for good measure.

The two Exots, I note, have slowed, reassessing the situation now that the Champion is here. But it’s obvious they’re not going to fight. Not now that the unbeatable has arrived. And maybe as much out of respect as fear—she’s idolised and virtually worshipped by Exots all over Techta.

“Havoc, they— He was . . . He said you—”

I don’t know what makes me decide to speak up, empathy for Tate or my own blend of disgust, anger, and jealousy at the situation coming forth, but I finish for him, “H-he said you were with him—last night. That you s-slept with him. A-Aider said that.”

The silence that follows is deafening.

Then, the Champion takes a step forwards.

Troy whimpers, scuttling backwards with his chunky palms and elephant feet. But she’s not coming for him.

No, she’s coming for Aider.

Reaching him, Ezla crouches down, helmeted head tilting in an eerie way as she takes in the bloody mess made of his face. After a moment, she leans in, whispering something. I can only make out a faint tinny breath of that modified voice from here.

When she pulls back, the skin under all the red fluid on Aider’s face is as white as a ghost.

I chew on the inside of my cheek nervously.

Ezla straightens. “Come.”

She starts striding purposefully to where I now catch sight of Scotty, Tiger, and Cooper where the nosy spectators once stood, getting nearer, and it takes me a moment to realise the command was for me and Tate. When I do, I drag a breath in and scamper after her, Tate a step ahead of me. “Anything for you, my darling Havoc.”

I don’t know how his tongue is still safely inside his mouth when he keeps saying things like that.

But then his face changes impossibly fast, the green of envy and a possessive fury drenching him like it never left. “Did you sleep with him? Someone else fucked my girl?” he demands. “I swear to you, I’ll fucking kill him for touching what’s mine—”

“No.”

Tate blinks at her abrupt reply. Then relaxes.

Well, he starts to grumble about slicing and dicing Aider “Havoc style”, but other than that, he’s calmed.

I am, too.