Page 156 of The Bonding Games: Part 2

Cooper. I hear Scotty’s voice in my head next. Please tell me you’re not also jealous.

He is? Huh. I hadn’t noticed that. Points to him. I’m starting to like him more and more by the day, even if he is still the first brother I’d choose to throttle if I had to pick one.

His words almost sound petulant as he replies, He’s a teenager clearly lusting after our girl, and their age difference isn’t extreme. Ezla’s eighteen; he must be sixteen or seventeen.

The flames of jealousy roar up even higher—

I can feel Havoc’s internal eye-roll. You are acting as though this means something. I assure you, I would love to kill Player 59 just as I would everyone else but you five. The assumption that I would consider him simply because of his age range is ludicrous.

Cooper huffs out loud. Jealousy doesn’t always have to be rational, HC—it’s just there.

Humming, she doesn’t reply to that, only declares for all to hear, “You should all kneel before me. I am your empress now.”

Scotty pinches the bridge of his nose. Love, I don’t think you can just tell people to—

Shut up, fuckface. Of course she can, I fire down the bond. Then to Ezla, You’re doing amazing, baby. Make their knees crack on the taalk.

Tiger and Alby both appear fascinated by the display, the former rubbing his hands together like a fucking supervillain who’s just thought up a juicy plan to take over the universe, while Cooper scrubs a hand over his face. I can’t tell whether he’s hiding a grimace or a laugh.

The gathered Players all blink at Havoc.

Jodine asks after a beat, “Wait, are you serious? Empress . . . ?”

“Do I look like I am joking?” Ezla says coolly.

Her mouth snaps shut, and she takes a healthy step back.

Now that’s more like it. That’s the reaction my Havoc deserves.

“I’ll kneel for you, Ezzy!” Tiger exclaims excitedly before plonking himself down and fluttering his lashes all over the place like usual.

The colour of a beetroot, Alby flies down, too, and I hiss, “Stop fucking doing it before me,” as I rush to follow.

Iggy’s brows shoot right up his forehead as Scotty follows a moment later. Cooper is slower than usual, likely because we’re in front of other people and he’s a prideful git sometimes, but he lowers after a beat too.

“Okay, I mean no disrespect,” Iggy starts, and I give him a furious warning glare, “and after what you’ve done for us, I definitely would kneel for you, Ez . . . Empress?” After Havoc’s lazy hum of approval, he continues, “But I feel like we’d be intruding on a private moment. So is it alright if I just . . . ?” He dips at the waist with an arm across his middle.

“Hmm . . .” I can feel Havoc as she debates through the bond, and my cock throbs at all the thrilling gory punishments that skip through her mind. “I suppose so,” she decides, then moves that cruel gaze of hers across the others slowly.

One by one, they all show her the respect she deserves.

“Thank you,” Player 55, one of Iggy’s bonded Exots, says as she dips her head. “I’m turning twenty-six soon, and I was worried I wouldn’t make it after avoiding the Games every other year.”

“You would not have,” Havoc informs her pitilessly. “I was planning to slaughter every single one of you. It was to be so much fun.”

She blinks, but I’m not sure if she’s brave or foolish as she smirks in the next second. “I’ve always liked you. You’ve been my idol for a long time, and this is exactly why.”

“That’s true.” The other Exot in Iggy’s group speaks through a snort. Pointing his thumb at Player 55, he tells us, “Louisiana hasn’t been able to shut up about you since I first met her in training before Game 1— Shit!”

Ezla watches impassively as Player 73 cups his junk that a pink-faced 55’s knee just said a very harsh hi to. The latter hisses at him with a vice-like grip on his arm, “I’m going to fucking kill you—”

“Oooooh, relationship drama,” Tiger stage-whispers.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Cooper grumbles under his breath as he rises to his feet, and Havoc glances over her shoulder at him as he places a hand on her back. “We’ve got shit to do, remember?”

Humming in agreement, she turns her back on the Evots and Exots and strides purposefully for the taalk double doors. Me and my brothers shoot up after her, Alby almost tripping over his feet in his haste. I yank him back upright while he squeaks out a tiny “thank you”.

“Remind me what’s next on our to-do list?” Scotty murmurs, his strides long as he tries to keep up with our Bonded along with the rest of us.