Page 189 of The Bonding Games: Part 2

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When the glinting black taalk slides away, Ezla’s revealed before us, and my lungs fail like so many do around her . . . some more permanently than others. She sits in the exact same place she did when we first saw her without her helmet, and just like then, everything and anyone else in the room disappears.

We’ve had the helmets fixed so they’re no longer poisonous, but even so, like us, Ezla doesn’t wear hers at all now other than when we’re in the Training Centre and using our Avri vehicles. With her as empress, we can use those rooms whenever we want, and while we haven’t had loads of time for that with all the running around and rebuilding the entire region, all of us, even Cooper, have decided we want to keep up our routines for a few reasons: one, our Bonded’s training sessions are elite; two, we’ve always loved spending time with her there, and we’ll now be able to enjoy that fully without the dread always sitting in the background with the knowledge of exactly why we were training; three, it will keep us healthy and in shape; and four—which really should have gone first because this is definitely the most important one—Ezla loves it.

But I can’t really think about that right now when she’s right before me, those always-intense eyes digging into me and my brothers where we’ve frozen in the doorway, attention unwavering. When they slowly slide over every inch of us as she takes us in in our smart suits, my own eyes do the same to her.

She’s wearing that dark wine-purple colour that I’m now starting to think really is rivalling her love for red, and the dress reminds me a little of the one from the Halfway Ball with its length and slip style, but there’s only two spaghetti straps this time, without the decorative arcs hanging down over her biceps, and the loose neckline dips low between her breasts. Obviously we can’t see the back, but I know all her stunning light olive skin would be visible if she stood up and turned around, because I could never forget this dress. I remember every single present we gave her on her birthday, and this one was one of Scotty’s.

One long leg is crossed over the other, her milky-smooth ankles on full display in her simple but elegant shiny obsidian heels, and her delicate necklace, bracelet, and drop earrings that I know for a fact Alby bought her match in colour. The bun her hair’s held up in that’s allowing me to admire the jewellery is different from that night, too. It’s more simple, but it’s no less beautiful; there’s no thread today, and her dark chestnut strands are slicked back, the length of them twisted up high on her head.

Feet carrying me a few steps into the room with her pull, I’m in too much of a daze to make it any further, and my brothers follow my lead. “Quick, someone hold out their arms,” I whisper. “I’m gonna pass out.”

Deadly Nightshade’s lips twitch upwards in amusement before her slim arms slide from the back of the couch that’s facing us and she rises to her feet in one smooth motion. Brown and green eyes flicking up and down our figures once more, she walks over to us at a steady pace. “You changed clothes while you were out,” she observes.

Cooper’s voice is deeper and rougher than usual when he manages to find it. “So did you.”

Humming, she stops directly in front of him, palm coming up to smooth over his chest.

His throat bobs.

“My Bonds are so handsome,” she muses. Then, “I kept my promise—I did not even attempt to break through the walls you put up in your minds.” Alby’s strangled sound follows as she moves on to him, running a hand possessively down his arm as her hungry eyes eat him up. “However, as I have told you, I am not oblivious. I wanted to dress for the occasion.”

The velvet ring box held behind my back digs into my palm as she steps up to me. Delight skitters down my spine and I subtly lift my chin to give her more access to my neck when she breathes in just slightly more deeply, able to smell my cookie dough scent patch. Smirking, her gaze shifts up to lock on mine, and she holds it for a few seconds before she finds Scotty beside me.

“You look absolutely stunning, Love,” he murmurs lowly, the first to get his limbs to work again as he wraps an arm around her waist and presses a kiss to her cheek. His other hand is in the same position as mine, while the velvet box for our joined engagement ring is in his suit jacket’s inner pocket, so he keeps his body angled so that she doesn’t feel it.

A smile and a light flush of pleasure come onto his face when she tilts her head to nip at his jawline in response before she heads back across the line we’ve formed to find Tate beside Cooper.

Except he darts down to one knee before she can reach him.

“Tate,” Scotty scolds, alarm flashing through his eyes as he steps out of our line as if he’s planning to storm over and drag our brother back to his feet.

He makes it halfway, pausing behind Ezla where she’s frozen in place, when Tate growls, “I can’t fucking wait,” and yanks his arm to his front, snapping his ring box open.

“Shit, I’m so sorry, Love. I had things planned. This wasn’t meant to happen here—”

“This is perfect,” Ezla cuts Scotty off firmly before he can spiral, turning to face him and planting her hands on his chest. “I know you put a lot of thought into where you would take me, but this does not change anything but the order of your plans. Do not stress. Nothing has gone wrong. It cannot when this is a result of one of my Bonds’ desperation for me. We can eat and have a nice evening out afterwards.”

“Of course you knew about the restaurant,” Cooper mutters under his breath.

“Only that there would be one. I did not pry further. I have been extremely disciplined.”

He snorts while Scotty relaxes the more he studies her face.

“Open yourselves back up to me,” she commands steadily, stare not leaving his. “Feel my truth.”

No one hesitates to take their walls down—no stray thoughts can ruin the surprise now that we’ve reached this moment—and relief almost topples me over as I feel her again.

Oh my god, I’m never doing that again. That was torture.

I will hold you to that, or you will know the meaning of true torture, Ezzy’s lovely words find me, and I let out a moan of pure contentment. Also, she wasn’t kidding—her satisfaction, her happiness, her possessiveness, her intoxicating love . . . it all flows into me freely in a heady concoction.

Scotty’s such a perfectionist, especially when it comes to her, but he really just wants her happy, and his shoulders loosen completely as he feels everything from her. “In that case . . .” His voice is a low murmur as he drops down to one knee.

I move faster than I’ve ever moved in my life, Alby hot on my heels as we both find our positions in the circle we’re forming around our Bonded, mirroring Scotty as he bring his ring box in front of him, opening it up to reveal the ring he was gazing at so intently in the jewellery shop. Cooper kneels down between him and Tate to complete the circle, opening his own box as he looks up at Ezla unfalteringly.

“Havoc,” Tate rumbles, and she turns to face him. “You know I’m not good with flowery words and shit, so let me just tell you—there was never a doubt in my mind that you’d be mine. You’ve always been mine, even before you knew I existed. We were made for each other, and there was no way you wouldn’t know that. I didn’t give a shit about anything, and then I saw you, and you were everything.” A pause before he demands, “Marry me.”