Page 54 of The Bonding Games: Part 2

He pauses, tensing.

Composure mostly regained, though Ezla doesn’t quite manage to bury the worry and guilt I had no fucking clue she could feel, she continues, “I will take you.” Shrugging out of my brothers’ embrace, she takes Tiger’s wrist every so carefully in her hand. More remorse leaks into her expression. “First, I will give you a tablet for this, Tiger. I am . . . I sincerely apologise.” Throat working, she flicks her eyes Tate’s way. “And you must take one for your hand.” Then she rearranges her features to match her usual strength, and her voice lowers. “And then we must all have a much-needed conversation.”

20

COOPER

Scotty had to stay a while in the infirmary, and after a few intermittent updates over the hours using the bond, Ezla’s let us know they’re coming back.

That’s all Tate, Tiger, and Alby could manage to stay awake for before they passed out on our Bonded bed.

They’re knocked out cold, and I’m glad—they deserve the sleep. I myself am far too wired to get a single iota of it, and I tense when I hear the faint woosh of taalk from the living room, my own door left open just for that reason.

Ezla berated me while she was gone, bullying me into having a shower instead of “sulking around like the moody, temperamental asshole I am”, and so I’m all cleaned up and in my black pyjama shorts and top now as I rise from where I’d been sat on the edge of my bed moping. She’s got some real fucking audacity after what she’s put me and the guys through recently.

Not that it’s her fault. Not at all. I just don’t know what to do with all this built-up crap inside of me, and that commonly turns into wrongly directed anger. Anger I refuse to let spill onto my Bonded or brothers after the absolute nightmare week we’ve already had.

Heading out of my room, I pause in the doorway as I watch Ezla stride ahead of a perfectly healthy Scotty, all demanding and shit as she leads him into his room.

My blood heats to scorching.

Is my body fucking kidding me right now? She didn’t even do anything, for fuck’s sake.

For a moment, I allow my weight to settle onto the thick wall to my left, silently watching them. Scotty must not have his door set to auto-lock, because it stays open, and my eyes track Ezla as she whips around and glares at my brother. His lips twitch, and he moves closer like the death stare was an invitation, leaving me holding my breath as he tucks some deep chestnut hair behind her ear.

She’s stiffened, but she doesn’t whack him off and send him into an early grave, and my chest smarts. Envy slithers through me, a poison that infects my veins with each second that passes as Scotty then slides a hand to her nape and presses a soft kiss to her forehead.

Padding over to the room, the first words I hear are, “Cooper, how lovely of you to join us. I was beginning to think you were about to watch Scotty and I have hot, passionate sex for your personal enjoyment.”

I choke on my spit.

Scotty clears his throat while I slap at my chest. Done with attempting to be inconspicuous, I move into the bedroom, glancing at him to see his face cherry red. “Not one to beat around the bush, are you, Love?” Then he rubs at the back of his neck, eyes dropping to the glinting floor reflecting the dark emerald Avri decorating the room in tasteful strips. “Ah, did you mean that?”

Ezla’s lips curl in amusement, and fuck, that’s a sight for sore eyes. We’ll still have to talk through everything that’s happened and still happening when the rest of our Bonded group wakes, but after that, I hope we’ll see more of this side from HC that we didn’t properly get to before the Ball. “You are so greedy for me,” she muses, and that blush on him spreads to the tips of his ears.

Now it’s my turn to clear my throat.

Ezla’s mismatched eyes slide over to me. “Yes, Cooper, I am aware you are also in the room. You will be glad to know that your presence is very hard to miss.” I am, actually. “You two being in the same room together has my anticipation for your upcoming punishments growing, I must admit.”

My brows fly up my forehead. “I think I should be the one to punish you, Vengeance,” I say before I can think it through.

Her eyes narrow to thin slits. “And why would that be?”

Swallowing, I decide I might as well carry on now, and, taking a calculated step closer, I drop my voice. “Because you went off on your own, acting like you’re invincible again.”

“Cooper,” Scotty sighs, dragging his palms down his face.

“But it’s true,” I push on, a spike of anger joining in with the lust in me to create a deadly concoction as I keep slowly moving towards Vengeance. “We could have helped you, Ezla. Why do you never accept our help?”

Humming, she says bluntly, “No.” My brows knit before she continues, “No, you are not doing this. I am exhausted, and as much as I do so love to verbally spare with you, that is not what I am currently in the mood for. I will explain all that has happened and why I made the choices I did tomorrow.”

Pausing in place, I blink at her.

Then the guilt sinks in. “I . . . Sorry, HC. I’m sorry. That was really shitty of me—”

“So tell me what you really want to say.”

I stiffen.